Refugees, immigrants, supporters connect through food and music at Tokyo festival
TOKYO -- Refugees, immigrants and their supporters connected through cultural exchanges at a recent festival held in a park here.
The Refugee & Migrant Festival, organized by an executive committee of supporters for individuals who have come to Japan due to various circumstances such as persecution in their home countries, has been held as a charity event for the past three years. Proceeds are used for activities supporting refugees and related causes.
The sixth edition of the festival took place at Heisei Tsutsuji Park in Nerima Ward on May 10. Attendees engaged with people of diverse backgrounds through cultural exchanges involving food and music. Booths offered Myanmar and Kurdish sweets, snacks from Asia and the Middle East, and handicrafts and accessories from African countries. The event was bustling with families and other visitors, while a special stage featured performances of songs and musical instruments.
Additionally, many at the event listened intently to supporters discussing the current situation for people on "provisional release," whose refugee applications have not been approved but who are allowed to live outside immigration facilities under certain conditions.
(Japanese original by Daisuke Wada, Photo and Video Department)
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