[December 2023] Learning about Australian Multicultural Initiatives

Last month, we held our annual Australian Multicultural Study Tour in Sydney. Following last year’s tour in Melbourne, it was held in person and we were delighted to welcome 13 delegates for the study tour. The purpose of the program is for staff of Japanese local governments and other relevant organisations to deepen their understanding of multicultural initiatives in Australia through site visits and discussions with individuals who support multiculturalism in Australia. Also through networking with the other participants they gain a holistic view of Japan’s current issues to help develop multicultural policies in their own region. In the tour we visited nine organisations that have strategies, initiatives and services that contribute to Australia’s multicultural society. At each site we received a briefing on their multicultural policies and services, and had opportunities to discuss with staff who work on the ground. Both participants and CLAIR Sydney staff had an invaluable learning experience through this program.

We would like to take this opportunity and thank all the organisations and individuals who kindly assisted with our study tour.

The number of foreign residents in Japan has been on the decline in recent years due to COVID-19, but it reached a high record of approximately 3.22 million as of end of June, 2023, according to the statistics from the Ministry of Justice. The percentage of the total population is approximately 2.59%, which means that approximately 1 in 40 residents are a foreign resident. CLAIR supports the multicultural efforts of local governments in Japan through information provision, policy support, and dispatching of staff.

We believe that the history, policy, and social consciousness towards multiculturalism in Japan is still different to Australia, but the important factors and approaches for working on multiculturalism policies can be very helpful in Japan. We anticipate that the participants will apply their learnings from the study tour in their practices in respective regions.