Hirakata ELCL (Hirakata International Center) is an international exchange promotion facility located in Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture, and plays a role in supporting the daily lives of foreign residents and promoting the internationalization of the community. With approximately 20,000 users per year, the center functions as a place to realize multilingual and multicultural coexistence by providing services such as Japanese language classes, cultural exchange meetings, and daily life counseling.
Multi-level Japanese language classes
Japanese language courses are offered at six levels, from beginner to advanced. The courses are offered 12 times a week, and all courses are free of charge or at a low cost (500 yen per class). In the "Practical Conversation Course," students practice expressions necessary for situations such as shopping, hospitals, and government offices, while the "Business Japanese Course" assists students in job hunting and workplace communication. All teachers are experts who have passed the Japanese Language Teaching Proficiency Test, and they teach with the philosophy that "conversation skills are more important than grammar" and "understanding cultural backgrounds is the key to communication. Approximately 70% of the students rated the course as "useful for daily life," and many commented that it enabled them to communicate with people in the community.
Scale and Content of International Exchange Events
At the monthly "World Food Festival," foreign residents offer dishes from their own countries for exchange tasting with local residents; in FY2023, dishes from more than 20 countries were exhibited, with a total of 3,000 people participating. The "International Movie Screening" provides an opportunity to deepen cross-cultural understanding by screening foreign films in their original languages and holding discussions afterward. In the "Traditional Craft Experience," foreign residents and local residents experience making Japanese paper and wind chimes together to promote exchange through technology.
Multilingual Lifestyle Counseling Achievements
Staff members who speak English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish provide consultation on daily life issues such as residence procedures, medical care, and education, etc. In FY2023, about 1,500 cases were consulted, of which 80% were resolved. In particular, many foreign residents have expressed their gratitude for "the detailed explanation of the complicated procedures, which helped me a lot".