Miscellaneous

If you’ve moved to Kumamoto prefecture from overseas, you will likely be interested in making links with international and expat groups in the area. Kumamoto doesn’t have an expat network as developed as some parts of Japan, but it’s building up again following the departures of many foreign residents following the 2016 earthquakes. The prefecture has around 13,000 foreign residents, making up less than 1% of the population. This includes Vietnamese, Chinese, American, and British expats. Here are a few local groups, organizations, and resources expats can use in Kumamoto. Kumamoto International This isn’t so much of a group that meets in the flesh as an online community of English-speaking internationals in Kumamoto. Started by an expat university professor in 1999 as a mailing list to keep other foreign residents informed, it’s grown into various online resources and a Facebook page that aims to keep people informed about what’s happening in Kumamotos and provide local advice for newcomers. Resources include Kumamoto Links, which has information on English-speaking doctors in the area, good restaurants, bars, and grocery stores for expats, and details of other English-language resources. You can freely use the online resources or sign up for the mailing list to…