| Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese (AFWJ) |
Languages
| Mainly English (Deutsch, Francais groups) |
| Type | Friendship and Support Group for non-Japanese woman who have Japanese partners |
| Meeting Times | AFWJ has a variety pf local and national meetings: conferences, lunches, coffee mornings, craft days, ladies night out, family events, etc. |
| Status | not-for-profit |
| Contact Person | Membership Secretary |
| Contact Email | membershipsecretary@afwj.org |
| Website | http://www.afwj.org/ |
| Who is it for? | Friendship and Support Group for non-Japanese woman who have Japanese partners |
How many?
| Curently 430 women |
| Partner group/program? | AFWJ Chapter Groups |
| Who started it? | A group of foreign wives who decided to get proactive about finding more women like themselves. |
| When did it start? | It was established in 1969. |
| How did you start? | The above group of women put an ad in the Japan Times announcing a luncheon at the Tokyo American Club. They expected around 20, and to their delight about 50 women turned up. |
| How does it work? |
The current fee is 7,000 yen a year. Members receive an information package, newsletters, bi-monthly journals (approx. 130 pages), as well as online access to privately published books on legal matters and crises.
They are free to participate in a range of face-to-face and online groups: Chapter Meetings National Conventions Online national group Online local chapter groups Parenting group Health group Without children group Japanese reading group Fifties and over group Living alone group Marriage and Intimacy Group Slimming group Overseas group German group French group If interested, you can serve on the board too. |
| How do you keep the group/program going? |
There is a huge need for AFWJ. Most people are in Japan for the long haul, so we don't have the financial perks that many expats have.
Women join it because they want friends, and many of the women in AFJW will be around for a long time. Being a woman's org, we are very resilient. We understand that we need each other. We are more successful when we have girlfriends who know what we are going through. |
| How does it benefit families? |
"I couldn't imagine my life in Japan without it. It has been a lifeline. You never have to explain yourself to anyone."
"People who just get me. No explanations. No translations. No awkward silences." "Friendship, support, and laughter." "Friends of our own, away from home." "A place to share good times and bad." "Regardless of the situation, there is always someone who has experience that is willing to share." |
| Any advice for others who want to set up something similar? |
I think you have to identify the cultural and language needs that are not being met. Think about the needs of your prospective members, and what they might be looking for in a group.
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