江別市にパキスタン人が急増！なぜ増加？なぜ江別？札幌のベッドタウンで今、何が？・・・もんすけ調査隊「今日ドキッ！」２０２５年６月２７日放送

Client (Paru, 50s, Ebetsu resident) "It seems the number of Pakistanis in Ebetsu is rapidly increasing. Why is this increasing? Please investigate." Pakistan is a South Asian country located 6,000 km from Japan. With a population of 240 million, it is the fifth largest in the world and a friendly nation of Japan. It seems the number of Pakistanis is rapidly increasing in Ebetsu, a commuter town of Sapporo. To find out why, we headed to Ebetsu. Researcher "There are some people over there who look like they're from Pakistan. Where are they from?" Pakistani (resident for 9 years) Ali Umar "They're from Pakistan." So, Pakistanis are living in Ebetsu. What exactly are they doing? Pakistani (resident for 9 years) Ali Umar "I run a used car sales company. I buy used Japanese cars from auctions and local dealerships and export them overseas." An auto dismantling site with piles of wrecked cars. They export parts removed from cars to countries around the world, including Dubai, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. But why Ebetsu? Ali Umar, a Pakistani resident for nine years "Ebetsu has several large car auction venues, making it convenient for purchasing and transporting cars and making it easy to do business." In fact, Ebetsu and its surrounding areas are home to many large used car auction companies and dealerships, making the used car business booming. Another attractive feature is low land prices and the ease of finding ample space to park cars. But is the Pakistani population really increasing? Ebetsu City Mayor Yoshito Goto "There are 1,094 foreigners, a 1.5-fold increase over the past five years. The Pakistani population is currently at 224, a 2.4-fold increase over the past five years." In 2016, there were 32 Pakistani residents, but this year that number is at 224. That's a seven-fold increase in 10 years. What do the city's residents think? Ebetsu Resident "I feel like the number of foreigners is increasing." "There are a lot of them near my house. There haven't been any particular problems." "As long as they follow the rules, it's fine." The public's opinions are all positive. Furthermore, when I asked Ebetsu Police Station... Hokkaido Prefectural Police "There have been no arrests of Pakistanis living in Ebetsu City for disturbing public order or assault or battery within the jurisdiction." While they don't keep data on crimes by nationality, there doesn't appear to be a relationship between the increase in Pakistanis and the crime rate. But in Ebetsu, there is a Pakistani who is trying to integrate into the local community. His name is Soban Farooq, a university student. He came to Japan five years ago and helps out at his father's Pakistani restaurant. Soban Farooq, a Pakistani (resident for 5 years) "When you think of Pakistani food, there's barbecue, and curries like lamb nihari. The texture is similar to Japanese curry, but it's actually very spicy." Pakistani food is known for its generous use of spices, but this restaurant's biryani has a distinctive appearance and isn't spicy. In addition, for Pakistanis living in Ebetsu, they also sell halal-certified foods, which are not often available at regular supermarkets. Sobhan Farooq, a Pakistani (resident for 5 years) "Since most of the people here are in an environment where they don't have family, we provide easy-to-make ingredients like naan. This restaurant is trying to increase opportunities for interaction and multicultural coexistence." In an effort to deepen understanding of Pakistanis, the restaurant also hosts events introducing Pakistani culture. And Farouk's family... Sister: "I studied Ainu at the museum." Researcher: "Did you make any friends at school?" Cousin: "I made about 10." Cousin's friend: "We played hide-and-seek, soccer, and basketball." They are overcoming language and cultural barriers, and working hard to adapt to Japanese society. Soban Farouk, Pakistani (resident for 5 years) "From a Japanese perspective, I want to erase the feeling of intimidation, or the feeling that I can't talk to them because I'm curious about what kind of person they are. I want to be able to talk to anyone easily, and to be able to speak properly." Of course, the Farouk family isn't the only one making an effort. Other foreigners living in Ebetsu are also diligently studying Japanese after work. Pakistani (resident for 2 years) "I sell cars from Japan to Dubai. I've just learned a little Japanese, which has been really helpful." Burmese (resident for 8 years) "Now that I'm married and have a child, I often have to look up things in Japanese, so I'm studying Japanese." The unexpected surge in foreign residents has brought Ebetsu to a new stage. How do they plan to accommodate this ever-increasing foreign population? Ebetsu Mayor Yoshito Goto "Considering the current declining birthrate, aging population, and labor shortage, I believe the number of foreign residents will continue to increase regardless of whether ...