HOME > Our Services > Support for Daily Life

Support for Daily Life

Recently, more and more foreigners are staying in Kyoto because of working holiday or exchange programs, and ICC fully supports foreigners living in Kyoto. For example, ICC organizes free Japanese class and provides consultation on further study for foreign exchange students. Also ICC can offer advices on job hunting. Moreover, ICC is offering a wide range support services such as medical aspect, social insurance, tax affairs, housing, education, and even private issues (i.e. marriage and domestic violence).

Specialist consultants in each field can offer you advice, so please feel free to ask. If you cannot visit our office, just call or e-mail us. We accept inquires in Japanese, Chinese, and English. If you need supports in other languages, please contact us before visiting us.

In case of Emergency

Make an emergency call

Police stations	☎110
Ambulance	☎119
Fire	☎119

Notice:

Emergency calls operate 24 hours.
Emergency calls are free of charge.

In case of accidents or criminal case

In case of car accident
If you become the victim	* Report to the police immediately. No supporting documents will be issued if you do not report to the police, and you may not be able to make the insurance claim.

In case of losing properties

Residence Card	Report to the police and a “loss certificate” will be issued. Go to the ward office with the loss certificate for reissuing.
Passport	Report to the police and a “loss certificate” will be issued. Go to the embassy with the loss certificate for reissuing.

In case of illness or injury

Ambulance (Call 119)	Call 119 to call an ambulance in case of serious illness or injure. You can call for an ambulance by a home phone, mobile phone or a public phone. 119 is a toll-free number. In case of minor illness or injury and is able to go to the hospital by yourself, please go to the hospital by taxi or other means of transport.

Ambulance

(Call 119)

Call 119 to call an ambulance in case of serious illness or injure. You can call for an ambulance by a home phone, mobile phone or a public phone. 119 is a toll-free number.

In case of minor illness or injury and is able to go to the hospital by yourself, please go to the hospital by taxi or other means of transport.

In case of earthquake

（1）Find the safest place at your home in advance.

（2）Prepare 3-day amount of water (2-3L a day per person) in advance.

In case of typhoon or flooding

Prepare for typhoon and flooding	Damages caused by typhoon and heavy rainfall can be prevented in advance. Please listen to the radio for updated information.

In case of a gas leak incident

It is dangerous for misusing. If you detect a gas leak, action immediately. Turn off the gas supply, open windows and stop lighting any flames. Also avoid turning on any electronic devices and using any electrical switches including exhaust fan.

Health and medical issues

Receiving treatments at medical institutions

Hospital and clinic	Consultation time varies. Generally speaking, consultation times are available in the morning on weekdays, and close on weekends and public holidays. In case of emergency, please call 119 for ambulance. Please ask doctors for details about the medicines.

Notice:

(1) If you are not confident in communicating in Japanese, please make use of the translation system in the hospital. Besides, you can go with companions who can communicate in Japanese as a translator.

（2）Ask immediately if you do not understand.

（3）Ask for easily understood explanations of the consultation results and medicines until you fully understood.

（4）Be punctual.

（5）Do not use mobile phones or other electronic devices in medical institutions.

（6）If you find difficult in affording medical fee, or puzzled by the systems, feel free to discuss with the medical institution. Furthermore, if medical social workers can be found, you can also consult them for financial assistance.

（7）In Japan, it is often said that welfares are only given to those who applied for. As a result, it is important for understanding the regulations thoroughly. If you puzzled by the medical system, please contact social workers for consultation. Consultation is free of charge and privacy protected. Please feel free to seek help from social workers or consulting organizations.

Clinical departments（Where should I go if I am sick?)

Internal Medicine	Disease of internal organ systems	Psychiatry	For mental disorders
Neurology	Disease of nervous system and muscles	Otorhinolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery	Disease of ear, nose, and throat
Pediatrics	Disease of babies and children	Neurosurgery	Surgery of the brain or other nerve tissue
Surgery	Treating diseases and injuries, surgery of tumor	Dermatology	Disease of skin
Orthopedic Surgery	Surgery of the skeletal system	Urology	Disease of urogenital tract
Obstetrics and Gynecology	Concerned with childbirth, and disease of women	Ophthalmology	Disease of eye
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation	When you want to restore functional ability from physical disabilities	Dentistry	Disease of teeth, gums, and oral cavity
Radiology	For x-rays	Anesthesiology	When you want to relief pain

Health Insurance

Medical expense

If you go to clinic without joining health insurance, you have to owe 100% of the expense and generally it is very expensive. For elder people, infants, those who has intractable disease, and fatherless / motherless family can receive financial support.

Public Health Service

In Japan everyone has to join public health insurance. Public health insurance is classified into two types. One is the health insurance in your workplace for who has job and the other is the one by local government for those who do not have job. Even if you have already contracted private insurance company, you need to join either of public health insurance. Once you join public health insurance, though you have to pay for the insurance fee, when you go to hospital, you need to pay only 30% of the total bill. Furthermore, in case of childbirth or other expensive treatment, you can receive refund to some extent.

Discounting system of health insurance fee

Discount / exemption of insurance fee

If it is difficult to pay for insurance fee due to natural disaster, unemployment and / or bankrupt, you may receive exemption or discount though it requires documentation.

Other public health services

Free / discounted diagnose

Those who has difficulty to pay for medical expense because of low income can receive medical service with low cost or for free. You can receive this service at certain designated hospitals or clinics with submitting the document to certificate your income to city hall.

Bank and Post Office

Open bank account

（1）Open bank account	You can proceed at the bank or post office. First of all, you can deposit from 1 yen. You can get cash card when you open bank account.

＜When you open bank account, you have to bring…＞

① Alien registration card
② Health insurance card
③ Student ID card, if you are student
④ Personal Seal (印鑑;Inkan),,,, depends on bank. You’d better to check whether you need
⑤ Cash you deposit (more than 1 yen)

How to use cash machine（ATM）

Using cash machine (So called ATM in Japan), you can deposit or withdraw money easily. In order to use it, PIN number in 4 digit is necessary. Please make sure you do not forget it. ATM is available in convenience stores as well.

＜Business hour of ATM (generally)＞

Bank	Weekday 9:00～21:00 Weekend 9:00～18:00
Post Office	Weekday 9:00～19:00 Weekend 9:00～17:00

※ This may be different in each bank / post office. It may be better to check to the bank / post office directly.

Pay public utility by automatic transfer system

Public utility such as electricity, gas, telephone and NHK (Japanese national TV broadcasting company; everyone have to pay for that) can be paid with automatic transfer system. Your ID number of the utility service and Personal Seal is necessary to do that. These public utility can be paid also at convenience store.

Transfer to foreign countries

At bank	You need,,,, Name of the bank, branch, type of account, account number, address, name of the account owner and telephone number of him / her
At post office	＜International Postal Money Order＞ ①Transfer to specific address You can send a money order by airmail. The recipient can exchange it to money at the bank. ②Transfer to P.O Savings account You can also directly transfer to the recipient’s account. In a point of handling fee, this is cheaper than the former one. ＜International Mail Remittance＞ Only when both of you and the recipient has P.O. Savings account, it is available. In each country, the rule is different so please carefully check it.

At bank

You need,,,, Name of the bank, branch, type of account, account number, address, name of the account owner and telephone number of him / her

At post office

＜International Postal Money Order＞

①Transfer to specific address
You can send a money order by airmail. The recipient can exchange it to money at the bank.

②Transfer to P.O Savings account
You can also directly transfer to the recipient’s account. In a point of handling fee, this is cheaper than the former one.

＜International Mail Remittance＞

Only when both of you and the recipient has P.O. Savings account, it is available. In each country, the rule is different so please carefully check it.

Typical Problems

1. I lost my job and cannot pay the tax. Is it possible to gain exemption from the payment?
2. As a foreigner, do I have to join the health insurance?
3. What can I do if I get sick during public holidays or after midnight?
4. I want to find a hospital that has foreign language services.
5. How much will the charge be for medical care?
6. How much will it be for the health insurance? And how can I pay it?
7. Will the health insurance cover all the medical expenses?
8. I’m going to go back to my country, what should I do with my national health insurance card?
9. What is the health and welfare center for?
10. Can you explain me about Vaccination of Children in Japan?
11. Where can I ask for mental counseling?
12. Is there anywhere that I could receive counseling in my foreign language?
13. I have just had a baby. Is there any procedure that I must observe?
14. Is there any allowance when a child is born?
15. I’m looking for nursery school. What shall I do?
16. My children are visiting me in Japan. Can they enter Japanese school?
17. What should I do if there is an earthquake?
18. I was rejected for renting a house because I’m a foreigner. What should I do?
19. I’m having some trouble with my landlord. What shall I do?
20. I want to claim my unpaid wages and overtime. How can I do this?