Kobe Foreigners Friendship Center (KFC) is a civil non-profit group that works to build a society where people with many cultural backgrounds, sharing the same area can actually live together.

Soon after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake two groups of volunteers, the Hyogo Ken Teijyu Gaikokujin Seikatsu Fukkou Center (Center of Recovery of Life for Foreigners Living in Hyogo), and the Hisai Vietnam Jin Kyuen Renraku kai (Group of Communication of Vietnamese Victims' Rescue), went beyond their activities related with victims and began to offer support in daily-life matters for foreigners. In 1997 both groups were unified creating the KFC.

Nowadays in Japan, a country with a history of colonization of Asia and with a society of global economy, there are many people who are away from their birthplace, who immigrated looking for a new place to live with their families. In spite of that, generation after generation, the Japanese society continues to pay little attention to these so-called ethnic minorities.

History shows that the majority, or people with power in a society, fight for their own interests and tend to oppress any kind of minority. Therefore, it is necessary for a society, in order to protect its diversity and the rights of its citizens, to value people's individuality (an equality that recognizes differences).

Foreigners who are permanent residents in Japan have a role in the country's daily-life. They also are members of Japanese society.

Wishing to finish with prejudice and discrimination, and to build an ample multicultural society, KFC moves forward with its activities.

What they do

Consultation

They give support on subjects related with jobs, housing and issues related with daily-life.

- Advice of specialists
- Help with hospitals and public offices' forms
- Consultation related with problems in education issues and others.

Project NIHONGO (Japanese Language)

Now, permanent residents can learn to communicate and express themselves in Japanese. They provide a place where it is possible to learn Japanese with the help of volunteers.

Children Support

They develop projects to help foreigner children to develop their sense of identity and independence like:

- Activities to support children in school
- Exchange Projects
- Guidance to enter in high school
- Japanese language classes and others

Hana no Kai (Support to Elder People)

They are developing a project to build a place dedicated to elder zainiti Coreans.

Proposals and Suggestion to Related Institutions

They want to build a society where the minorities' point of view is properly regarded.

Research and Surveys

They have been doing researches related with:

- Minorities' History, their present situation, life conditions and culture Institutions and the system surrounding minorities
- Publication of reports about minorities conditions in Japan

Group of Specialists and Staff

This center, offers, to those who need, specialist's advices, (experts with diploma and certifications) in several fields.

In the present moment, they have the following specialists: lawyers, architects, tax accountant, judicial scrivener, group of trade support, medical department, physicians, scholars, specialized labour organizations.