Not Now But One Day

It focuses on the Kurdish community living in Japan amidst Japan's exclusive immigration policies, prejudice, and lack of understanding, in an attempt to portray the difficulties they face, their complex and diverse identities, cultural survival, and hope

In Saitama Prefecture, located next to Tokyo, the Kurds, “the world's largest ethnic group without a country,” form a community of more than 3,000 people, and their number is increasing every year.They have applied for refugee status in Japan after fleeing Turkey's harsh assimilation policies, but Japan's refugee status rate is extremely low, and recognition as a “refugee” that recognizes political persecution in Turkey is considered damaging to relations between the two countries, and only one exceptional Kurd of Turkish nationality has been granted refugee status to date.They live mostly as undocumented immigrants. Even their Japanese-born children are treated as undocumented. Furthermore, in recent years, xenophobia has intensified in Japanese society, and hate speech against Kurds in particular has accelerated. Hate demonstrations have been held repeatedly in their residential areas, and there is no end to voyeurism and threats.

The Kurds began arriving in Japan in the 1990s as single men, and later, as families were called in, communities were formed. Since that time, Japan has compensated for its labor shortage with foreign workers and has turned a blind eye to the fact that they are not working in a regular way. As a result, Kurds are now responsible for much of the demolition work in and around Tokyo.Children who grew up in Japan or were born in Japan form a unique identity, accepting Japanese, Kurdish, and Turkish culture in their own way. Due to statelessness, it is difficult for them to go on to higher education or find employment as they wish.

The title “Not Now But One day” is named after the Turkish phrase “bügün değil ama elbet bir gün” written on a Polaroid by a young man who grew up in Japan.He has always told himself, “Not now, but one day, so hang in there.”The Kurds who have decided to live in Japan continue to live their lives in Japan in an unassuming manner for the day that will one day come.