The aim of this study is to examine hindering factors for Minsei-iin Community Volunteer activities in communities where foreign residents are highly concentrated and to explore the methods to improve these circumstances.

  This study conducted a questionnaire survey on 241 Minsei-iin Community Volunteers in Ward A in a large city. The following five factors were extracted as a result of an exploratory factor analysis ; “support system for Minsei-iin Community Volunteer activities,” “specific methods for activities,” “cooperative work with foreign residents,” “engagement with foreign residents during local activities,” and “collaboration with community-based organizations.”

  Groups facing low and high exposure to hindering factors, as classified through cluster analysis, were compared. With regard to the relationship between factors hindering activity and level of engagement with foreign residents, the results of the comparison revealed that the proportion of responses in which “level of engagement with foreign residents” was “30% or higher” was significantly greater in the high exposure group.

  Based on these results, this study examined what kind of practices would be required for “multicultural community development” and “multicultural social work.”