Daily Life

Although it’s only a small city, Kumamoto has a growing community of foreigners — made up of people both living in the city and visiting. If you’re moving to the city, you’ll be in great company. There are a few things you need to do right after you arrive to ensure you settle in. Disaster Preparation Since Kumamoto has a history of earthquakes, typhoons, and floods, it’s important for all residents to have an evacuation plan in case of a disaster. This involves preparing a rucksack of emergency supplies, including water, a spare phone charger, medicine, personal care items, a change of clothes, and hand sanitizer. It’s also a good idea to register for K-SAFE. This is a disaster support system for foreigners that will send you information via email in the language of your choice (English, Japanese, Chinese or Korean) about emergencies. What you should do will depend on the caution level, which ranges from 1 to 5. You should also locate your nearest evacuation shelter, which is likely to be an elementary or junior high school. Resident Registration If you’ll be staying in Kumamoto for at least three months, you’ll need a residence certificate, which you need to…