My Lifestyle and the Local Community～Making Kitakyushu City Friendlier for Foreign
Nationals to Live in～

October 22,, 2010
INDRIYANI RACHMAN

The reasons Indonesians live in Kitakyushu City
Participating in training programs (3 years) at Japanesecompanies (particularly steel-related
steel related companies in andaround Wakamatsu area) Studying
y g at Japaneseplanguageg g schools or taking
gundergraduate or graduate programs at universities.
• Japanese language schools: 1-2 years• University:
U iit EEngineering
ii undergraduatedd t (4 years),) masterst(2 years),)
doctorate (3 years)• Maximum 9 to 10 years

Working at Japanese companies Marrying Japanese persons.
 Training with JICA: Generally 4 to 6 months
 Etc.
Number of Indonesians in Kitakyushu City(Unit : person)
160

140

120

100

80

60

40

200

M ji kMoji-ku

K k
Kokurakita-ku
kit k

KokuramKk
iinam iiku

W kWakamatsu-kutk

YahatahigashiYh t hihiku

Y hYahaganishi-ku
i hi kT b t kTobata-ku

Source: KIA training program material (as of March 2009)

Problems encountered when living in Kitakyushu City
Paperwork and proceduresin municipal offices

Alien registration
Seal registration
National pension
National health insuranceChild day care centers
Transfer or admission into elementaryor junior high school
Issuance of maternity passbook
Registration of marriage
Registration of birth
Registration of divorce
Registration
gof death
Etc.

Problems in daily life






Japanese language skills
Food (food that is not to taste oragainst religious teachings)
Inability to interact with the community(Japanese people)
Culture ShockFew friends
fto talk with
Nowhere to go to get advice onproblems and concerns

Stress that is repeated day in and day out

Languages spoken: English
English, Chinese
Chinese, and Korean
Only 1 or 2 times while living in Kitakyushu

What happens when you don’t understand Japanese?
I have no Japanese friends.
 I can’t read the notices on study sessions at the civic
center etcetc.
 I have no way of knowing about schedules of events inKitakyushu.
 Since I can’t read the ingredients on food labels, I run
the risk of eating things my religion bans me from eating((alcohol,, pork,p , etc.)) or which I am allergicg to.
 Parents (mothers) can’t choose books or media for theirchildren’s education.
 I don’t know which municipal facilities to go to forstudying or recreation.
 When I talk with Japanesepppeople,p there is so much I
can’t understand at all, so foreign nationals end up nottalking. --> For this reason, foreign nationals end up
g g out with each other.
hanging
 I can’t even get a part-time job.
Where to go with your problems The problems shown above are moreprevalent among women living in
Kitakyushu This is because women have
Kitakyushu.
more free time.
 For that reason, there is a need for a place
where mothers can go with their problems,
to have people spend time helping them.
 At titimes, mothers
thare stressedt
d becauseb
they are far away from their families and in
unfamiliar foreign surrounding.

Consultation
Clt tiservice

Foreignnationals:
Consult
theirissues.
issuesConsultation
Consltation
service:
Noticethe events,events
etc.

Foreignnationals

Not only Indonesians.
Indonesians
 Presently, the problems in daily life arey mothers of other foreign
g nationals,,
faced bynot just Indonesians living in Japan.

Interaction and activities with thecommunityy in KitakyushuyThe park adjacent to Kyushu Institute of Technology

International programs in the Wakamatsu Genkai
Youth CenterBazaar in Ayamegaoka Elementary School

Indonesian trainee for JICA

AIM International Festival

Interaction with other foreign nationals

Post-Ramadan festival

Cherry blossom viewing

Introduction to Indonesian cultureNogatagFestival

Wasshoi Festival

Interaction with Tobata residents

International Association’s International Autumn Festival

Sports festivals for foreign nationals

Japanese language programs inWakamatsu-ku

Workshop ~Instrument
Instrument and Conversation~
Conversation

Cooking classThank you for your attention.
Terima kasih
atas perhatiannya.