. >> reporter: ishikawa began volunteering in high school to fight for the well-being of others. in her university years, she devoted her energy to help launch the association she now heads. after becoming a mother of two, ishikawa also took on problems that affect female asylum seekers. her organization offers workshops to help them learn about reproductive health. >> translator: some women become pregnant unwillingly. after experiencing pregnancy and motherhood myself, i feel for these women that are marginalized or put in vulnerable situations. >> reporter: and she feels for all asylum seekers in japan. she's calling on the government to accept more refugees. the country is doing far less compared to other industrialized nations when it comes to granting asylum. thousands of applications have been filed, but less than a dozen have been approved. ishikawa thinks that figure reflects the japanese people's mind-set towards refugees. >> translator: i don't think we're ready to live with people from outside. >> translator: we don't have the experience of accepting refugees or peopl