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Call Japan

Questions for city hall? Get answers before you queue.

City and ward offices handle residence registration, health insurance, pension, tax and childcare, and their phone lines mostly work in Japanese. Tell us your city and what you need to do. We call, ask which documents and which counter you need, and send the answer in English, so you go once, not twice. Ask $9, or Handle $29 if you get transferred around.

Ask · $9No result? Full refund.
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How it works for city office questions

  1. 1

    Tell us your city or ward, what you need to do, and a few words about your situation.

  2. 2

    We call the right department in Japanese and ask which documents to bring, which counter to go to, the hours, and anything else you need.

  3. 3

    You get a clear checklist in English, so you go once, with everything, and don't have to queue twice.

What to send us

  • Your city and ward
  • What you need to do (e.g. register a move, join National Health Insurance, ask about a tax notice)
  • A few words about your situation (new arrival, moving within Japan, new baby)
  • A photo of any letter or notice you received, if that's what it's about
Message template
Hi Call Japan! I have a question for my city office (ASK $9).

City / ward:
What I need to do (e.g. register my address, join health insurance):
My situation (new arrival, moving, baby, etc.):
My questions:
Open in WhatsApp

What you get back

Customer:
I just moved from Osaka to Fukuoka. What do I need to bring to register my new address?
Call Japan:
We'll call your new ward office and check.
Call Japan:
Answer Bring your residence card, the moving-out certificate from Osaka, and your My Number card if you have one. Go to the residents' counter on the 1st floor, weekdays 8:30am–5pm.
Example. Details are illustrative.

Which plan do I need?

  • AskMost requests

    $9per request

    Just need to know something

    One clear question to one office: which documents, which counter, what hours.

  • Handle

    $29per case

    Needs several calls, callbacks or businesses

    Questions that bounce between departments, or need several follow-ups.

Not sure? Ask us, it's free. We confirm the plan before you pay. Compare all plans

Good to know

Which office?

In big cities, most everyday paperwork happens at your ward office, not the main city hall. In smaller towns it's the town or city office. We find out which one handles your request before you travel there.

Bring more than you think

Offices often ask for your residence card, passport, My Number card or notification, and sometimes documents from your previous city. We ask exactly what's needed for your situation so you're not sent away.

Letters and notices

Got an official letter you can't read? Send us a photo. We can call the department that sent it and ask what it means and what you need to do, often it's a payment slip or a request for a simple form.

Timing and deadlines

Many registrations have deadlines, such as reporting a move within a set number of days. Offices are usually closed on weekends and holidays, and the start of spring is very busy. We tell you any deadline that applies.

What we can't do

  • We can't apply, register or submit forms on your behalf.
  • We can't handle anything that needs your ID verified over the phone.
  • We don't give legal, tax or visa advice. For immigration paperwork, an administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) can help.
  • Offices may only share personal information with you directly, if so, we tell you what to ask for in person.

Questions

Related calls

No result? Full refund.

Ready? Send us your city office questions request.

Message us in English on WhatsApp. We confirm the plan before you pay, and if there's no result, you get a full refund.

Chat on WhatsApp

No WhatsApp? Email hello@calljapan.jp

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