Many international residents see great potential for building a better life in Japan, but there are hurdles to working or establishing residency here. Rules and regulations can be hard to navigate, even for those who are proficient in Japanese. Kasama Yumiko has been working hard to help individuals with the immigration process since she established her office in nearby Kawasaki in 2013.
Kasama is very passionate about immigration and the protection of human rights. She explains, “After graduating from university I devoted ten years of my life working in social sectors like international humanitarian aid to protect the rights of marginalized individuals in developing countries. I also volunteered to consult with non-Japanese who needed help settling in Japan.”
After marrying lawyer Kasama Toru in 2005, she was inspired to become a Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist (immigration lawyer), to protect the rights of internationals living in Japan.
Kasama’s services are extremely valuable and increasingly sought out as Japan experiences an influx of overseas workers. In particular, Japan is seeing a rise in the number of blue collar and part-time non-Japanese workers. It is not easy for many of these workers to find stable and regular employment, but they will be vital to the workforce as Japan’s population and workforce, like many developed countries, continue to decline. Kasama notes that many of her clients are not even sure whether they can continue to work in Japan, despite the desire to do so.
Kasama offers consultation in English for many types of cases and has worked with individuals from a wide array of backgrounds. Her initial consultation fee is only 5,400 yen with no time limit. If you are a business employing internationals or an individual concerned about your residence status, please visit her office conveniently located one minute from Shin Maruko station on the Toyoko Line. For the help she provides to many Yokohama businesses and international residents, we give her honorary status as a Hamakko (Yokohama resident)!