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Itoigawa foreigners' daily life support site Borderless Itoigawa

What you need to know about life in Japan

Procedures

Residence card

A “residence card” is an identification document (ID card) for foreigners living in Japan for three months or more. It is necessary in order to be in Japan. Anyone aged 16 or over should carry their “residence card” at all times.
Please come to the Citizens’ Affairs Division of Itoigawa City Hall within 14 days of a change in your place of residence.

What to bring with you

  • Residence card

  • Individual Number [“My Number”] card

Please inform the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days of a change in your residency status, period of residency, place of work, etc.

See the details here

Resident registration

Foreigners who live in Japan for at least three months carry out “resident registration” at the public office of the municipality in which they live.
Please come to the Citizens’ Affairs Division of Itoigawa City Hall within 14 days of a change in your place of residence.

What to bring with you

  • Residence card
    * If your residence card will be issued at a later date, please bring your passport

  • Individual Number [“My Number”] card
    * you already have an address in Japan and have an Individual Number card

Health insurance

Everyone who lives in Japan must enrol in health insurance.
In return for paying monthly insurance premiums, you will pay 30% of costs covered by the insurance to hospitals or pharmacies.
Some situations may not be covered by health insurance.
If you work for an employer, your employer will carry out the enrolment procedure.
If you do not work for an employer, you need to carry out the enrolment procedure at the city hall.

Pension

“Pensions” are a system of receiving money for daily life once you reach 65 years old or if you have health problems.
People living in Japan (from 20 to 59 years old) join the “national pension system”.
If you work for an employer, you may join the “employees’ pension system”.

See the details here

Individual Number (“My Number”)

Your Individual Number [“My Number”] is a number given to everyone in Japan who has a certificate of residence.
As a foreign resident, too, when you carry out resident registration you will receive a letter sent to your home entitled “Information about your Individual Number”.
Your Individual Number will be written in this letter.

A “Individual Number card” is a smartcard with your Individual Number written on it.
You can receive a card if you apply for one.
There is no charge for applying for a card the first time.

You can use your Individual Number card in situations including the following:

  • When you need to prove your identity
  • When you tell someone your Individual Number
  • When you want to use national or local government services (for example, getting a copy of your certificate of residence from a convenience store)
  • Using it as a health insurance card (you need to register before you use it in this way)

If you have an Individual Number card and your period of residency is extended, you need to also extend the period during which you can use your card. Please come to the city hall before it expires.

If you apply after your card expires, it will cost 1,000 yen.

What to bring with you

  • Residence card

  • Individual Number card

See the details here

Money

Taxes

People who work, live, or shop in Japan pay taxes to the national and prefectural governments as well as to the local government of the municipality where they live.
The taxes collected are used to support us all in our daily lives.

Japan’s “consumption tax” is 10% of the cost of goods and services.
Food and drink which you can take home (with the exception of alcohol) are taxed at 8%.

“Income tax” is a tax paid to the national government.
People who have money earned from working etc. pay this tax.
How much you pay depends on how much you earned during the year from 1 January to 31 December.

“Residents’ tax” is a tax paid to the prefectural government and local government of the municipality where you live.

Emergencies

In case of sudden illness or serious injury
In case of fire

Call 119

In case of sudden illness or serious injury, or fire, please call 119 on your phone. You will be able to call an ambulance or fire engine.
You can call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and calls are free.
You can also use an interpreting service to talk.

To call the police in an emergency

Call 110

If there is an incident or accident and you need help from the police immediately, please call 110 on your phone. You can call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and calls are free.

About local police boxes [“Koban”]…Police officers are stationed here. You can ask about lost property, directions, a lost child, etc.

Garbage disposal

Garbage disposal

When disposing of your garbage, please keep the following rules.

  • Separate your garbage by type
  • Dispose of each type of garbage in the garbage disposal location on the correct date/day and time
  • Keep the local rules for your area of residence about where to dispose of each type of garbage.

There is a website where you can you look up how to dispose of garbage in Itoigawa City. You can search in hiragana.

See the details here

Child raising and schools

From pregnancy to birth

As soon as possible after learning from a hospital or clinic that you are pregnant, come to the Children’s Affairs Division of Itoigawa City Hall to get a copy of the “Maternal and Child Health Handbook”.
The “Maternal and Child Health Handbook” is used to record your baby’s state of health from when they are in the womb onwards, their immunisations, etc.
Itoigawa City has various kinds of support to give you peace of mind about giving birth.

See the details here

Childcare and education

Before entering elementary school

Places such as nurseries [“hoikuen”] and kindergartens [“yochien”] care for and educate children before they start elementary school.

Compulsory education (elementary – junior high school)

Most schools in Japan start in April and end in March.
There are six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school, nine years of compulsory education in total.
If the children of foreigners who have come to Japan are between six and fifteen years old, they can enter a public elementary or junior high school, run by the city, partway through the course of study.

Senior high school and beyond

You need to take an entrance examination in order to go on to senior high school and university.

See the details here