Sophia Refugee Support Group

sophia refugee support group (srsg) is a student-run, refugee and asylum seeker support group, based in sophia university in tokyo, japan, which aims to provide support to refugees in japan, in response to the rapidly increasing number of asylum seekers in the country and to be the bridge connecting refugees and japanese citizens to help create a japan that is more open, multicultural, and welcoming to all regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. the group works towards changing the commonly held perception of refugees as “difficult people” to potential social, civic, and economic contributors in the country by combining research and action: to further understand the actual needs of the refugees and coupling it with action-based efforts to make a difference in their lives. srsg’s main activities include monthly refugee cafes, regular japanese language classes, weekly detention center visits, awareness workshops, school visits, document translations, and fundraising eve