Who We Are

David Slater

Project Director

I am a professor of cultural anthropology at Sophia University, Faculty of Liberal Arts. My current project is on refugees and migrants in Tokyo. I teach and do research on capitalism, youth, labor, semiotics, urban studies, and more recently, 3.11 Tohoku disasters. I am fortunate enough to be involved in both the Refugee Voices Japan as well as Sophia Refugee Support Group, where many young people are using our research to better focus their support efforts for more effective results. Please feel free to contact me here, dhslater@gmail.com.

I joined Refugee Voices Japan as a student working with our narrator Yasser on his experience of Growing Up Under Assad’s Regime. Since then, I have had the opportunity to continue my contribution to the project with the management of resources, risks, and quality, and have a publication on the positionality in this student-led research project. I have further developed an interest in refugee policy and obtained a Master of Science in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where I conducted research on asylum seekers’ right to work and the concept of “fake refugees.”

Ayano Soma

Project Manager

Ayaka Komatsu

Project Manager

I became involved in refugee advocacy through SRSG in 2022, where I first gained insight into the realities faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Japan. Wanting to deepen my understanding and help share their experiences responsibly, I participated in the Refugee Voices Japan project twice while also leading SRSG for three years. Over the years, I have had the privilege of listening to and learning from those willing to share their stories. I hope to continue supporting a space where refugee voices are shared with care, respect, and above all, dignity.

I began my contribution to Refugee Voices Japan with First Role for Many Actors: Waiters, exploring Yasser’s resilience in the Japanese labor market. Currently, I serve as the project leader in guiding students through literature review and interview planning. I have also led the Sophia Refugee Support Group for five years, forming meaningful connections with the refugees, many of whose stories are featured on our website. My academic research concentrates on the female refugee population in Tokyo, and I am to pursue an Erasmus Mundus program in Migration and Intercultural Relations this year.