The week’s edition begins with information on child allowance applications at Year End/New Year.

To receive Child Allowance, an application must be submitted within 15 days of a child’s birth or the date of moving into Minato City. 

This fiscal year, Minato City Hall will be closed for six days from Tuesday 29th December - Sunday 3rd January. 

If the 15th day falls on a day that the city hall is closed because of the Year End/New Year’s holidays, you can submit your application by Monday 4th January, when the City Hall opens for the first time in the New Year. 

This fiscal year, those eligible are children who were born or who moved into Minato City between Monday 14th and Saturday 19th December. 

Please note that if your application is late, you will not receive the allowance for the delayed period. 

If the application is submitted on or after Tuesday 5th January, child allowance payments will start in February at the earliest.

Application forms (Nintei seikyū-sho) are available from the Health and Welfare Subsection of the Residents Support Section at any Regional City Office. 

They can also be downloaded through the Minato City website. 

Postal applications will be accepted, but the application date will be the date the application arrives at Minato City Hall, so please send it out early.

The subsection in charge at Minato City Hall is the Children's Benefit Subsection of the Child and Family Section.

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If you are experiencing problems in your everyday life, please use the following two consultation services for foreigners. 

They are free.

1. Minato City Consultation Service for Foreign Residents

This is a consultation counter for foreign residents of Minato City who are having problems with the city’s administrative services or in daily life. 

Consultations are available in easy Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean and North Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and six other languages.

Telephone consultation is limited to easy Japanese and English.

The counter is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to midday and from 1pm to 5pm, except on national holidays and at year end/new year.

The telephone numbers are 03-3578-2046 and 03-3578-2524.

2. Minato International Association 

Association volunteers provide consultation on problems or worries in everyday life. 

It is available Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm. 

An appointment is required. 

Available languages are easy Japanese  and English. 

For other languages, please ask at the time of booking. 

The telephone number is 03-6440-0233.

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(Audio) 14th/17th December 2020 ON AIR: Child Allowance Applications at Year End/New Year / Consultation Services for Foreigners