Growing Diversity and Intercultural Friendship Activities in Central Tokyo

The ongoing ageing of the population has become a major social issue. In fact, the ageing population has led to changes in communities of central Tokyo. However, at the same time, because of the constant influx of foreign residents, ethnic diversity has grown, and ethnic businesses have developed in some inner areas of Tokyo. Although the movement of international population declined markedly and even stopped due to COVID 19 pandemic, since 2022 the trends in international migration have recovered. In central Tokyo, such as the Shinjuku and Toshima wards, which embrace more than 10 percent of foreign residents, there has been an important level of movement, both in and out of foreign residents. Many foreign residents move out of the area after a relatively short stay, but on the other hand, some foreign residents have come in and settled in the district in order to run their businesses. Thus, various ethnic businesses have been developed. This is especially the case of the Ikebukuro district of Toshima Ward, which is the focus for this fieldwork. In these areas, we can witness some collaborative activities between local residents and people who come from abroad. In this paper, I would like to consider expressions of empathy in local communities by focusing on examples of collaboration and cooperation between diverse cultural groups.