Registering Your Address at a Japanese Ward Office
Step one: know your deadline. In Japan, you must report your new address to the ward office within 14 days of moving in. This is called a moving-in notification, and it puts your name on the resident register, the list of people who live in the area. Check that you have your passport and your residence card. If you have a lease or a letter from your landlord, bring it too, as proof of your address in case the clerk asks. Go on a weekday morning, because the office can be crowded after lunch.
Step two: file the notification. Take a number at the entrance and ask for the foreigner counter if there is one. Fill in the form with your name, birth date, and new address, and copy the address exactly as it appears on your lease. Hand the form and your documents to the clerk. The clerk will check them and print your new address on the back of your residence card. Do not leave until you have read the address and found no mistakes. You have finished this step when the card is back in your hand.
Step three: ask for what you need on the same day. Ask for a copy of your juminhyo, a paper that shows where you live. Banks, phone companies, and schools often want one. Each copy costs a small fee, so say how many you need. If your job does not cover you with health insurance, ask about National Health Insurance at the same office, and bring any papers from work so the clerk can see which kind you need.
Step four: wait for your My Number. A few weeks after you register, a letter with your twelve-digit My Number will arrive at your new address, so put your name on the mailbox. Keep the letter in a safe place and do not share the number casually. The letter also explains how to apply for a My Number card, an ID card with a chip, online or by mail. When the card is ready, the office will send you a notice, and you must visit in person to pick it up. Finally, if you later move to another city in Japan, remember that you need two steps: a moving-out notice for your old city and a new moving-in notification at the new office. If you have a My Number card, you can usually send the moving-out notice online. Write the deadline in your calendar each time.
Vocabulary
- moving-in notification
- an official report that you have started living at a new address — The moving-in notification must be handed in at the city office.
- resident register
- an official list of the people who live in a place — After she moved, her name was added to the resident register.
- lease
- a written agreement to rent a house or flat for a period of time — We signed a two-year lease for the small flat.
- landlord
- a person who owns a house or flat and rents it to others — My landlord fixed the broken heater the next day.
- proof
- something that shows that a fact is true — You need proof of age to buy a ticket.
- in case
- because something might happen — Take an umbrella in case it rains.
- clerk
- a person whose job is to help customers or keep records in an office — The clerk stamped my form and gave it back.
- crowded
- full of people — The train was too crowded to sit down.
- counter
- a long table or desk where customers are served — Please wait at the counter until your number is called.
- fee
- an amount of money you pay for a service — There is a small fee for each copy.
- cover
- to pay for something, or to protect someone with insurance — My company's plan covers most of my doctor's bills.
- National Health Insurance
- a system run by the government that helps pay for medical care — She joined National Health Insurance after she left her job.
- chip
- a very small piece of electronic equipment that stores information — The card has a chip that holds your details.
- deadline
- the last day or time by which something must be done — The deadline for the form is next Friday.