On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 26 international students attending Human Academy Japanese Language School Tokyo Campus attended the founding ceremony of the "Human Academy Japanese Language School Volunteer Circle" as a new step toward actively contributing to the local community as members of the local community.

The founding ceremony was attended by Chief Hasegawa of Totsuka Police Station, who has been helping us with our school's crime prevention orientation and is a leader in local crime prevention activities, as well as Mr. Miyano of Shinjuku Ward's Crisis Management Division, which promotes multicultural coexistence, who presented the club with a certificate of inauguration and model designation.

■ Background of the organization: Aiming for "coexistence" between international students and the local community

At the beginning of the ceremony, Principal Miyagawa of Human Academy Japanese Language School Tokyo Branch explained the background and significance of the formation of this circle.

Our school has approximately 2,200 students from all over the world, mainly from Asia. Despite their different cultural backgrounds, they are earnestly studying in Japan. However, he pointed out that "it is difficult for them to easily adapt to the lifestyle, rules, and manners of Japanese society, which are different from those in their home countries, and in some cases we have received criticism from local residents," which is something the school sees as an issue.

He also mentioned that there has been a growing trend in Japanese society recently to view foreign nationals with harsher views, and stressed that it is important not only to provide thorough daily guidance, but also to increase opportunities for international students to interact directly with local residents and contribute to the community.

Principal Miyagawa said that the opportunity to form the club today came when he received word from Totsuka Police Station, which regularly conducts crime prevention orientations for new students at the school, about forming a volunteer group of international students and designating the school as a "model school."

"Through this activity, I hope that the international students will be able to live proudly and with dignity in Japanese society, experience the significance of studying Japanese in Japan, and acquire the skills necessary to live in Japanese society," he said, expressing his high expectations for the students and the significance of the activity, and praising the students (26 people) who volunteered to participate in this volunteer activity.

■ Encouraging encouragement from partner organizations that support the region

Representatives from both institutions, who attended as guests, spoke of their high expectations for the circle and their plans for future cooperation.

・Totsuka Police Station, Chief Hasegawa

Totsuka Police Station Chief Hasegawa expressed his gratitude to Principal Miyagawa and other school officials, and reported that the school has been designated a ``model school for crime prevention volunteer groups.''

The chief said, "There are many volunteer groups within the jurisdiction of the police station, but we are facing issues such as an aging population, so it is important to pass on that spirit to the next generation." He added that he strongly hopes that by having our school, which has many international students, become a model school, it will help revitalize the town's crime prevention volunteers as a whole.

He also encouraged the students to see this as more than just a volunteer activity, but as an opportunity for personal growth, saying, "I hope that through this activity you will take the opportunity to think about what you can do for the people and the town. I also hope that you will talk directly with the townspeople, learn about the town's history, and further deepen your understanding of Japan."

・Mr. Miyano, Shinjuku Ward Crisis Management Division

Mr. Miyano of Shinjuku Ward's Crisis Management Division once again expressed his gratitude for the establishment of this circle.

"If you all have a strong feeling that 'we must protect our town ourselves,' and if you take an interest in your town, this will be a powerful weapon in building a town that is resistant to crime," he said, emphasizing the importance of the students' independent action.

In particular, Shinjuku Ward is extremely encouraged to see international students with an international perspective turning their attention to crime prevention, and expressed hope that the students' activities will inspire crime prevention efforts to spread throughout the ward.

Shinjuku Ward has also promised to provide security equipment such as vests and signal lights for volunteer activities, and to support the students' activities from the sidelines.

■ The certificate of designation was presented with determination, and the student representative made a powerful pledge.

Following these greetings, Chief Hasegawa presented Principal Miyagawa with a "Certificate of Designation as a Model School for Crime Prevention Volunteer Groups," and Mr. Miyano presented volunteer goods to a student representative.

And, representing the volunteer students, 1 It's been a year Chow Susutwe (22) However, he made a powerful announcement to launch the club.

Cho stated her wish, which is the core of the club's activities, as "I want the city we live in to become cleaner, safer, and more livable," and set out a specific goal, saying, "I want to see fewer people walking while looking at their smartphones and fewer people bumping into each other," which drew thunderous applause from the audience.

A man from Bangladesh was particularly serious in the venue, listening intently and nodding occasionally.Aziz (21)"I want to do something for society, especially to clean up the city," she said, explaining why she joined the volunteer group.

■Activities began immediately after the founding ceremony! Crime prevention information in front of Takadanobaba Station

After the founding ceremony, the students went straight to Takadanobaba Station to begin their first activities as a club.

This day is pension payment day, and as such there is a tendency for fraud cases targeting the elderly to occur at a particularly high rate. Therefore, under the guidance of Totsuka Police Station, the volunteer students distributed flyers and pocket tissues to elderly people and passersby calling for prevention of fraud and increased awareness of crime prevention.

The students actively approached passersby on the streets, and after understanding the importance of contributing to the local community, they proactively engaged in public relations activities. The activities on this day were a symbolic start, demonstrating to local residents the international students' determination to be active members of the local community.

We asked Kim Jin-guk (31), a native of South Korea, who was one of the participants, about his impressions of the day. "It was my first time, and at first I felt it was a little cold when people were reluctant to accept the leaflets and tissues, but I was happy that I was able to participate in the volunteer work itself. There are no volunteer activities in South Korea, so I'm glad I was able to do it in a foreign country. I'd like to continue trying out various volunteer activities in the future!" he said enthusiastically.

Human Academy Japanese Language School Tokyo Campus sees this volunteer club activity as a way for international students to acquire not only language skills, but also the ability to live in Japanese societyand deepen mutual understanding with the local community.

We will further strengthen our collaboration with relevant organizations, including Totsuka Police Station and Shinjuku Ward, and will continue to promote activities so that international students can contribute to the creation of a safe and secure city together with local residents, and so that true multicultural coexistence can be realized.

We look forward to your continued understanding and support, and to the continued success of our students.