brief history

1995 Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake

In this emergency, all the matters on non-Japanese residents that had been sneaked under the carpet surged at once.

Volunteers provided multilingual information for 80,000 non-native Japanese speakers in the disaster area.

Established this time:

  • NGO Foreigners' Assistant Network
  • Foreign Residents' Earthquake Information Center
  • FM YY community radio station

    • 1996～

    The "emergency care" activities which started in the chaos transformed into "daily service," in order to realize multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society, where differences in nationality, language, culture, and custom are regarded as social virtue.

    Our works and activities include:

  • Translation of daily information
  • Maintenance of database and information network in case of disaster
  • Documentary video "Wind of Multiethnic Society"
  • Programs for children with various cultural backgrounds

    • 1998～

    多言語での生活情報や地域情報、ニュースなどの提供 翻訳者のネットワークや災害時用データベースなどの構築 震災後の地域活動のドキュメンタリービデオ　「多民族社会の風」制作 さまざまな文化背景をもった子どもたちが増加し、加速度的に多様になっていく教育環境をふまえた、子どもに焦点をあてたさまざまな活動、地域の外国人コミュニティへの支援活動などに取り組んでいます。

    June 1999- FACIL

    Our Goal Is

    • To FACILitate the idea that the multi-lingual service for our community should be offered for reasonable fees. This service includes translation of indispensable daily information, as well as interpretation at such places as hospitals and administrative offices.
    • To FACILitate multilingual environment, by working together with non-Japanese residents, the administration, medical institutions, and private companies.
    • To fully establish FACIL as a community business that offers our neighbors professional language service for less than ongoing inaccessible market price.

    Lastly, we'd like to note that our translators and interpreters include those who devoted themselves in volunteer activities at the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake. &n