Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Hydrangea】

The flower of the rainy season is the hydrangea. I'm sure you've seen these beautiful flowers already around the city. They are of course beautiful on clear days but somehow under the rain they are even more gorgeous. Gaku hydrangea are a type that originated in Japan, were imported to the West where they underwent breeding techniques and were reimported back to Japan as Western Hydrangea. Recently, both Western Hydrangea and Gaku Hydrangea come in a wide variety of shapes and colors.

Growing hydrangea is actually fairly easy but there is a little trick in pruning to make sure the flowers bloom the next year. And once they're planted, it is a long-lived plant that you can enjoy for many years. The flowers also increase year by year so as time passes you'll have more and more bountiful blooms. Here in Fukuoka City, you can easily see hydrangea in places like Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, Hakozaki Shrine, Maizuru Park and the Fukuoka City Botanical Garden. I saw a bunch over by the castle ruins, quite a few people were out taking pictures of and with them. So get out there and enjoy this Hydrangea season!

【Introducing the Tutor Program】

Now I have some information from Fukuoka City about the Tutor Program. This will be useful for those of you who are struggling with letters from school and other places because you can't understand what is written in Japanese. The “Tutor Program” is a one on one service that will match you with a tutor that you can contact online. The tutors are registered with the Fukuoka City International Foundation. You'll be able to ask this tutor to give you simple translations of letters from school or other documents from places like the ward office. You can also ask them for advice on daily living.

If you are a foreign resident of Fukuoka City and think you will be able to communicate with a tutor online, then you are eligible for the program. The program will usually cost 500 yen per month but until November of this year, it is free! To learn more about the program, please visit the Fukuoka City International Foundation's website or call the Foundation. The number to call is 092-262-1799. Again that number is 092-262-1799. Phone calls will be accepted from 8:45am to 6pm on weekdays. Definitely check it out!

【Personal counseling】

Next up is an announcement about free legal consultation and personal counseling for foreigners who live in Fukuoka. .

Legal consultations are available from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on the first Saturday of every month, and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on the third Wednesday of the month. Each session runs for 45 minutes and the service is completely free. Free English interpretation services are also available so if you will need an interpreter, please mention that when you make your reservation. Personal counseling services are available every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with a Japanese clinical psychologist in English or Japanese. If you choose to use these services, please know that confidentiality is guaranteed.

For reservations or more information, please call 092-262-1799. Again that number is 092-262-1799. Calls will be accepted between 8:45 am and 6pm on weekdays.

【FM Day】

Did you know that June 13^th is FM Day? It comes from F being the 6^th letter and M being the 13^th letter of the alphabet. A pretty simple combination but who came up with it, when and why are all questions that have no answers, it seems. I'm sure there are folks out there that listen to the radio, even while at work, these days we can listen to the radio anywhere thanks to smartphones and PCs. Have you ever wondered why there are FM and AM channels? I know as a kid, my understanding of FM and AM was that FM seemed to have more music and AM seemed to be talk radio, at least when my mom was in the car listening to it. Actually, FM Means Frequency Modulation and AM is Amplitude Modulation. The biggest difference between them is noise. In the case of AM, the amplitude, or overall strength, of the signal is varied to incorporate the sound information so if noise enters at a time when the amplitude is low, you get static. With FM, you don't get that problem. So it terms of audibility, FM is better. However, FM can only be received on a narrow range of frequencies but AM can be heard over a larger range. Regardless, being able to listen to different stations, music and talk, on the radio, is a great thing. One of my favorite stations in Detroit is 94.7 WCSX. They play a lot of classic rock, think of music like Queen, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix etc. It was my go to station whenever I was in my car. Nothing better than singing along to the radio with the windows down on a beautiful summer day while cruising with your friends!

【Status Report on the Child Allowance】

Families raising children can receive a support allowance up until each child finishes junior highschool. The amount per child varies from 5000 yen to 15,000 yen depending on the age of the child and the household income. The allowance is paid three times in four month installments, once in June, then October and again in February. In order to receive this child allowance, you must submit a yearly status report. In the first half of June, Fukuoka City sent the documents necessary to make the report to allowance recipients. Please fill the necessary information in and make sure to post the report so that it will arrive by June 30^th. You can do this report online as well, using your My Number card.  Please be aware that you will not receive a payment if you do not submit the report or if there are any sections left incomplete. 

 【Taxes】

If you live in Fukuoka City, and have earned more than 1 million yen the previous year, from January 1^st to December 31^st, you may need to pay taxes. If you are a regular company employee, taxes are deducted from your salary. However, if you aren't a regular company employee, you will receive a tax payment notification around the 15^th of June. Please make sure you open that envelope, it has information on when you need to pay and how much will be due. You can pay at convenience stores, the bank or even the post office. If you do not pay your taxes, you may risk facing difficulty when it comes time to renew your residence status or risk being subject to seizure of property.

If there is anything you don't understand, or if you may have difficulty making payments, please check with your local ward office. You can also consult by phone in 18 different languages. This phone number is 092-753-6113.  Again, this phone number is 092-753-6113. This phone number will connect you to the ward office after you speak with an interpreter. Please tell the interpreter which ward you live in and that you are calling about taxes.

【Cleaning Your Washing Machine】

June is a time in which we not only get a lot of rain but also have a lot of humidity. And it's during this season that mildew and mold grow easily, so it's important to keep food and other ingredients in the fridge to keep them fresh. But there's something else you might want to think about keeping fresh. When was the last time you cleaned out your washing machine? Washing machine? It washes, so it doesn't need to be cleaned is what some might think. But in fact, you should clean out your washing machine at least once a month to help prevent the growth of germs and mold and mildew. The easiest way to clean your washing machine is with some baking soda, it's called “Jyu-Sou, which you can pick up at a 100 yen shop. Put it in the empty machine, run the cycle and when the machine fills up with water, stop it there and let the water and “Jyu-sou” mixture sit for 5-6 hours. Dirt and other bits will float to the top over that time. Scoop all of that out, and then let the machine finish its cycle. Once all the water has drained, leave the lid of the machine up so that the inside can dry out. There are also some special machine cleansing detergents on the market which can also be used to keep your machine shiny and clean, so when you have the chance, give your washing machine a thorough cleaning!

Oh and when you do the laundry, if you live in a place with thin walls, try to avoid doing your wash too late at night as the spin cycle can be pretty noisy for the folks around you.

【Rainy Season and Heavy Rains】

Now for some information from Fukuoka City. As you know, throughout Japan, June and July are the months when we get lots of rain, it is Japan's rainy season. And this year, rainy season started much earlier than usual, in Northern Kyushu, it actually started on May 15^th. And with heavy rains, it's much easier for natural disasters to occur, so please take care during this rainy season.

Last year in July, we had record breaking rainfall and Fukuoka prefecture experienced quite a lot of damage from it. So, when it is raining heavily, please keep yourself safe and stay away from places like rivers, coastlines and mountain overhangs as they can be dangerous.

On the Fukuoka City Official Website, hazard maps and disaster prevention information is available for you to check at any time. So before a disaster happens, take the time to find out what areas around you might be dangerous and how you should evacuate in the case of a disaster.

If evacuation to an evacuation center becomes necessary, make sure that you do wear a mask and wash your hands to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. For more information on all of this and more, please look up “Support for Foreign Residents” and take a look at the disaster prevention information that is available on that Fukuoka City Foreign Resident Support page.

You will also find important information on the Fukuoka City's Official Facebook page “Global Community Fukuoka”, as well as on the Fukuoka City International Foundation's Facebook page “Fukuoka City International Center/ Attaka Fukuoka”, in a number of foreign languages. If you follow these pages, then whenever important information is posted, you'll be sure to get it!

【I-Kasa】

I have another announcement that might come in handy for you this rainy season and that is the umbrella sharing service “I-Kasa” that we have here in Fukuoka City. With your smartphone, you can easily arrange to rent an umbrella when you're stuck outside without one. Pick-up points are at places like subway and train stations as well as at department stores.

It only costs 70 yen to rent an umbrella for 24 hours which is cheaper than buying one of those cheap plastic ones and it's much friendlier to the environment. Definitely take advantage of this service on those days when the rains come without warning.

For more information, just look up I Kasa Fukuoka.