海角大神

A former swimming instructor from Egypt is helping revive the sleepy mountain town of Shonai, Japan. About 200 miles away, a Canadian polyglot is singing the praises of Tsukuba city. And Orzugul Babakhodjaeva is standing onstage at a food festival outside Tokyo, decked in a traditional Uzbek dress, expressing her desire to 鈥渃reate a society where diversity is accepted.鈥�

The first-term city councilor in Tokyo鈥檚 Setagaya Ward聽鈥� who does not use her family name, and campaigned simply as 鈥淥rzugul鈥� 鈥� is one of a small but growing number of foreign-born local government members bringing fresh perspectives to an island nation long known for its homogeneity. These lawmakers are often multilingual and have rich international work experience. Their platforms have resonated with many Japanese voters, as well as with a growing population of non-Japanese residents.

The number of non-Japanese residents jumped 10.9% from 2022 to 2023, reaching a record 3.4 million, as the country struggles to address a chronic labor shortage driven by its aging population. Last year, 8,800 residents were naturalized as citizens, allowing them to vote in elections.

Arudou Debito, author of the book 鈥淓mbedded Racism: Japan鈥檚 Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination,鈥� says the election of immigrants to local government is 鈥渧ery important鈥� for Japan鈥檚 democracy.

鈥淣on-Japanese residents鈥� viewpoints are woefully unseen in Japanese society.聽They鈥檙e treated as 鈥榞uests,鈥欌�� explains Mr. Arudou, who is a U.S.-born naturalized citizen. 鈥淭he fact that former non-Japanese residents are getting elected means they aren鈥檛 鈥榞uests,鈥� meaning Japanese society can trust immigrants with public policymaking power.鈥�

Outsiders鈥� lens

About 30 miles northeast of Tokyo, first-term Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly member Heese Jon cuts a dapper figure as he drives a reporter around the city of Tsukuba, boasting about its 360 parks and its culinary delights. The city also hosts the University of Tsukuba, the headquarters of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and other leading institutes.

鈥淲e are sitting at the heart of Japanese research,鈥� says the native Canadian from the driver鈥檚 seat of his electric vehicle.

About 12,700 non-Japanese residents from 144 countries live in Tsukuba, making up 5% of its population, nearly twice the national rate of 2.8%.

Before his victory in the 2022 assembly election, Mr. Heese had already served four terms as a Tsukuba city councilor and won the most votes for three straight elections. He credits his popularity to his passion for women鈥檚 issues and the environment, as well as to his fresh face.聽

鈥淭he incestuousness of the political scene is really stunning,鈥� he says. Especially in smaller cities, politicians 鈥渁re almost all related to each other.鈥� On billboards displaying local candidates, he stands out.聽

鈥淥ne thing they can say is, 鈥楾his is not someone who can be bribed,鈥欌�� he says.

Tsukuba resident Sciortino Atsuko, who is married to an immigrant, believes that local government needs to reflect the city鈥檚 diversity. She says Mr. Heese, being married to a Japanese woman and raising kids in Tsukuba, understands the experience of being in an interracial family.聽

鈥淛on has long supported a non-Japanese community here, and played a role as a bridge with the government,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen non-Japanese speakers were in trouble at shops or gyms, Jon was the one who helped them out. ... Jon has brought the needs of the minority to the table.鈥澛�

Mr. Heese, who speaks five languages, says his long-term goal is to 鈥渂ring politicians from all over Japan to foreign countries and be their guide. They do not look beyond their communities very far.鈥澛�

Bolivian-born Inoue Noemi, a fourth-term member of Tokyo鈥檚 Sumida City Council, agrees that Japan can be an inward-looking country. 鈥淲e need to go global,鈥� she says.

Ms. Inoue worked at Bolivia鈥檚 central bank and the United Nations Development Program before moving to Japan in the late 1990s with her husband, a former member of parliament.聽

Before her first stint in local government in 2011, Ms. Inoue founded the Japan-Latin America Friendship Association in Tokyo to develop cultural, social, and business relations overseas. She also taught Spanish and still sees language barriers as a big problem.聽

Non-Japanese residents often have trouble communicating with police and hospital staff, she says. When facing problems from bullying to domestic abuse, few know what to do or where to go. Such information is not readily available in their languages.

Universal problems

Back in 2021, Sultan Nour was seriously considering leaving the northern town of Shonai, where he鈥檇 moved five years prior to be closer to nature. Like many rural areas in Japan, Shonai had struggled with severe depopulation, and no longer had any pediatricians. Mr. Sultan, who was born in Syria and grew up in Egypt, had two small children to care for.

But then he stumbled upon news of an upcoming by-election for the Shonai Town Assembly, and decided to go for it. He won that race and the next one, securing reelection with the highest vote count of all the candidates.

鈥淚 have long wanted to contribute to society,鈥� says Mr. Sultan, who had taught English, managed an Arabic restaurant, and worked for a construction company in Japan before running for local office. He also works as an Arabic interpreter for authorities.聽

Change came in December 2023: Thanks in large part to continued pressure from Mr. Sultan and other parents, Shonai鈥檚 main hospital now has a pediatrician four days a week.聽

It鈥檚 not the end of Mr. Sultan鈥檚 mission in Shonai.聽

Japan鈥檚 population is aging rapidly, and like other policymakers who face the daunting task of reinvigorating Japan鈥檚 rural towns, Mr. Sultan emphasizes the need to 鈥減ut more efforts into child care support, measures for the falling birthrate, and job creation.鈥�

Ms. Inoue sees immigrants as a key part of the solution 鈥� but they need support. 鈥淛apan needs to have good immigration law to support foreigners to find a job and live a decent life,鈥� Ms. Inoue says. 鈥淣ow foreigners come, but nobody wants to rent a house to them.鈥澛�

Her comments echo the experience of Orzugul, who was rejected by 53 companies when she first arrived in Japan, mainly because she did not graduate from a Japanese university. Later, she found it almost impossible to rent an apartment or business space in Tokyo without her Japanese husband present.

Despite the discrimination she faced, 鈥淚 love Japan deeply,鈥� says Orzugul. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I cannot look the other way. I would like to help open up doors to those who seek opportunity in this country.鈥�