Interviewed by Sagamihara City's SDGs Team: Why Red Look Exists

NPO Red Look is a nonprofit in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, that creates a "third place" where Japanese and international people meet as equals and grow together through language, cultural exchange, and careers.

On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the Everyone's SDGs Promotion Division (みんなのSDGs推進課) in Sagamihara City's Mayor's Office interviewed us. Our founder and chairperson, Eric (Yutaro Akami), talked about how Red Look grew from a tech community in Vancouver, Canada in January 2023, why he founded an NPO, and what comes next. Here is a summary.

Eric explaining Red Look's activities during the interview

Interview overview

The city staff were especially interested in Eric's experiences abroad and the story of how Red Look began, and asked many questions. The interview is scheduled to appear on the city's SDGs website, SDGs one by one (in Japanese), and other city media. We will share the link here once it is published.

Red Look in one phrase

When asked to describe Red Look in one phrase, Eric said:

"For anything about Japan or overseas, come to Red Look."

For international people, that means "anything about Japan." For Japanese people, "anything about overseas." You don't need a big plan like studying abroad or changing jobs. If you just want to make Japanese friends, practice Japanese, or understand life in Japan, you are welcome to start here.

Why did Eric start Red Look?

Red Look grew out of three experiences in Eric's life.

1. Good experiences abroad: As a university student, he traveled, studied abroad, and backpacked, and learned how much you can gain by crossing borders.
2. International experiences inside Japan: He supported international students in Japan as an international exchange assistant, and found that you can have rich international experiences without leaving the country.
3. Life as an immigrant: After starting his career, he lived in Canada for about two years, from April 2022 to January 2024, and tried to find a job there. He learned firsthand what it is like to live as an immigrant, and how hard it is to job-hunt in a new country.

Eric traveling abroad (Hallstatt, Austria)

With international students in Tokyo as an international exchange assistant (Eric is second from left in the back row, in the red hoodie)

"Whether people cross borders or not, I want everyone to connect with the world in their own way, reach their dreams, and enjoy the experience. That is why I started Red Look." (Eric)

That is why our vision is "A society where everyone can connect with the world in their own way", regardless of nationality, age, race, or language level.

From a Vancouver meetup to an NPO in Sagamihara

With friends Eric met in Canada (Eric is second from right; on the far left is Hayato Fujiwara, now a Red Look director)

In January 2023, while living in Canada, Eric started a meetup group for developers in Vancouver. After he returned to Japan, the community expanded to Tokyo, and to Munich, Germany, thanks to a member. On August 1, 2025, Red Look was registered as an NPO in Sagamihara. In January 2026, we attended the certificate ceremony for the Sagamihara SDGs Partner program.

Across our Meetup groups in Canada, Germany, and Japan, we have held more than 230 events, with more than 2,100 members combined (as of October 2026; members counted in each group).

Read more on About Red Look.

What challenges do we focus on?

In the interview, Eric shared the challenges we see in our events and conversations.

• International people in Japan: Japanese culture, and especially the Japanese language, can be a big barrier. For some people, this leads to leaving their job or going home earlier than planned (see: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, report of the Study Group on Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals, July 2024).
• Young Japanese people: Many have few chances to use English. Some high school and university students give up on studying abroad for financial reasons. A survey found that financial reasons are the top reason students give up (MEXT and JASSO, "Tobitate! Study Abroad Japan" survey, February 2024).
• Both: Loneliness and isolation.

Why an NPO?

Many study-abroad agencies earn commissions by referring students to language schools. Many agencies do care about their clients, but in this kind of system, what brings in revenue and what is best for the client do not always match.

Red Look does not earn referral fees. As a neutral nonprofit, we can think together with you about the plan that fits your situation, level, and budget. We cover our running costs with donations such as Red Supporters, and we never push paid services on the people who come to us. That is why one of our principles is "We don't sell."

Is a language school enough for a career abroad? Eric's experience in Canada

In the interview, Eric also shared a story from his time in Canada.

When he was job-hunting there, he listed his language school on his resume and was told to take it off. Some employers may read it as a sign that a candidate is not yet comfortable communicating in English. In his language school classes, he also prepared an English name as part of getting ready to work in Canada.

Eric receiving a language school certificate during his study abroad in Canada as a university student (2018)

A language school is a well-organized place where people learning English as a second language study together. Your English does improve, up to a certain level. But in Eric's experience, the school alone did not take his English to the practical level you need outside the classroom, the kind that leads to a job.

This does not mean language schools are not worth it. What matters is choosing a path that fits your goal, and having real places to use the language you learn. That experience is why our free consultation helps you plan around your own goals, and why our weekly online and in-person events give you a place to actually use English and Japanese.

Our vision, mission, and value

Why careers and local communities?

Eric believes that a job at a local company is one of the biggest keys for international people to keep living in Japan. A job gives you a stable base for your life, and working at a local company lets you experience Japanese culture naturally.

The same goes for local communities. Relying only on tourism can cause problems such as overtourism. We believe that more people working, living, and joining activities in the area is the real foundation of a lively community.

Five ways to join our third place

As of November 2026, we run five programs. You can start anywhere and move between them freely.

Introducing our five programs on our website

Our volunteer staff join not only from Sagamihara but also from Osaka, Chiba, other parts of Japan, and overseas. Members with experience living abroad, and with English (or Japanese, for our international staff), use what they have learned to run each event. Red Supporters is a new program we started in fall 2026.

How do we want to work with companies, groups, and the city?

Red Look is looking for partnerships with companies and community groups.

What we have done: Sagamihara Global Future Session 2026

On September 6, 2026, we held the Sagamihara Global Future Session 2026 with the official support of Sagamihara City. Speakers came from four sectors: the city (Sagamihara City International Affairs Division), a company (Winkle Inc.), a university (Aoyama Gakuin University), and residents (the interpreting and translation group of the Sagamihara International Lounge). Participants from different backgrounds then worked in groups on ideas to make Sagamihara more international.

Bringing the city, companies, schools, and residents together in one place is the kind of partnership Red Look is in a unique position to create.

Partnerships we want to build

In the interview, Eric shared some ideas:

• Making local events more international: When our bilingual staff join existing local events, international residents such as short-term students can feel at home more easily. They can also help communities that need more hands. We are now preparing a local event with short-term international students at Aoyama Gakuin University.
• Workplace training: Japanese culture and ways of working for international employees, tips for working with international colleagues for Japanese employees, and language learning for both.
• A place outside work: Employees can find a third place outside work and more connections with the local community.

Our goal is a win-win relationship between the city, schools, companies, and residents. Companies and organizations can learn more on our page for companies.

Red Look and the SDGs

Red Look has been registered as a Sagamihara SDGs Partner since 2025. In the interview, Eric explained how our work connects to six of the goals:

Our challenges and goals

It has been just over a year since we registered as an NPO. We are grateful for the support we have received, but we still have a long way to go. Next year, we want to work on:

• Reaching children and older people: Most of our participants are working adults and university students. We have visited a junior high school and joined a local festival, but we do not yet offer ongoing support for children and older people.
• A permanent place: We don't have an office yet, so we can't offer a place where people can drop by anytime.
• Funding: We need funding to make these possible.

We are also aiming to become a certified NPO under Kanagawa's ordinance or national law. Once certified, donors can receive tax benefits, which would help more support flow to people taking on new challenges in Japan and abroad.

Note: At this time, donations to Red Look are not eligible for tax benefits.

About Sagamihara City's SDGs division

The Everyone's SDGs Promotion Division promotes the SDGs in Sagamihara and works with companies and organizations toward the goals. Sagamihara was selected as an "SDGs Future City" by the national government in July 2020.

The "Sagamihara x SDGs" display at Sagamihara City Hall

The division runs programs such as:

• Sagamihara SDGs Partners: A registration program for companies, NPOs, groups, and schools that work with the city on the SDGs and local issues. Red Look is one of the registered partners.
• Sagamihara SDGs Business Certification: Certifies companies that care for the environment and society and actively contribute to the local community.
• "SDGs one by one": The city's website for learning about the SDGs in a fun way (in Japanese).

Learn more at SDGs one by one (Japanese).

From the team

The question that stayed with us most was about our future plans. Busy with day-to-day operations, we had not had much time lately to think about the bigger picture. Talking it through was a good chance to reconfirm where Red Look is heading.

Thank you to the Everyone's SDGs Promotion Division of Sagamihara City for this opportunity.

More international opportunities for Japanese people. More chances to know Japan for international people. We will keep building a place for both, from Sagamihara and online, across Japan and around the world.

Next step: help us keep this place going

Even if you can't join every event, or you are not confident in English or Japanese, you can support Red Look as a Red Supporter. Learn more on the Red Supporters page.

Related articles

• From Engineer Community to Nonprofit: Why We Founded Red Look
• Why We Rebuilt Our Vision: From "Local Job Support" to "A World Where Everyone Can Connect Globally"
• NPO Red Look Registered as Sagamihara SDGs Partner: Attending the Certification Ceremony