[Temple ICAS Lecture] Dealing with Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Japan

Robert Dujarric Announcement
Location
Japan
Subject Fields
Human Rights, Japanese History / Studies, Sexuality Studies, Slavery, Women's & Gender History / Studies

Date: Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Venue:Temple University, Japan Campus, Azabu Hall, 1F Parliament(access: http://www.tuj.ac.jp/maps/tokyo.html)
Speakers:

  • Shihoko Fujiwara, Founding director of Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims (formally Polaris Project Japan)
  • Yumi Itakura, Senior staff attorney at the Tokyo Public Law Office’s Foreign Nationals and International Section 

Moderator: Robert Dujarric, Director of ICAS
Admission:Free. Open to the public.
Language:English
Registration:icas@tuj.temple.edu
* Registration is encouraged, but not required.  

Overview:

Although Japan is supposed to be one of safest countries in the world, it does not fully meet the minimum global standards for the elimination of trafficking, including forced labor, exploitation, and sex trafficking. Lighthouse, a Japanese nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery, has helped more than 400 people abused in Japan’s pornography industry since 2013. We will also cover the problems involved in the exploitation of young foreigners involved in the internship (trainee) program.
   
Speakers:

Shihoko Fujiwara is the founding director of Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims (formally Polaris Project Japan), which runs a human trafficking hotline; provides direct intervention, counseling, and other support to trafficking survivors; educates law enforcement and the public about how to identify victims; and advocates for improved public policy and a more coordinated, victim-centered response to the issue. Fujiwara has been an advocate for the rights of women and children in Japan since 2004 and has participated in numerous panels, consortia, and global efforts. She received her BA in international studies from the University of Wisconsin.

Yumi Itakura is a senior staff attorney at the Tokyo Public Law Office’s Foreign Nationals and International Section. Her office provides multilingual legal services to foreign nationals residing in Japan. It seeks to offer legal access and justice for all irrespective of nationality, residence of status, health condition, disability, sexuality, income level, age, and other factors.  Since starting her legal career in 2005, she has been advocating on behalf of migrant workers’ and women’s rights. She has worked on cases involving domestic violence and sexual harassment in the workplace as a trial lawyer and labor and gender law expert. She received her BA in international relations at Tsuda University, qualified as an attorney-at-law in Japan, and was also a U.C Berkeley Law School Visiting scholar.

 

Contact Information
Robert DujarricDirectorInstitute of Contemporary Asian Studies (ICAS)Temple University Japan Campus
Contact Email
icas@tuj.temple.edu