On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2012.1.23(Mon)/19:50～

                      Increase in School Lunch Fees

In Fukuoka City, public elementary, junior high and special support school lunch fees will be increased by ¥400 per month.

One of the costs of carrying out the school lunch program is the cost of ingredients. The charge appears as “School Lunch Fee” or “Gakkou-Kyuushoku-Hi” and is paid by parents or those taking care of the children. In recent years, the cost of ingredients has been rising.

School lunch menus and ingredient usage has been manipulated in various ways up to this point in order to help keep costs down. However, in order to maintain the nutrition and content of school lunches, it has become necessary to increase fees.

The city will do its best to make sure that school children will be able to continue enjoying delicious, full lunches. Schools will be sending official notices of the change around to homes in the beginning of February. Please look for and read the notice.

                         Residency Management System

A new Residency Management System will be starting from July 9^th of this year. The new system will be applied to all foreigners living in Japan for the mid-to long-term with resident status under the Immigration Control Act. Those traveling as tourists for a short period of time will not be subject to the new system.

Under the new system, qualifying foreign nationals will be issued a resident card containing a portrait photo of the individual, basic personal information such as his/her name, place of residence, his/her resident status and his/her currently allowed period of stay. The new resident cards will be issued at regional immigration bureaus when one is applying for a change of resident status or extension of period of stay. However, general permanent residents should apply for the new card within 3 years.

Also, along with the introduction of the new system, authorities will be able to more accurately track resident status, and the re-entry permit process, along with other matters, will be simplified and improve the convenience of foreign nationals who legally reside in Japan.

For more detailed information, visit the Immigration Bureau of Japan’s homepage at www.immi-moj.go.jp.

Please be aware that with the introduction of the new Residency Management System, the current alien registration system will be abolished and foreigners will be given a basic resident register, the same as Japanese. Your local ward office will distribute information about processing for and receiving your basic resident register sometime around May.

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