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Raising Children

Pregnancy and Childbirth

In Japan, there are various services to protect mothers and their children, and non-Japanese residents can also take advantage of these services as long as they complete resident registration.
If you are diagnosed as being pregnant, you should submit a pregnancy notification to your local municipal office immediately. You will then be issued a Maternal and Child Health Handbook (Boshi Kenko Techo), and you can receive various health services for mother and child. This handbook is used to keep a record of the mother and child's health and growth and is required when undergoing health checkups and vaccinations.
As a rule, medical insurance, such as health insurance, does not cover the cost of childbirth delivery, and the cost must be personally borne. However, if you are enrolled in National Health Insurance or social insurance and apply for a childbirth lump-sum benefit, you can receive a benefit.

If a Child Is Born

If a child is born in Japan, you must complete the following procedures.

  1. Birth Notification
    Obtain a birth certificate from the physician, complete the birth notification form, and submit them within 14 days of the birth at the municipal office responsible for the area in which you live. Once you submit the notification, a birth notification receipt certificate will then be issued. The following items are required to file birth notification:
    • Birth certificate
    • Maternal and Child Health Handbook (Boshi Kenko Techo)
    • Name stamp of the person filing the birth notification
    • Health insurance card
  2. Resident Registration
    Please complete resident registration at the appropriate service counter of your local municipal office within 60 days of the birth. For the registration, the birth notification that is issued by the municipal office is required.
  3. Passport Application Apply for a passport at the embassy or consulate of your home country.
  4. Apply for Acquisition of Visa Status and Period of Stay
    Complete application procedures at the Immigration Bureau within 30 days of the birth.

Nurseries, Schools, etc.

Nurseries are facilities that take care of children from birth until they enter an elementary school in cases where parents are unable to look after their child due to work or illness. In Chofu City, there are 39 licensed nurseries in Chofu City (as of April 2017). There is also a one-day-basis childcare service that provides temporary child care. This service can be used in such cases as when parents need to attend a ceremonial event, etc.

Kindergartens are educational facilities for children from three years of age until entrance to elementary-school age. There are 15 private kindergartens in Chofu City(as of 2017). Usually, kindergartens recruit students every year around October. If you wish to enroll your child (including cases in which you wish to enroll your child in the middle of the school year), please ask the kindergarten of your choice. There are subsidies available in some cases for private kindergarten entrance fees and childcare fees.

Compulsory education in Japan includes six years of elementary school (six to 12 years of age) and three years of junior high school (12 to 15 years of age), for a total of nine years. Although non-Japanese residents are not obliged to send their child to a Japanese school, they can do so if they wish. In this case, an admission application form for foreign residents will be required to file. Children of non-Japanese citizen can enrol in school if they desire. To enrol in primary or junior high school, "School Entrance Application Form for Foreign Children" is required to submit a local municipal office.

Elementary and junior high school are divided into three terms: April through August, September through December, and January through March. You can transfer your child from one school to another in the course of the school year.
Reference: Admission application for foreign resident (Chofu City)
UCE has a nursing school which is called "UEC hoikuen Donguri" on campus. Please refer to the following URL for further details:
(In Japanese Text Only) http://www.ge.uec.ac.jp/nursery_donguri/

Created: December 13, 2017 / Last modified:December 13, 2017