About Red Look

A society where anyone can connect with the world, in their own way

Red Look is a nonprofit creating a third place where Japanese and international people meet as equals and grow together through languages, friendships, and careers. It all started with a community born in Vancouver, Canada, in 2023.

NPO since Aug 2025
Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Sagamihara SDGs Partner

Vision, Mission & Value

What we aim for

Vision
A society where anyone can connect with the world, in their own way
Talking with international neighbors, starting a new language, going abroad, working in Japan — we want more people to connect with the world in the way that suits them.
Mission
International careers for Japanese and international people, and global-minded local communities
We support Japanese people's international careers and international people's careers in Japan, and connect their experience to a more inclusive, lively local community.
Value
Creating a third place for Japanese and international people
So that no one has to face a cross-border challenge alone, we create chances to connect with Japanese society and the world through exchange, learning, and careers.

What we're responding to

"I can't keep it up alone." "I have nowhere to practice."

These are the voices we've heard most often at our events and in our interviews.

Japanese people

Want to try working abroad but don't know where to start
Have nowhere to use English
Gave up studying abroad for financial reasons

International residents

Want to work in Japan but find Japanese careers and culture unclear
Feel isolated after arriving in Japan
Worry about having to leave their job or Japan early

Both

Loneliness and isolation
No chance to actually use the language

Our values

What we care about

01
Diversity in 'Beyond Borders'
Going abroad is not the only way to challenge yourself. We value every form of crossing borders—whether it's learning, connecting, or sharing your voice globally.
02
A Cycle of Co-creation
Those who receive support eventually become the ones who give it. By learning and creating together, we grow a sustainable circle of global challengers.
03
Connecting through Skills
Skills are a universal language that transcends borders. We transform learning into action, empowering everyone to collaborate with the world.

5 ways to take part

From discovering and joining to supporting and creating

Participants become the people who welcome the next newcomer. We build that flow through five ways to take part.

Discover
Join
Connect
Grow
Support & create
Pass it on

Our journey

From a community in Vancouver to a nonprofit in Sagamihara

January 2023
Red Look Founded in Vancouver, Canada
Red Look was established in Vancouver, Canada, with the mission of supporting those who aspire to challenge themselves abroad and pursue local employment overseas. As the founder (now the chairperson) was an engineer at the time, the activities began under the name “Vancouver Developer Meetup Group ~ Red Look ~” within the tech community. Every Sunday morning at 10 a.m., events were held consistently for one year to help participants prepare for local job interviews. Over time, the group hosted more than 90 events, grew to over 600 members, and welcomed around 300 participants. *Faces in photos are blurred or stamped for privacy.
April 2024
Community Expansion to Tokyo, Japan
When the founder’s Canadian visa expired, they returned to Japan and expanded the Red Look community to Tokyo. The group began activities as the “Tokyo Developer Meetup Group ~ Red Look ~,” creating a space for foreign engineers to share their challenges and concerns regarding job hunting in Japan, especially through personal development projects. Although the founder returned to Japan, the Vancouver community remained active, and Red Look continued to operate as a cross-border, two-location community.
August 2024
Launch of Support Plans
Recognizing the limitations of offering support only through regular events, Red Look launched several new support plans to provide more personalized assistance. These included initiatives such as 'Interview Practice with Foreign Engineers Working Abroad' and 'Coaching for Professionals — Designing Your Future to Avoid Regret in Global Challenges.' The team collaborated with active engineers and certified coaches, providing individual project support and résumé feedback within the community.
November 2024
Community Expansion to Munich, Germany
With the cooperation of members, Red Look expanded its community to Munich, Germany. Despite time zone differences, the team maintained frequent communication to research the local tech market and tackle community challenges. The Munich chapter quickly grew, reaching over 100 members while actively fostering mutual learning and collaboration.
March 2025
Exploring Full-Fledged Support
Feeling the limitations of informal community-based activities, Red Look decided to obtain a legal entity. Based on past experiences, the team concluded that the key to achieving local employment lies in how effectively individuals can communicate their skills and strengths to companies. With this belief, Red Look adopted its current slogan — “Making World Connection With Skills” — and committed to supporting both Japanese individuals seeking to study, work, and settle abroad, and foreigners aiming to live and work in Japan.
August 1, 2025
Establishment of NPO Red Look
After consulting with numerous individuals, organizations, and companies, the team decided to preserve the spirit of the original community while obtaining legal nonprofit status. Preparation of the necessary documents began in May, and after two months of effort, NPO Red Look was officially registered on August 1, 2025.
November 1, 2025
Revisiting Our Core Mission and Vision
Since beginning our activities with NPO Red Look, we have conducted over 40 direct interviews with companies, local governments, and event organizers in just three months. At first, we held a vision and set of values centered around “supporting overseas challengers and guiding them toward local employment abroad.” However, as interviews progressed, we came to realize that only a very small number of people actually held such high aspirations. Instead, we heard more voices from those who “want to go abroad but cannot take the first step due to various reasons,” and from those who “struggle to stay motivated in their studies and eventually give up on their overseas ambitions.” Listening to these realities prompted Red Look to rethink its vision. Rather than viewing “overseas challenge” solely as “aiming for local employment abroad” or “physically going overseas,” we broadened the definition to include “starting international engagement from within Japan based on one’s current level.” In other words, we embraced a more flexible understanding of overseas challenge as a form of “crossing borders.” Furthermore, we aim to create a system where those who have already succeeded in their overseas challenge can give back socially to the next generation of challengers, and where society can continue to support individuals when they set new goals. Ultimately, Red Look strives to realize “a society where everyone can ‘cross borders’ in their own way, and where challenges circulate and support connects people.”
January 27, 2026
Official Registration as a Sagamihara SDGs Partner
NPO Red Look was officially registered as a 'Sagamihara SDGs Partner,' and I attended the certification ceremony at City Hall. Receiving the commemorative shield directly from Mayor Kentaro Motomura marked a significant milestone, signifying our recognition as an integral member of the local community. While our initial focus was on individual career support for overseas employment, conducting over 40 interviews led us to adopt the flexible concept of 'Border-crossing'—creating community-rooted spaces for multicultural coexistence. Leveraging this partnership, we are strengthening collaborations with administrative bodies and local businesses across the Sagamihara, Machida, and Tama areas to realize a 'Third Place' where Japanese and foreign residents can grow together.
February 15, 2026
Guest Speaker: 'Intergenerational and Cross-Sector Exchange' at the Civic Activity Support Center
At the invitation of the Sagamihara Civic Activity Support Center, I delivered a presentation to approximately 100 residents and community leaders. I addressed urgent issues such as the aging population in the international volunteer sector and the structural barriers hindering youth from pursuing global careers. I presented Red Look's innovative solutions, including our 'P2P (Peer-to-Peer) Learning' model and the 'Red Hub' community. By viewing Sagamihara as a microcosm of Japan, I advocated for a new role model that harmonizes multicultural coexistence with regional revitalization, sharing a clear roadmap for building new collaborative networks across generations.
July 3, 2026
International understanding class at a junior high school in Sagamihara
At the request of a junior high school in Sagamihara, our representative director talked with students about living abroad, international careers, and multicultural coexistence.
Read the article
September 6, 2026
Hosted the Sagamihara Global Future Session 2026 (supported by Sagamihara City)
At Unicom Plaza Sagamihara, students, working people, international residents, companies, schools, and the city government discussed multicultural coexistence, international careers, and the future of the region. Speakers came from the Sagamihara City International Division, Winkle Inc., Aoyama Gakuin University, and the Sagamihara interpreters and translators group.
Read the article
September 2026
First booth at a citizens' festival in Sagamihara
We exhibited at a local citizens' festival for the first time to introduce Red Look to people in the community.

Team

Our team

Representative Director: Eric （Yutaro Akami）

Whether you are Japanese or a foreign resident, pursuing a career or a new challenge abroad comes with significant hurdles—immigration restrictions, language and education gaps, and economic instability. For many, the high risks make that first step feel impossible. My journey began with a European cultural study program in high school, which sparked a passion that led me to over 15 countries as a student, volunteer, and backpacker. Even after starting my professional career, I continued to take risks, eventually leaving my job to live abroad for several years. While I witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to build a career in a foreign land, those years were filled with invaluable growth and connections. These experiences shaped my core belief: 'I want Japanese people to have better experiences abroad, and foreigners to have better experiences in Japan.' Driven by the desire to help more people gain meaningful international exposure, I founded NPO Red Look. Drawing on over two years of community leadership, I am dedicated to supporting global journeys for everyone, regardless of age or background.

Read profile

I started my career as a System Engineer at an IT firm, working on large-scale payment management systems for major corporations using Java, COBOL, and VBA. Later, I transitioned into full-stack web development, working as a freelancer with technologies like Laravel, CakePHP, React, and AWS. I have led international teams to develop and publish web and mobile applications on the App Store, and I personally built the entire NPO Red Look website. I have organized over 150 study sessions and workshops globally. Across Japan, Canada, and Germany, I founded and scaled tech communities in collaboration with local teams. My experience includes teaching English and programming, as well as producing specialized support plans for international careers, such as interview coaching. Today, as the Representative Director of NPO Red Look, I manage the organization’s operations, handle corporate and government relations, and accept various speaking invitations. I also support the local community through international exchange, translation, and 'PC Rescue'—a tech support service for solving hardware and software issues (As of March 20, 2026).

Director: Hayato Fujiwara

At NPO Red Look, we value 'supporting the first step of a challenge.' We help Japanese people pursue opportunities abroad and assist foreign nationals seeking employment in Japan. Working overseas is not only about facing language and cultural differences — it’s also about embracing diverse values and perspectives. Many people hesitate to take that first step due to uncertainty or lack of information. During my own experiences studying and working abroad, I discovered both the joy and the difficulty of taking on new challenges. What kept me going was the support of those around me. Now, through Red Look, I aim to create an environment where everyone can challenge themselves with confidence. Growth begins with a small step, and we are here to walk alongside you as you move forward toward a new future.

Read profile

In Japan, I worked for about seven and a half years in the air conditioning industry as a sales engineer, handling design, sales, and project management. This experience taught me that genuine trust between people leads to real results. Later, I studied in Canada, gaining hands-on experience through part-time jobs and internships in multicultural settings. Although I faced challenges with language and culture, those moments became opportunities to broaden my worldview and personal growth. Currently, as a director at NPO Red Look, I support Japanese people pursuing global careers and foreigners seeking to work in Japan. I’m also studying cognitive science-based coaching to better assist those who are about to take their first step toward a new challenge. Even if you feel uncertain, every step forward leads to growth and new encounters — and I hope to be someone who helps you take that step with confidence.

We're looking for team members

See open roles

Working with the local community

Rooted in Sagamihara, working with the community

Events hosted: 160+; Total across Canada, Germany, and Japan
Total participants: 1,600+; Same as above; current activities are mainly in Japan
Meetup community: ~600; As of Oct 2026
Participant satisfaction (out of 5): 4.7–4.8; Participant surveys, as of Sept 2026

Registered as a Sagamihara SDGs Partner
Held an event with the support of Sagamihara City (Sept 2026)
Delivered a special international understanding class at a junior high school in Sagamihara
Spoke at the invitation of the Sagamihara Citizen Activity Support Center (Feb 2026)
Exhibited at a citizens' festival in Sagamihara for the first time (Sept 2026)

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A society where anyone can connect with the world, in their own way

What we aim for