Living Information ( English )

This webpage introduces the programs of the International Division, K.P.G., for the foreign residents, and living information for them.

Foreign Resident Support for Everyday Living Portal Site (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)

This portal site provides helpful information to foreign residents living in Japan and those who support them. (Ministry of Justice website)

Foreign Resident Support for Everyday Living Portal Site

Guidebook on Living and Working（Immigration Services Agency）

This contains basic information necessary for safe, worry-free living and employment. (Ministry of Justice website)

Guidebook on Living and Working

Multilingual Information List

Multilingual Information List

Multilingual Support Center Kanagawa

The Multilingual Support Center Kanagawa was established to offer information in multiple
languages, aiming to create an environment where foreign residents and visitors can stay
with a sense of security and safety and to realize a harmonious multicultural society.

One of the features of the Multilingual Support Center Kanagawa is the multilingual call
center. Since June 2019, the call center has enhanced its function by accommodating five
additional languages, and it now accommodates 11 languages in total.)

Languages available (11 languages)

English, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese, Nepalese, Thai, Korean,
Indonesian, and easy Japanese

Office hours

9:00-12:00 / 13:00-17:15 (Excluding Saturdays, Sundays, National holidays and New Year
holidays)

TEL:045-316-2770

Inquiries are free of charge except for the call charge. Confidentiality is maintained.)

Please see the website of the Kanagawa International Foundation for details such as days
of the week when the service is available for each language.)

Counseling Services for Foreign Residents

K.P.G. provides counseling services for foreign residents at the three locations of
Yokohama, Kawasaki and Atsugi in the prefecture.

If you have any concerns about work, housing, education, pension, etc., you are
welcome come to receive counseling.

 Website of the Counseling Services for Foreign Residents

Immigration Counseling (Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau）

The Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau provides consultation services related to immigration services at the Foreign Resident Support Center (FRESC) in Shinjuku, Tokyo to foreign residents of Japan, businesses that wish to employ foreign nationals, etc.

Consultations on Residence Status and Nationality (Kanagawa Administrative Lawyers Association)

Free Telephone Counseling 5 Languages provides free consultations about residence status and nationality on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.For more information, please visit the Kanagawa Administrative Lawyers Association website.

*There is also essential information for children who have “Dependent” visas and intend to work in Japan at some point.

Hello Kanagawa

Hello Kanagawa is a newsletter issued by K.P.G. to provide support information for foreign
residents.

It is issued three times a year in six languages (English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Vietnamese).

All versions include Japanese text, too.

You can obtain the newsletter at the prefectural offices, municipal offices and counseling services, the Yokohama District Immigration Office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, and the international exchange associations in the prefecture.

Website of Hello Kanagawa

Kanagawa General Interpretation Service

When foreign residents of Kanagawa need interpretation services in their daily life, K.P.G.
arranges a volunteer interpreter.

This service is available only for public services, such as an interview with a teacher at
school and counseling at an administrative institution.

We are recruiting volunteer interpreters who can participate in the Program.

Languages available

English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, and others.

Fee

As a rule, applicants need to pay 3,000 yen per three hours for each service (not including
tax).

Inquiries and application

General Interpretation Service, Kanagawa Kenmin Center 13th Floor Tel:045-317-8813

Medical Interpreter Dispatch System

K.P.G. and the municipalities in the prefecture are operating a system with the Multilanguage Information Center Kanagawa (MIC Kanagawa) to dispatch volunteer medical
interpreters in cooperation with the Kanagawa Prefecture Medical Association,
Kanagawa Hospital Association, Kanagawa Dental Association and Kanagawa
Pharmaceutical Association. Under this system, volunteer medical interpreters are
dispatched upon request from 71 cooperating medical institutions within the prefecture,
arranged by coordinators.)

Languages available

Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Portuguese, Spanish, English, Thai, Vietnamese, Lao,
Cambodian, Russian, French and Nepalese (13 languages)

Fee

It costs 3,000 yen (not including tax) for the medical institutions to use the
interpretation service one time for two hours. At some hospitals, patients are required to
shoulder part of the expenses. How to make an appointment for the interpretation service
differs according to the hospital. For details, please contact the medical counseling
service of the hospital directly

List of the cooperating medical institutions(PDF:169KB)

Volunteer medical interpreters wanted

Medical interpreter dispatching system invites applications for volunteer interpreters every
year

For inquiries, contact MIC Kanagawa or International Division, K.P.G. directly in
Japanese.

Housing Support System for Foreign People

This system aims to solve housing-related problems that foreign people are faced with,
such as difficulty in finding housing due to the language barrier. In cooperation with the
organizations concerned, various services are offered under the system, including the
introduction of real-estate agents that provide services for foreign people, counseling on
problems after moving in, and the dispatch of volunteer interpreters.

For Counseling on Housing, etc.

Kanagawa Housing Support Center for Foreign People

This is the core of the Housing Support System. The Center introduces the real-estate
agents registered as “Housing Support Agent for Foreign People” that provide services to
foreign people, gives counseling on problems after moving in, and dispatches volunteer
interpreters.

Inquiries

Yokohama YMCA 2nd Floor, 1-7 Tokiwa-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama City

TEL:045-228-1752

Housing Support Agent for Foreign People

Under this system, real-estate agents that provide services for foreign people are
registered as a “Housing Support Agent for Foreign People”.

Real-estate agents, if in agreement with the objective of the system, make an application
to K.P.G. for registration. (The real-estate agent to be registered must be a member of
one of the following organizations: Kanagawa Real Estate Public Interest Incorporated
Association, All Japan Real Estate Association Kanagawa Chapter, or Japan Property
Management Association Kanagawa Chapter)

The following is the list of Housing Support Agents for Foreign People. (Information on the
agents which agreed to be posted on the website)

Multilingual Information List

To All Real Estate Companies:

Please register in the “Housing Support System Agent for Foreign People” section.

Please read the following for more information on the “Housing Support Agent  System for Foreign People” section and on how to complete registration procedures.

• (Summary) About the Housing Support SysteAgentm for Foreign People

Click here for the registration form.

• Housing Support Agent System for Foreign People Registration Form(EXCEL:97KB)
• Housing Support Agent System for Foreign People Registration Form(PDF:109KB)
• (Reference) Sample “Housing Support Agent System for Foreign People Registration Form”(PDF:208KB)

Multilingual information on housing

Multilingual information on the rules for renting housing and manners is available here.

• Support Information (Multilingual Information List)

Foreign Resident Housing Support Network

Real estate industry associations, ethnic group organizations, international exchange associations of local communities, the YMCA, the Kanagawa Foreign Resident Housing Support Center, and administrative offices (Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City, and Kawasaki City) formed a network to simplify housing support system operations, and support this system by exchanging ideas.

Kanagawa Foreign Residents’ Council 

This council was established so that foreign residents of Kanagawa Prefecture can meet to discuss policies that affect them and help with community planning. This is designed to make the best use of the perspective of foreign residents when submitting ideas to the prefectural governor.

Kanagawa Foreign Residents’ Council website

Earth Festa Kanagawa　

Earth Festa Kanagawa is a festival held for the realization of a harmonious multicultural
society. Ethnic groups, NGOs, citizen volunteers, etc. in the prefecture work in
cooperation from the planning stage to hold this event. The festival aims to create
opportunities for people of different nationalities and cultures to get together, meet,
introduce their cultures and ways of thinking, and to understand each other.

In all the programs, we intend to create occasions where many foreign nationals can participate.

Website of Earth Festa Kanagawa

Kanagawa Local Japanese-Language Education

The law concerning the promotion of Japanese-language education enacted in June 2019 designates the responsibility of local public organizations. Kanagawa Prefecture studied the status and issues surrounding the Japanese-language education policies of municipalities at the time, and considered the roles of administrative offices, Japanese-language volunteers and relevant institutions. In March 2020, the prefecture summarized how it would handle Japanese-language education in the communities of our prefecture. 

The portal site Kanagawa de Nihongo (Study Japanese in Kanagawa), offers various information related to Japanese-language classes. 

Kanagawa Local Japanese-Language Education website

Portal site Kanagawa de Nihongo (Study Japanese in Kanagawa)

Other programs (programs conducted by divisions other than the International Division))

Educational Programs

Prefectural Housing

Free counseling service for those who are suffering abuse from their spouse or partner

HIV Consultation/Inspection