Japanese at the City or Ward Office: Registering Your Address and More
When you move to Japan, your first official stop is the city or ward office (市役所 shiyakusho or 区役所 kuyakusho), where you register your address within 14 days of moving in. The same visit usually covers National Health Insurance, the National Pension and your My Number. Staff in big cities may speak some English, but forms are in Japanese and smaller towns may have little English support, so it pays to know the key words and a few polite phrases. Bring your residence card and passport, and expect to take a number and wait.
What you usually do there
| Japanese | Reading | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 転入届 | tennyū todoke | Moving-in notice: registering your new address (within 14 days) |
| 転出届 | tenshutsu todoke | Moving-out notice, when you leave a city or leave Japan |
| 転居届 | tenkyo todoke | Change of address within the same city or ward |
| 住民票 | jūminhyō | Certificate of residence, often needed for banks, jobs and contracts |
| 国民健康保険 | kokumin kenkō hoken | National Health Insurance, if you are not covered by an employer’s plan |
| 国民年金 | kokumin nenkin | National Pension |
| マイナンバー | mai nanbā | Your personal number, used for tax, social security and more |
| 印鑑登録 | inkan tōroku | Registering a personal seal, sometimes needed for contracts or buying a car |
Useful phrases
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 転入の手続きをしたいんですが | tennyū no tetsuzuki o shitai n desu ga | I’d like to register my move-in |
| 住民票を一通お願いします | jūminhyō o ittsū onegai shimasu | One copy of my certificate of residence, please |
| どの窓口ですか | dono madoguchi desu ka | Which counter is it? |
| 番号札はどこで取りますか | bangō fuda wa doko de torimasu ka | Where do I take a number? |
| 英語の書類はありますか | eigo no shorui wa arimasu ka | Do you have the form in English? |
| ここに何を書けばいいですか | koko ni nani o kakeba ii desu ka | What should I write here? |
| ほかに必要なものはありますか | hoka ni hitsuyō na mono wa arimasu ka | Do I need anything else? |
Words on the forms
- 氏名 (shimei): full name. Write it as on your residence card; フリガナ means write the reading in katakana.
- 生年月日 (seinengappi): date of birth. Forms may use Japanese era years such as 令和 (Reiwa).
- 住所 (jūsho): address. 新住所 is the new one and 旧住所 the old one.
- 世帯主 (setainushi): head of household. 続柄 (zokugara): relationship to them.
- 署名 (shomei): signature. 押印 (ōin): stamp with a seal, often no longer required.
Writing your name in katakana is explained in your name in Japanese.
Tips for the visit
- Go early on a weekday; offices are busiest at the start of April and on Mondays.
- Check your city’s website first. Many have English pages, foreign resident help desks or interpreting by phone or tablet.
- Bring your residence card, passport, any documents from your employer or school, and your lease if you have one.
- Ask for a few extra copies of the 住民票 if you will open a bank account or sign contracts soon.
For the rest of your first month, see our moving to Japan checklist and opening a bank account in Japan.
Practise before you go
In online lessons with a Hanabuddies tutor, you can role-play the ward office counter, fill in a sample form together and learn the questions staff are likely to ask, so the real visit goes smoothly.