PRESS CONFERENCE

Documentary film: The Ones Left Behind: The Plight of Single Mothers in Japan
Rionne McAvoy - Film Director
Ayuri McAvoy - Producer, former single mother

11:00-12:00 Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English and Japanese with English interpretation.

Looking around at the apparent wealth and excess in Japan, visitors may be surprised to learn that one out of seven children in the country lives in poverty, one of the highest rates of child poverty among OECD countries. In 2021, single-parent households had a poverty rate of 40 percent, compared to the average rate of just under 32 percent for OECD countries, making Japan the country with the eighth highest poverty rate in the OECD.

Filmmaker Rionne McAvoy's interest in the issues facing the single mothers around him eventually led to the making of his feature documentary "The Ones Left Behind: The Plight of Single Mothers in Japan". Weaving the testimonies of single mothers together with expert interviews exploring some of the societal and political causes of the problems faced by single mothers in Japan, McAvoy's film helps to reveal a part of Japan that has until now remained largely hidden to the outside world.

After screening a clip from the film, McAvoy will be joined by Mayumi Nishida, director of Heart Full Family Single Parent Support Group, to speak about the problems facing the growing number of single-parent families in Japan.


How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/EqMi2pQhjWWmeQ298
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.

Professional Activities Committee