I think this is great. I only recognize Hari Devkota and Andrew Mitchell from Kumamoto International but all are to be congratulated and thanked for their efforts. Work like this is not only genuinely helpful to the victims of the quakes; it's also powerful evidence that belies racist propaganda about how foreigners harm Japan.
Here's a ChatGPT translation of the article. -- Kirk
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“We Want to Help”: Foreign Residents Turn Their Desire to Assist into Action, Serving Meals at a Kumamoto Evacuation Shelter
Council Supports Volunteer Effort, Providing 250 Servings of Keema Curry and Naan
Foreign Employment Council (一般社団法人外国人雇用協議会)
August 17, 2026, 1:13 p.m.
The Foreign Employment Council carried out a meal-service relief effort by foreign volunteers at an evacuation shelter in Kumamoto Prefecture on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
The initiative began with foreign residents of Japan saying that they “wanted to do something for the people affected by the disaster.”
Council director Poudel Santosh responded to those wishes, and the council supported the effort by coordinating with people at the disaster site and arranging the activity. Motoki Suganuma, secretary-general of the council, also participated in the meal service on site that day.
The effort transformed the foreign volunteers’ desire to “do something to help” into concrete assistance for people in the disaster-stricken area.
All 250 Meals Served, Exceeding the Original Plan of 200
The meal service was held at the Yatsushiro Toyooka Chiken Arena, where more than 300 people were taking shelter at the time.
Keema curry, naan, and water were prepared for the evacuees.
There had initially been some concern that even 200 meals might be more than needed. However, a steady line formed as soon as service began, and all 200 prepared meals and the water were gone in about two hours.
An additional 50 meals that had been prepared just in case were then served as well, bringing the final total to 250 meals.
People at the shelter said that the food normally distributed there consisted mainly of items such as bread and was often not a hot meal.
Many evacuees were also eating naan or Nepalese food for the first time. The volunteers received many warm comments, including:
“It was really delicious.”
“This was the first time in my life I had ever eaten naan.”
“I never imagined I would get to eat authentic curry here. I was really touched.”
“I’m going to tell my relatives to visit your restaurant.”
One elderly woman came back for a second serving, saying, “It was really delicious.”
She spoke cheerfully and with a smile, but she also told the volunteers that her home had been completely destroyed. She had been on the first floor when the house collapsed around her and buried her inside, and neighbors had rescued her.
For the members taking part in the effort, hearing people in such circumstances smile and say “Thank you” and “That was delicious” made a particularly deep impression.
The heat that day was extremely severe.
Local volunteers continued working under the strong sun while also taking care to have disaster victims wait in the shade whenever possible.
Turning the Desire to “Do Something” into Action
After the activity, one of the participating foreign volunteers said:
“I had wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what I could do. Thank you very much for giving us this valuable opportunity.”
Among the foreign nationals living in Japan are people who, when disaster strikes or their communities face difficulties, ask themselves, “Is there something I can do to help?”
At the same time, even when people want to help, they may not know where to go or how to get involved, and those feelings therefore do not always lead to actual action.
In this initiative, the council listened to the voices of foreign residents and acted as a bridge between them, the local community, and the relevant organizations, turning their desire to “do something to help” into concrete disaster-relief work.
Seeing Foreign Nationals as More Than Just “Workers”
Foreign nationals are often discussed primarily as people who work for companies, people who help alleviate labor shortages, or people who receive assistance from Japanese society.
But foreign residents of Japan are also members of their local communities.
The foreign volunteers who participated in this effort wanted to “do what we can” and “do something to help” the people affected by the disaster, and they went to the site themselves to put those feelings into action.
Among the foreign nationals living in Japan are people who care about others experiencing difficulties in their communities, think about what they themselves can do, and then act.
The council believes it is important to properly communicate their actions and their feelings to society.
The Foreign Employment Council believes that foreign nationals should not be viewed simply as “workers,” but as people who live in Japan and are members of the communities they help build.
Rather than making this a one-time effort, the council hopes to continue carrying out activities that enable foreign residents who want to “do something” for their communities and society—including during disasters—to turn those feelings into concrete action.
By continuing to serve as a bridge between foreign residents and local communities, the council intends to create more opportunities for foreign nationals to participate in their communities and contribute their abilities as members of Japanese society.
Activity Overview
Activity
Meal-service relief effort in a disaster-affected area by foreign volunteers
Date
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Location
Yatsushiro Toyooka Chiken Arena
Food and drink provided
Keema curry, naan, and water
Number of meals
250
Activity support
Foreign Employment Council (一般社団法人外国人雇用協議会)
Funding
No membership dues were used to fund this activity. The costs were covered using revenue generated by the council’s revenue-producing activities conducted during fiscal 2026.
About the Foreign Employment Council
The Foreign Employment Council (一般社団法人外国人雇用協議会; JAEFN) works under the slogan “Creating a New Society of Coexistence from Japan” to build an environment in which foreign nationals can participate to the fullest extent as members of Japanese society.
Through policy recommendations, support for companies in creating suitable environments for accepting foreign personnel, assistance with the daily lives and education of foreign residents, human-resource development, and the dissemination of information, the council seeks to create a society in which Japanese people and foreign nationals can contribute and thrive together.
Official website
https://jaefn.or.jp/
Contact regarding this matter
Secretariat
Foreign Employment Council
E-mail
[email protected]
Contact form
https://jaefn.or.jp/contact
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