Locals

For the people who live here.

This part of the site is not written for a two-week trip. It is for the paperwork, the offices and the ordinary weeks of living in Japan: where to go, what it is called in English, and which government body publishes it.

Emergency numbers and embassies119 fire and ambulance · 110 police · 118 coast guardPlus the national multilingual helplines, and 194 embassies and consulates in Japan with the address and telephone number each one publishes. Checked 10 August 2026.

Something has gone wrong

A number means the whole list, kept from the official source. Everything else is written out.

Embassies and consulates194 Crisis and support lines Emergencies and disasters Recent earthquakes Health and medical Legal help

I have to deal with an office

Visa and residence procedures Immigration offices16 City hall and paperwork Tax, pension and insurance Tax offices518 Private insurance Money and banking

I am moving in, or sorting out the flat

Housing and moving Buying property Utilities Phone and internet Mail and deliveries Waste and recycling Food and shopping

It is about the kids, or the family

Family and schools Childcare and daycare Pets Death and funerals

I need to get somewhere

Transportation Driving Driving schools Buying a car

I want to meet people, or find something on

Community and language Accredited Japanese language schools822 Work and business Festivals Live music Member offers

Tell us what you needed and could not find

If there was something you had to work out the hard way, that is exactly the thing worth writing down. It is also the fastest way to make sure we build the parts that matter instead of the parts that are easy.

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Businesses do not pay to be included. Paid placement is always labelled, and nothing paid can be curated.

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