In Japan, the number of workers from overseas is increasing. Conflicts between new and long-time residents can occur, sometimes due to a lack of clarity about Japanese rules. However, in Ohashi in Fukuoka city, people from Nepal and their Japanese neighbors live in harmony. Why has coexistence there been so successful?
A street-corner store selling Nepalese products attracts not only people from Nepal but also Japanese customers. Among the latter is a woman who treats the owner and his family just like her own family. The local government also provides support on figuring out how to dispose of garbage, which can sometimes be confusing for newcomers. At the same time, Nepalese residents are trying their best to integrate themselves into the community. With a strong sense of cohesion, they support each other whenever they have problems with life in Japan. Ohashi is called "Little Kathmandu” for its large number of Nepalese people. The area offers insights into what Japan might look like in the near future, when population decline prompts the country to welcome even more foreign workers.