Creating a Safe and Supportive Space for Everyone

2025年10月10日 2025年10月17日村上法子

村上法子

Since this summer, I have been learning and taking on new initiatives so that I can be more helpful as a counselor, and as part of my life mission, especially in supporting children and families of foreign roots living in Japan.

At Kuretake Mental Health Office Osaka Sumiyoshi Room, I provide English support and often have the privilege of working with international couples. In my work supporting foreign residents in Japan, where I also serve as an interpreter, I sometimes meet people who become isolated or find that their challenges grow bigger than they first were, simply because of small, accumulated difficulties. At times, support is needed in languages other than English, which can make it harder to know the best way to help.

Foreign-rooted children, adults, and parents living in Japan—whether studying, working, or raising children—along with the employers, teachers, staff at public institutions, and volunteers who support them, all work to provide fair and thoughtful support. Yet, even with the best intentions, small moments of hesitation, unspoken assumptions, or thoughts like “I probably cannot say this” are often left unsaid. These little things can quietly affect everyone’s mental and physical well-being.

I hope, even in a small way, to contribute to creating an environment where people can feel safe and comfortable, both in mind and body, and live their daily lives without holding back their true selves.

At Kuretake Mental Health Office Osaka Sumiyoshi Room, I hope to gradually create a space where people from many different backgrounds can gather safely, enjoy each other’s company, and feel at ease.

Through our website, articles, and discussion sessions, I aim to continue supporting a comfortable and happy everyday life. By taking care of myself while learning and connecting with others, I hope to keep doing this work with care.

I hope that my experiences can serve as a small source of support and inspiration for the people I meet in the future, and I will do my best every day to make that possible.

If you are involved in supporting the mental health of children of foreign roots and their families living in Japan, or if you are doing similar work in countries where people from many different backgrounds come together, I would be delighted to connect and exchange ideas.

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