◆ Request for Shortened Business Hours Due to Emergency Measures (August 8, 2021)

Following the request from Shizuoka Prefectural Office, shortened business hours will be imposed in Hamamatsu City from August 8, 2021 (Sun).

The shortened business hours will imposed from August 8, 2021 (Sun) to August 30, 2021 (Tue) and be applied to business hours from 8pm to 5am the next morning.

For enquiries regarding the above conditions, please contact the call center established by Shizuoka Prefectural Office that is available from August 7, 2021.

For more details, please visit the Shizuoka Prefecture website (http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kinkyu/covid-19-manboh.html)

Shizuoka Prefecture Shortened Business Hours Call Center

050-5211-6111（9am -5pm）

Available from August 7, 2021 (Sat) to August 30, 2021 (Tue)

◆ Mayor's Message, April 23 (Fri)
On April 23rd, the Government declared for the third time a state of emergency in four prefectures, including Tokyo, where COVID cases are rising again. In these prefectures, the virus variants have become so widespread that there is a serious shortage of medical care.

On the other hand, in our city, the situation is still unpredictable, with new cases of infection occurring every day, but thanks to the hard work of all concerned such as medical personnel, and the cooperation of citizens and businesses, the situation is calmer than in other cities.

However, the COVID variants, which has been confirmed in various parts of the country, is more infectious than the conventional coronavirus and increases the risk of infection for people of all ages, so there is a higher risk of clusters forming and rapid spread. Therefore, in order not to put more strain on the healthcare services in our city, we need to continue with caution, and carry on implementing basic infection prevention measures, such as wearing masks, disinfecting hands and keeping social distance.

Also, Golden Week will start next week, and I would like to ask all citizens to avoid any unnecessary travel to and from areas where a state of emergency has been declared, and to be very careful not to play a part in spreading the virus.

Thank you for your understanding. We ask that you cooperate with the following requests.

Request to citizens and businesses

- We ask you to practice a "new normal" based on avoiding the 3-Cs, keeping a safe distance between people, wearing masks and washing hands.

- We ask restaurant operators to take advantage of the Support Subsidy for Businesses Implementing 3Cs Preventive Measures (3密対策事業者支援事業費補助金) that supports the use of partitions to prevent infection and the introduction of ventilation equipment, to ensure thorough infection control measures.

- We ask you to acquire the Hamamatsu Safe and Secure Restaurant Certification (はままつ安全・安心な飲食店認証制度), under which the city certifies that the preventive measures comply with the criteria.

- To ensure that people can use shops and facilities safely and to prevent the spread of infection, we are operating the Hamamatsu LINE COVID-19 Monitoring System (はままつLINEコロナ身守りシステム). We hope that businesses will actively introduce this system and that many citizens will use it.

- To support the restaurant and tourism industries, which have been greatly affected by the prolonged effects of the COVID, we are now promoting Partitioned Dining and the Micro Tourism Promotion Support Project. We urge citizens to take advantage of these services.

- Defamation of infected people and cluster outbreaks areas is a violation of rights. We ask that you refrain from doing so.

◆ Measures to Prevent Infection during Events and Dinner Parties

• Please refrain from participating in events and dinner parties which fall under the any of the 3Cs (closed space, crowds and close contact) or fail to be thorough in setting up basic preventive measures. 
• In particular, please refrain from participating in events and parties with large crowds of people with people shouting loudly.
• If you will be participating in such events or parties, please take appropriate measures to prevent infection by securing a safe distance from other people, sanitizing your hands, wearing a mask and refraining from speaking in a loud manner.
• Please consider options such as spending time at home with your family or participating in online activities instead.
• Please refrain from heavy drinking on the street and in shops or participating in drinking parties.

◆Important for Preventing the Spread of the Virus

Examples of Best Practices for a “New Lifestyle”

■Request from the Mayor (Regarding COVID-19)

【１】Unless there is a special reason, please refrain from travelling to the following areas which have a high humber of COVID-19 cases.

①Tokyo and surrounding areas

②Nagoya and surrounding areas

③Osaka and surrounding areas

【2】Please take care not to get infected with the virus!

① Do not stay in closed spaces for long periods of time.

② Do not go to crowded places.

③ Wash your hands.

④ Gargle.

⑤ Cover your mouth with your hand or handkerchief when coughing.

Let's cooperate to prevent the spread of COVID-19!

■COVID-19 Related Labour Consultation Desk 
Consultation desk for enquiries regarding employment and labour issues caused by COVID-19 for employers and employees.
List of Labour Consultation Desks

■Social Welfare Council Loan
Those who are facing financial difficulties due to a reduction in income or loss of emplyment caused by COVID-19 can apply for a loan from the Social Welfare Council. You can borrow from 100,000 yen to 200,000 yen with no interest. A guarrantor is not needed.

Who is eligible?
Foreign Nationals who
- Will live in Japan for a long time
- Have stayed in Shizuoka prefecture for at least 6 months
- Have some level of Japanese ability

For more details, contact the Social Welfare Council.
If you do not understand Japanese, you can contact HICE (053-458-2170).

↓ ●Hamamatsu Municipal Social Welfare Council (Shakai Fukushi Kyogikai)
Headquarters Welfare Division, Life Welfare Section (Naka-ku, Minami-ku) 053-453-0586
Hamamatsu District Center Higashi Ward Office (Higashi-ku) 053-422-3737
Nishi District Center (Nishi-ku) 053-596-1730
Kita District Center (Kita-ku) 053-527-2941
Hamakita District Center (Hamakita-ku) 053- 586-4499
Tenryu District Center (Tenryu-ku) 053-926-0322

*Pamplet about the outline of the Social Welfare Loan System (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website). Available in Easy Japanese, English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean.
Link to Site

■Water, Electricity, Gas and Phone Bills
Those who have difficulty paying their water bills due to COVID-19 can call the Water Services Department (053-474-7814) to consult about delaying the date of payment.

Hamamatsu City Hall Water Services Deparment Customer Service Division
〒430-0906 Hamamatsu City Naka-ku Sumiyoshi 5 chome 13-1
Tel: 053-474-7814

■Mobile Phone Bills
Users of the three major companies, NTT Docomo, KDDI and Softbank, can call their provider and apply for an extension of the payment deadline to the end of May if they facing difficulties with payment due to COVID-19.

Please contact your provider.

■Deferment for Payment of National Health Insurance Fees for Those with Difficulties

If you have difficulties paying your National Health Insurance fees due to the closure or suspension of your business, you can apply for a deferment of the payment. Please call the National Health Insurance and Pension Division (053-457-2873) for consultations and applications regarding payment deferment.

If you face difficulties in paying the National Health Insurance fees, please call the number above for a consultation first.

A decision letter will be sent in June after which you can carry out the procedures.

■Housing Security Benefits (Jutaku Kakuho Kyufukin)
The national and local government will provide an allowance for rent for people who have lost their homes or are unable to pay rent due to loss of emplyment caused by the spread of COVID-19.

More information here.

If you speak Japanese, please call the number below.
↓ Hamamatsu Independent Living Consultation Support Center Tsunagari
Tel: 053-546-0500
E-mail: tng0500@sis.seirei.or.jp
Opening Hours: 9am-5.30pm
*If you do not speak Japanese, please contact HICE (053-458-2170).

■Municipal Housing For Rent
The city will provide municipal housing as temporary housing for people who have lost their homes due to the spread of COVID-19 until their next home is secured!

Regarding the Provision of Municipal Housing for People who have lost housing due to COVID-19
1. Eligiblity:
- People who had to vacate employer housing (company house, company dorms)
- People who had to vacate housing made possible by housing allowances etc.
- People who had to vacate their current house due to other circumstances
2. Tenancy Requirments:
- Must be a resident of Hamamatsu
- Living alone or living with family members (living with people other than your family members is not allowed)
- All tenants must not be involved in organised crime organisations
- If you have stayed in municipal housing in the past, you must not have outstanding payments for rent etc.
3. Occupancy Period: In principle, 3 months (Can be extended up to a year)
4. Available Housing: Nakatajima Municipal Apartment Complex, 5 units *May be added depending on application demand
5. Usage Fees:
- Rent (Minimum rent)
- Parking (Only 1 lot provided)
- No security deposit
- Others: Utility costs, common area fees, local association fees
6. Application: From 11 May (Mon), first come first served
When: 9am-5pm
Where: City Hall 5F Housing Division
What to bring: Copies of documents objectively proving that that you have lost housing (Dismissal notice, moving out notice etc.)
Copies of identification documents of all tenants moving in (Driver's license, Health Insurance card, My Number card)

More details here.

■Hamamatsu City COVID-19 Consultation
Hamamatsu City Public Hygiene and Sanitation Division (Seikatsu eisei ka)
Tel: 053-453-6118 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.15pm)
Language: Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese

■Multilingual Medical Consultation

The AMDA International Medical Treatment Center, with the support of the Japan Medical Association, will provide consultations regarding concerns, testing and treament related to COVID-19.

Period: April 10 (Fri) – May 20 (Wed)
Time: 10am-5pm
Tel: 03-6233-9266
Available in English everyday, Chinese on weekdays, Filipino, Spanish, Vietnamese, Portuguese etc. once a week.
 
Link to website

Assistance for Businesses

 ■Subsidy Program for Sustaining Businesses (Jizokuka Kyufukin)

The government is providing subsidies that do not require repayment so that small and medium businesses (SME) and sole proprietors, who are seriously affected by social distancing measures or falling demand, can continue their business.
Link to Site

- Condition: Earnings for any month from January to December this year has been reduced by at least half as compared to the same month last year.
- The susidy amount is determined based on the reduction in income. Sole proprietors including freelancers can receive up to 1,000,000 yen and small and medium enterprises can receive up to 2,000,000 yen.
- Sole proprietors can receive subsidies even if they are eligible for cash benefits for households.

 ◉ Application Method
To apply, go to the website of the subsidy program and make an account with your email address. Fill in basic information about your company, the bank account you wish the money to be deposited into, and enter the amount of earnings for the month when earnings
decreased by 50% or more as compared to last year.

Necessary Documents
- Last year's Final Tax Return (kakutei shinkoku) documents
- Copy of a document showing the amount of earnings for the month when your income fell
- Copy of your bank passbook etc.
- Copy of your My Number card or driver's license (an image taken with your smartphone is also acceptable)

In addition, special provisions have been made so that business owners who founded their businesses last year and have difficulty comparing earnings this year with the same month last year may be eligible for the subsidy program if they meet special conditions.

For enquiries, contact the SME Finance and Subsidy Consultation Desk.
Tel: 0570-783183
Open weekdays and weekends, 9am-7pm

You can also contact the newly established consultation desks at your respective Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.

In general, applications are accepted online from 1 May. At earliest, the subsidy will be transferred from 8 May.

■Notification from the National Government

If you have "Temporary Visitor" visa and cannot return to your country due to COVID-19, you can renew your stay. You can also work part-time for up to 28 hours per week (you must have permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence).

Please also consult with us if you have any other type of visa such a "technical intern training" visa, "college student" visa, and are having trouble renewing your status of residence or not being able to work.

Location: Hamamatsu Intercultural Center (By appointment only, legal experts are also available for consultation.)

Tel: 053-458-2170

■Updates from the Immigration Services Agency
Immigration Services Agency Homepage (Japanese)
Immigration Services Agency Homepage (English)

■To Foreign Residents Living in Japan: Regarding Applications to the Immigration Bureau

■COVID-19 Related Information
Immigration Applications

The deadline has been extended by one month for applications to change the status of residence (zairyu shikaku)  or the period of stay (zairyu kikan) for residents whose period of stay expires in March. This excludes those who have a status of Temporary Visitors (tanki taizai) or Designated Activities (tokutei katsudou).

If you have any queries, contact the Immigration Information Center.
Tel: 0570-013904 or 03-5796-7112

■Current Efforts related to the Spread of COVID-19 and Request to Refrain from Travelling
From April 3 onwards, as a rule, foreign residents who leave the country with a re-entry permit, even if they hold a Permanent Resident Visa (eijusha) or Spousal Visa (nihonjin no haigusha), will be denied entry to Japan unless there are special circumstances. Please refrain from traveling to countries that fall under the disembarkation restriction category.

You can check which areas fall under the category through the link below and attached lists.
Link

Domestic Violence Consultation

Tel: 0120-279-889（National）

・Professional counselors provide direct support such as face-to-face interviews and companion support
・Provide a safe location
・24-hour telephone support

We accept consultations via email and SNS. Access from a dedicated site. Supports 10 languages including English and Chinese by email.

Japanese, English, Tagalog, ไทย, Español, 中文, 한국/조선어, Português, नेपाली भाषा, Tiếng Việt, Bahasa Indonesia

Click here for consultation.

■Food Bank 

Food provisions are available for those who are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please contact HICE (053-458-2170).