Japan Support Guide
Explore public support programs in Japanese, English, Chinese and Vietnamese, with official sources and review dates. Eligibility depends on each program’s residence, insurance, employment, income, family, business and other rules—not foreign nationality alone.
Categories
Three national programs for children, childbirth and pregnancy, plus two Tokyo programs for children and childbirth.
Three national health-insurance or medical-cost programs, plus child medical-cost support in Osaka City and Nagoya City.
Five national programs covering unemployment benefit, job-seeker training, education and training benefits, older job seekers and re-employment.
The national rent benefit, housing safety-net and housing-support corporation programs, plus Osaka and Aichi prefectural housing.
The national startup-visa framework, startup and residence-status preparation support in Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi, and one Nagoya office-rent subsidy.
Programs worth checking
Japan's Child Allowance, known as Jidou Teate, is a cash benefit for people raising children from birth through the first March 31 after the child turns 18. The amount is not a flat rate — it depends on the child's age and whether they are the third or later child in the family. Children living overseas are covered only if they meet specific exception conditions, such as studying abroad.
The High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit (高額療養費制度) is a public health insurance benefit that reduces the out-of-pocket cost of insured medical treatment once your monthly payment exceeds a cap based on age and income. It applies to people enrolled in Japan's public health insurance system. This article reflects the system as revised in August 2026, with a further review scheduled for August 2027.
Japan's basic unemployment allowance (kihon teate) is an employment-insurance benefit paid to people who had a qualifying insured period before leaving their job and who are actively looking for work but have not yet found it. Simply resigning does not automatically qualify you; you must be in an actual state of unemployment as defined by the program. Exact eligibility and amounts depend on individual circumstances, so the final confirmation always happens at Hello Work.
The Housing Security Benefit (住居確保給付金) supports rent for the household's main livelihood supporter who is in financial hardship and has lost housing or is at risk of losing it. It covers people who left a job or closed a business, and people whose work opportunities fell through neither their own fault nor their own choice and whose employment situation became equivalent to job separation or business closure. Foreign residents may qualify, but they must meet the applicable household-income, financial-asset and job-search requirements.
The Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project, officially 外国人起業活動促進事業（スタートアップビザ） in Japanese, is a national framework under which foreign entrepreneurs prepare a startup in an approved implementing body's target area. It is not a nationwide one-stop application. The applicant first submits the startup-preparation plan to the body responsible for the intended area. After that body's confirmation, a regional immigration bureau separately examines residence status. Plan confirmation and its certificate do not guarantee immigration permission, renewal, or business success.
Start by checking which office can help in your language and when. You can browse job listings before registering, then prepare your preferences for a job consultation.
Medical costsUse Navii to shortlist facilities, then call about your planned visit. Keep the answers together so you know where to go, what to bring and what still needs arranging.
Housing and livingBefore contacting anyone, write down your preferred area, move-in timing, budget, household size and language needs. Then turn anything you do not understand into specific questions.
Work and unemploymentFRESC brings several consultation organizations together, but each office handles different issues. Start with a short description of your problem, then identify the correct office and consultation method.
Children and familyFor a child who wants to enter or transfer to a Japanese public elementary or junior high school, start with the board of education in the municipality where you live. Prepare a short record of the child’s schooling and language situation before contacting them.
Work and unemploymentStart by writing down where you need Japanese, when you can attend a class, and which language you need for explanations. Then search your municipality’s official information and use Tsunahiro for self-study between classes.
Housing and livingDo not wait for a disaster to decide where to look. Save an official JMA source, identify your municipality’s disaster pages, and agree with your family on where to check information and how to stay in contact.
Work and unemploymentStart by separating what you know from what is unclear. Then check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s current language schedule and choose the service that matches your question.
Housing and livingStart with a short record of the purchase or contract, what went wrong and what response you want. Then find the consumer advice service for your area and confirm language and consultation methods.
Housing and livingFor mid-to-long-term residents, address notifications are handled at the municipal office. The 14-day period starts from the day you establish your residence after landing, or from the day you actually move to a new residence within Japan.
Housing and livingThis guide is specifically for people living in Yokohama City. Start with the city's official waste-sorting information in your preferred language, note the item's name, material, and size, and then confirm whether it is regular waste, bulky waste, or an item requiring another disposal route.
Housing and livingBefore requesting a certificate, confirm exactly what your employer or school needs, including the certificate type, whose information must appear, required items, number of copies, timing, and whether a designated form is provided.