YOKOHAMA Foreign Residents Information Center

The Yokohama Multicultural Counseling Center provides consultation and information to foreign residents in 12 languages ​​by phone and in person.
If necessary, we will also refer you to appropriate experts or institutions.
We also provide information and consultation regarding civic activities such as international exchange, volunteer activities, and support for foreigners.

Telephone 045-222-1209　
E-mail　

What the Center can do

1. Lifestyle consultation

We provide general consultation and information on daily life, from consultations on local Japanese language classes to introductions to specialized institutions.

2. Simple telephone interpretation

We provide telephone interpretation for those making simple inquiries to ward offices, making reservations, etc. We will interpret answers and explanations given in Japanese.

3. Interpreter dispatch

We dispatch and introduce volunteer interpreters to government agencies, etc. (Free of charge, some fees apply)

4. Professional consultation

We provide legal consultations, administrative scrivener consultations, and educational consultations (free of charge, reservation required).

Legal counsel

In cooperation with specialist institutions, we can make reservations for consultations and provide interpreters. We also hold consultation sessions with specialists (irregularly).

Administrative scrivener consultation

We provide consultation on visas, residence status, international marriage/divorce, and bringing family members over to Japan.

Educational counseling

We respond to consultations regarding education in general, further education, and school life.

Cooperation with the International Exchange Lounge

We also cooperate with 13 international exchange lounges in the city. If you have difficulty coming to the Center, please contact your local international exchange lounge.

(I.e. If you come to the Center for consultation

Consultations in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Spanish can be conducted face-to-face with a counselor. For other languages, consultations will be handled through audio and video connections with affiliated interpretation companies. (In some cases, machine translation functions may be used.) Consultations can also be connected to specialist institutions or ward offices. You can consult with peace of mind while having your documents checked.

📱When making inquiries to the Center by telephone

Consultations with counselors can be made over the phone in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Spanish. Consultations in other languages ​​can be made through a telephone interpreter. The Yokohama Multicultural Coexistence General Consultation Center has introduced Triophone, which allows simultaneous conversations between three locations: the person seeking advice, the organization that will answer and explain the consultation, and the center. If it is difficult to speak in Japanese, center staff will translate the content of the consultation to the person in charge, and the answers and explanations given in Japanese can be translated into multiple languages. (Estimated maximum time per case is 3 minutes)
However, telephone interpretation is limited to simple matters (reservations, simple inquiries, etc.). We are unable to provide medical interpretation or interpretation for specialized consultations/counselling.

For example, you can ask for advice like this.

✅I want to find a place near my home where I can study Japanese.
✅ I received some documents from the ward office, but I would like an explanation of what is written on them.
I'm worried about my child's high school entrance exam.
✅ I am having trouble with relationships at work.
I want to apply for permanent residence, but how do I do it?
I have something to tell the kindergarten teacher.
✅I'm worried about medical expenses and can't go to the hospital.
I am considering divorce and would like to know what preparations I need to make.
✅I'm returning to my home country, so I want to throw away my furniture and appliances.
✅ I would like to know about job information. (We cannot introduce jobs to you, but we can introduce you to agencies where you can find work.)
✅I want to do volunteer work using my native language.

01 /　We support the client in resolving the issue themselves.

We respect the thoughts of those seeking advice and provide information to help them find their own solutions.

02 /　We will respond in cooperation with specialist and related organizations.

For specialized consultations, we will work with experts and introduce appropriate consultation organizations. We will also provide information on interpretation services.

03 / 　I will keep the secret.

As long as it does not violate public order or morals, we will respond to your consultation from a humane perspective. Your confidentiality will be strictly maintained, so please feel free to contact us. When using an interpreter operator, the call will be recorded. The recording will only be used to check whether there are any errors in the interpretation, and the content of the consultation will not be provided to any outside parties.

04 /　In order to accommodate many enquiries, we ask that each enquiry last approximately 30 minutes.

We ask that each consultation, whether by phone or in person, last about 30 minutes. We do not require reservations.

05 /　As a general rule, we do not provide accompanying support or proxy services.

If you need an interpreter to accompany you, we will introduce you to volunteer interpreters and telephone interpreters, etc. We cannot negotiate on your behalf.

06 / 　Consultations will be handled by multiple consultants.

The contents of consultations will be recorded and managed in a database, shared among counselors, and referred to when responding to consultations. In addition, the contents of consultations will be used as statistical data and consultation case studies, excluding any information that can identify specific individuals.

Please note that we will use this information as valuable information to improve our consultation services and work to resolve various issues.

Location / contact information

Yokohama International Cooperation Center 1F, Pacifico Yokohama, Minatomirai 1-1-XNUMX, Nishi-ku, Yokohama