HumanTrafficking.org | Japan International Organization: Polaris Project

A web resource for combating human trafficking

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Japan

Polaris Project - Japan

Address

Polaris Project Japan
P.O. Box 7　Shibuya Post Office of Tokyo 150-8691 Japan

Contact Information

If calling from Japan:

Tel: 050 3496 7615

If calling from overseas:

Tel: +81 3 3208 6055

Website

http://www.PolarisProject.jp

Email

Info@PolarisProject.jp

Activities

Polaris Project is a multicultural grassroots organization combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Based in Japan and the United States, our passionate staff combine street-level experience and technical expertise, working everyday to provide victim services, conduct advocacy, and build the anti-trafficking movement. At Polaris Project Tokyo office, our staff work on projects to combat trafficking in Japan, especially the sexual exploitation of women and children.

Program Activities:

National Toll-free Multilingual Hotlines - Polaris Japan has launched toll-free, 24-hour, trafficking-specific hotlines in Japan. The hotlines are available in Japanese, Korean, and English, with additional translation available in Thai.
Outreach, Client Services, and Victim Protection - Polaris Japan is currently developed new multilingual outreach materials to publicize the hotlines as well as an outreach website. Our outreach projects includes: safe patrol on street for potential victims (in collaboration with local police), direct material distribution to the community members, education targeted at community leaders, and posting flyers and outreach cards in stores and other targeted areas where sex trafficking may be prevalent. Polaris’ client service efforts assist victims of trafficking in persons and commercial sexual exploitation. Direct services available include: Case Management, Crisis Intervention, Emergency Shelter, Clothing and Food, Transportation (Local/Domestic), Interpretation/Translation, Emotional and Social Support, and Social Service Advocacy. Services provided through referrals include long-term shelter, legal, medical, mental health, repatriation, employment assistance, language classes, and other specialized services.
Law Enforcement Training, Workshops, and Collaboration - Polaris Japan has partnered with embassies to sponsor a series of workshops for law enforcement to facilitate peer-to-peer training and increasing collaboration between non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the embassies, and the police. Workshop participants to date have included trafficking experts from the National Police Agency (NPA), prefectural law enforcement from Tokushima, Shimane, Akita, Miyazaki, and Shizuoka, the Embassies of the United States, Columbia, and Thailand, and Polaris staff. Future workshops are to be planned to involve law enforcement from additional regions in Japan.
Training Social Service Providers - Polaris Japan has developed one of the first Social Service Provider Manuals on Trafficking in Persons in Japan. The Manual provides general guidance on using a multicultural, strengths-based, victim-centered approach with trafficking survivors and has information on the current victim benefits available. Over 550 total copies of the manual have been distributed to NGOs, Women’s Consulting Centers, advocates, and many law enforcement sources, including every police prefecture in Japan and all 55 police stations in Kanagawa prefecture. Currently, we are working on a second revision of the Manual to include more up-to-date information and cutting edge trends.
Advocacy and Raising Public Awareness - Polaris Japan staff have presented to over 2,000 community members, students, and professionals, raising awareness about human trafficking in Japan. The Polaris website contains information on trafficking in persons in Japan, and is available in Japanese, Korean and English at www.PolarisProject.jp. Polaris Japan also has worked with the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to provide Japanese translations and hotline numbers for customized Public Service Announcements on trafficking in Japan.
Victim Identification Through Field Research - Polaris Project Japan believes in the importance of understanding access points to victims and the landscape of different areas before attempting any direct outreach or victim identification efforts. To this end, our program staff have embarked on various field research efforts using online and media tools, as well as conducted numerous applied research trips to various urban areas in Japan.
Leadership Development Through Our Fellowship Program - Polaris Project Japan operates the Japan component of the Polaris Project Fellowship Program, training young anti-trafficking activists through an intensive service.
Grassroots Community Mobilization and Organizing - Polaris Project Japan has begun to build a Grassroots Network (GN) of dedicated volunteers and supporters throughout Japanese civil society. Currently, our network includes over 300 supporters. We have also begun the early stages of community awareness-raising by organizing community meetings at local schools, colleges, and other organizations.