(NFSJ Café #22, October 21, 2020)
Guest Speaker: Mr. Arata Sakamoto (President, NPO Rescue Hub)
Held online

This NFSJ Café was held online with Mr. Arata Sakamoto, President of the NPO “Rescue Hub” as the guest lecturer. Mr. Sakamoto was previously a staff member of NFSJ. I have always admired his sincere personality and passion to stop human trafficking, so I have always shared his Facebook posts and information. There are people in this world who do things that cannot be so easily imitated. Arata Sakamoto is one such person.

Kabukicho, Shinjuku is the largest entertainment district in Japan. He has been making nighttime rounds there alone for the past three years. Whether it is a freezing cold winter night or a sweltering night during the Coronavirus pandemic, he is there to help those in need. Many of these women, who say they have no choice but to work in the entertainment district due to economic hardship, are well-educated and have lived fairly normal lives. They are suffering from sexual exploitation, domestic violence and other difficulties that are difficult to discuss with others. However, they are not willing to seek help themselves. Mr. Sakamoto patiently goes around the city at night and gives them a hand warmer, cleansing paper, masks and a consultation card with his contact information on it. In this way, as they gradually learn his face, he is able to connect them to public and private support organizations.

Mr. Sakamoto himself says that what he wants to turn his eyes away from most is the issue of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. That is why he decided to tackle these problems. There’s no need to ask the question, “Why are you here?“ What is needed is his determination to stand by them to the very end. This is where a relationship of trust can be born, which can eventually lead to support. (Namura Michiyo)

Please refer to the NFSJ website for more information.
 http://notforsalejapan.org/en/news/202009/807