Starting Law-note for foreign workers in Japan

Hello, I am Masahiro Hongo, attorney at Law in Tokyo.
I focus on settling labor issues for foreign workers living in Japan,

Rather than giving you a normal self-introduction, let me tell you how this became my passion.

When I was nineteen years old, I was left in a foreign country with no place to live. This experience motivated me to become someone who could help foreign residents in Japan.
When I was a university student, I went to study at Oslo University in Norway as an exchange student. When I arrived in Norway, the dormitory I was supposed to stay in had no room ready for me and I was left house-less for more than two weeks.

Dragging my heavy suitcase with me, unable to understand what the train station signages say (they were all written in Norwegian, obviously) I managed to book a couple of hostels for backpackers as temporary lodging. Day after day, I went to the university campus to negotiate and begged to give me any room available. However, the answer I got was “no” and was told there was no room left. I still clearly remember the campus staff telling me “it’s desperate!”
I could not open a bank account, my credit card I used to buy my flight ticket was getting close to its spending limits, I was running out of cash…

Just when I was truly about to run out of money, a Norwegian student who was supporting exchange students offered to help and negotiated with the university for me. Thanks to her, I was able to enter the dormitory. The room they gave me was simple, to say the least, with no internet connection. However, I was happy just to have a place I could go “home” to. The room helped me make the most of my time as an exchange student in Norway until I went back to Japan.

The experience taught me how hard and worrying it is to be in a troubling situation in a foreign country without being able to speak the local language. At the same time, I also learned how helpful it is to have someone you can go and talk to for support. These emotional learnings are at the core of my passion for solving various issues foreign workers face while working in Japan.

The Japanese labor law is said to be unique compared to other countries’. Despite the rising number of foreign workers in Japan, their working conditions are not always healthy. I want to talk to the foreign workers and provide the support needed to solve their issues. As a result, I hope I can make as many of the workers feel glad that they came to Japan.
I am more than glad to help to make your life in Japan more fulfilling.

In my Note articles, I am planning to write about the information you need to know to work in Japan, and what to do when you face some problems at work.