When we hear about refugees in the news, on social media, or in politics, it can feel abstract and factual. Often, we forget that these facts are about people. This video gallery gives a voice to the experiences they went through, which are often very similar.
Themes
Here are similarities in the journeys of people who had to leave their country behind:
- Forced to Flee
- Roots and Realities
- Journey to Japan
- Asylum Process and Bureaucracy
- Detention
- Starting anew in Japan
- Acts of Hope
- Faith and resilience
- Dreams for the Future
Forced to Flee
In international law, the word “refugee” has a precise meaning. Under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees describes a refugee as someone who is outside their country and has a well-founded fear.
“owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
The 1951 Convention was a vital starting point, but it was written for a different time. As the cases of Nahed and Yasser show, modern displacement is complex, and the reasons people flee today often spill outside the lines of traditional definitions.
This gallery connects those legal words to lived experience. Through short personal testimonies, you will see what “well‑founded fear” can look like in real life: loss, threats, punishment, and targeted violence.
“I had to leave when my colleague died”
Christopher – Cameroon
Christopher founded a union for the Anglophone minority, defying the government. When the pressure turned into tragedy, his fight for justice became a flight for survival.
“They said: ‘Okay, if Gabriel ever returns to Nigeria. He will be a dead man for ignoring our holy Quran.'”
Gabriel – Nigeria
For simply sharing his Christian perspective, Gabriel was targeted by extremists.
“In Tunesia, you know, there is jail for gay people.”
Nahed – Tunisia
In her country of origin, she could face jail for loving who she loves.
“So, from there I was disappeared around 6 months. I don’t know where which place, but with a lot of torture.”
Sunday – Uganda
Because he opposed Museveni, he was tortured.
“Then I told my mum like ‘We’re leaving’. ‘No, It’s like,’ ‘there is no discussion about that.'”
Yasser – Syria
Syrians wanted change but opposing Assad’s regime forced many such as Yasser to flee.
Roots and Realities
Every human story is deeply tethered to his roots. Before their story in Japan began, they had their lives and family in their country of origin. In this section, we travel to the frontlines of personal history. Through their eyes, we witness how corruption, gender restrictions, and political instability infringe upon the sanctuary of childhood. These short fragments explore how the places we come from partially shape who we become. Watch the stories below to see where and how the journey begins.
“My parents were like don’t go out without us. It’s really dangerous”
Ozzy – Liberia
In Japan, elementary school children walk to school safely from a very young age. For Ozzy, simply stepping past the front door meant risking her life. Watch to see what happens when stepping past your own front door means risking everything.
“People are not really looking for money or something. They are looking for a better quality of life.”
Nahed – Tunisia
When a country falls into anarchy, looking the other way becomes a survival tactic. See how economic despair and corruption are shaping Tunisia’s future.
“Monks in Myanmar don’t talk unless you pay them. Famous ones have expensive cars that cost hundreds of millions of yen.”
Nyo – Myanmar
In Myanmar, the very people meant to guard morality are fueling corruption.
“Happiness was freedom for me when I was a child. When I could go everywhere that I want, freely.”
Ariana – Iran
Ariana’s freedom ended where her childhood did. Watch her story on how gender dictates every boundary, limit, and law for women in Iran.
“They don’t realize that they can empower their own country.”
Christopher – Cameroon
True stability starts from within. Fon Fon Christopher breaks down why local management and empowerment are the ultimate keys to Africa’s future.
Journey to Japan
A passport, a visa, a ticket to somewhere else. Sometimes, the things meant to guarantee a smooth transition lead to the most challenging chapters of our lives. The truth is, many refugees never planned or even wanted to come to Japan. Leaving home is rarely a choice, but a painful necessity. From overwhelming emotion to unexpected airport blockades and sudden twists of fate, explore three powerful, firsthand stories. Step into their shoes and discover what it means to navigate the journey to Japan.
“I was crying like a baby.”
James – Cameroon
Watch how James experienced his first days in Japan.
“What is the problem? My passport? They said, no. My visa? They said no. I said, then What? Why?”
Patrick – Cameroon
Patrick had a genuine visa and a valid passport, but he still could not pass. Find out more about his journey in the video.
“We weren’t really expected to stay, we were expecting to transfer.”
Ozzy – Liberia
Watch how Ozzy and her family got ‘stuck in Japan’ at the airport, while waiting to board their plane.
Asylum Process and Bureaucracy
For asylum seekers in Japan, the journey to safety is often met with a crushing bureaucratic machine. From unpredictable summons to arduous interviews, the system extracts a heavy toll. The process frequently separates families, while life-altering rejections are delivered without clear justification. Even when released from detention, many remain in a suspended state, granted permission to stay but denied the right to work. These stories move beyond statistics to reveal a system that frequently prioritizes procedure over human dignity. We invite you to listen to their voices to understand the true cost of asylum bureaucracy in Japan.
“Because they will tell you that you are here and, as an asylum seeker, when we call you, you have to be here.”
Guillain – Congo
Watch how Guillain’s story reveals the exhausting reality of Japan’s immigration service and get an honest look at the human side of this complex process.
“She cried a lot every time and the were pushing her a lot to say stuff and getting into details.”
Yasser – Syria
Yasser’s story shows the intense nature of the questioning. It offers a glimpse into the pressure placed on applicants.
“Interrogations want to prove that you are a liar or not.”
Ariana – Iran
Find out the difference between interviewing and interrogating. Ariana’s story shows how thin this line can be.
“They don’t give reasons.”
Sunday – Uganda
Watch this short fragment to see how the lack of transparency leaves so many asylum seekers in limbo.
“Karihoumen is not a visa, but it gives you permission to stay.”
Gabriel – Nigeria
Gabriel’s words reveal the harsh truth behind Japan’s Karihoumen status.
Detention
Japan’s 17 immigration detention facilities often subject refugees to indefinite confinement instead of short-term administrative processing. Within these centers, basic needs are frequently met with institutional indifference, and medical requests are often answered only with painkillers.
While detainees foster resilience through community and mutual support, they remain in a strictly controlled environment. These facilities mirror prisons through rigid daily schedules, mandatory roll calls, and profound psychological isolation. The following graphic illustrates how the daily routines and physical restrictions within these facilities directly mirror the conditions of a prison.
“This is not an immigration center, this is a prison.”
Patrick – Cameroon
After arriving in the detention center, he realized it looked and felt exactly like a prison.
“what crime did I commit to go on detention?”
Christopher – Cameroon
Christopher briefly describes what it was like to be detained in the Japanese centers. He compares it to actual prisons.
“So, when I go into detention center then I have nothing! So, I couldn’t even buy toiletries, detergent.”
Gabriel – Nigeria
Without the right to work, detainees in Japan struggle to afford basic necessities, a financial strain Gabriel explains well. He also highlights the inspiring solidarity between detainees and voluntary groups who coordinate to provide essential support for those in need.
“So, I was only fighting for my heart.”
Sana – Burkina Faso
Sana was denied medical exams for his chest pain, receiving only painkillers. He links his struggle to a Sri Lankan woman who died in the center after her own pleas for hospital care were ignored.
“She was always crying and she never wanted to eat.”
Ozzy – Liberia
Ozzy’s story exposes the impact of separating children from their parents. When they are put in a detention center.
Starting anew in Japan
“Like in the first six months, I used to cry missing Damascus or my country.”
Yasser – Syria
See for yourself how Yasser feels about his new chance in Japan.
“I think I was lucky because I followed all the steps.”
Guillain – Congo
” And like, after I came here, I made friends and now I actually have close friends, best friends and it’s all new to me.“
Ozzy – Liberia
Watch this heartwarming change in Ozzy’s personality because of the safety in Japan.
“It had gone off my memory that there’s something called racism.”
James – Cameroon
” I really want to work and to start making my money, and to start meeting people.“
Nahed – Tunesia
Faith & Resilience
“We are assured of protection against all dangers and all diseases. So, I do that every day.”
Gabriel – Nigeria
“‘If you trust me, I will protect you.’ This is the kind of words that keep me moving.”
James – Cameroon
“He wants to do good for you in the future”
