Kofu, Yamanashi Pref. ¨C In December, the Tokyo High Court upheld the Tokyo Immigration Bureau¡¯s decision to deport 17-year-old Utinan Won from Japan, the country he was born and raised in his entire life.
Despite the court¡¯s ruling, Won, who was born the son of a visa overstayer from Thailand and who lives in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, has never blamed the country he calls home, thanks in part to a core group of people around him who support his desire to remain in Japan.
¡°My supporters, teachers, and classmates ... have made great efforts to help me stay in Japan even though I come from a different background,¡± Won said during a recent interview with The Japan Times.
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