Koji Sudo: "I want to create a space where Japanese people and foreigners can work together.&qu

二年前まであった四ツ谷のある居酒屋で、いつも同じ、少し顔のやつれたネパール人が働いていたんです。ひょんな事から仲良くなって話を聞いてみると、実は僕よりも若くて、 家族のためにネパールの大学も辞め、出稼ぎに日本へ来て、その居酒屋では時給700円、週6で雇ってもらっているということが分かりました。単純に「すげーな」と思って。もっと知りたくて、ネパール人やベトナム人をはじめとする多くの外国人のいる大久保の留学生寮に引っ越しました。そこで見た留学生の現実に驚愕しました。家族と自分の人生を賭けてきて、昼間は学校、午後から夜中にかけては勉強とバイト、そんな苦しい生活をしている人たちばかりでした。今一番やり遂げたいことは、僕の身近にいるそんな人たちを助けてられるようなことをすること。まだ具体的な計画もないし、心配事しかないけれど、今僕は日本社会の知らない、こういう人たちや世界をもっと知ってもらい、日本人と留学生がお互い歩み寄れるような何かを立ち上げたいと思っています。

-- 須藤宏治　経済学部　日本

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Two years ago in an izakaya (bar) at Yotsuya, there always stood a worker from Nepal who had a haggard expression. In an unexpected turn of events, we became close and I began to listen to his stories. It turned out that he was younger than me, but had quit university to work in Japan for his family. His wage at the izakaya was 700 yen per hour and he worked six days a week. I was astonished. I wanted to learn more so I moved to a dorm in Okubo where many people from Nepal, Vietnam, and other countries live. The people there surprised me.

They all sacrificed their life for their family. During the afternoon they attended school, and from late afternoon until midnight they worked. The dorm was filled with people going through hardships. What I want to do now is to use my own time to help them. For now I don’t have any specific plans and I worry about them, but I want the people in Japan to know about these foreigners and the life they live. I want to create a space where Japanese people and foreigners can work together.