visa extension

Next month my visa will be expired.

What I did
1) went to International Student Center (ISC) to get advise.
2) gathered the necessary documents
- Alien Registration Card
- Passport
- Enrollment certificate （在学証明書） - ask the faculty office
- Academic record certificate 　（成績証明書）- ask the faculty office
- Student Card
- Financial proof - in my case I have a letter from my scholarship supporter
3) went to Immigration Bureau (Odoori Nishi 11, 7th Floor) and filled the necessary form
- they checked all the supporting documents
- the officer asked me to write my name and address on a postcard.
- the postcard will be mailed to the written address to inform the status of the visa extension.
- I received the postcard after two days and went to the immigration office on the next day.
4) brought the postcard to the immigration office and collect the visa
-with passport
- JPY4,000 for the revenue stamp per application
(buy it from Seicomart at the underground floor.)
-I got two years visa extension starting from the expiration date.
5) went to ward office to update the information on the Alien Registration card.
6) went to faculty academic office to inform them that I have already extended my visa.

Since the process takes time (a week or more), it 's advisable to start the paperwork within 2 months before visa expiration date to avoid any "unknown effect from the sky". Usually, the process cannot be completed in one time visit only depending on specific individual requirement.

pink moss and tulip farm

I went to Takinoue and Kamiyuubetsu on May 23rd July.
4時間位が自動車で札幌からかかったのに、楽しかった！
Takinoue (滝之上) and Kamiyubetsu (上湧別) are very small towns which are located near to Monbetsu (紋別), the nothern part of Hokkaido.

Takinoue is popular with its pink moss, beside than Oozora near to Abishiri (大空, 網走) while Kamiyuubetsu is popular for its large scale of tulip farm. Both of the flowers are blooming in about the same time, end of May. I was lucky because at the day I went there, the weather was really nice with clear sky. However, when I reached Kamiyuubetsu, the weather started to change with cloudy and strong wind.

Here for more info --> takinoue and kamiyuubetsu

practical guide for living in Japan (especially Hokkaido)

1) a collection of practical articles from the website of Hokkaido JETs
http://www.hajet.org/hokkaido-life/

2) What's on Sapporo : monthly English periodicals. Information from City Halls, flea market, Fiesta, Japanese lessons, etc.
http://www.plaza-sapporo.or.jp/periodicals/whatson/whatson.html

hanami

Hanami Spot around Sapporo

Hanami and barbeque
Maruyama Park 円山公園 : popular for sakura viewing party place


Japanese plum flower blossom
Hiraoka Park 平岡公園　: In hokkaido, plum and sakura are blomming in about the same time.


For other park around sapporo, visit this website
http://www.sapporo-park.or.jp/ (in Japanese, but click for the particular park website for other language option)

here is a link to flower blooming and interested spot around hokkaido
http://kanko.pref.hokkaido.jp/flower/english/index.html

Childbirth Registration

After a baby is born, both the mother and the baby will be hospitalized for 6 days for health monitoring. The hospital will issue a childbirth document which is very important for the later process. The document is an A3-sized paper, where Birth Certificate (出生証明書-shussei shoumeisho) is in the right part and Birth Registration (出生届 - shussei todoke) in left part. The doctor/midwife will fill up the Childbirth Certificate.


STEP 1 : To get Alien Registration Certificate (外国人登録証明書-gaikokujin touroku shoumeisho)

Foreigners desk, Ward Office

Required documents

- Alien Registration Certificate of both parent

- Mother-Child Diary (母子手帳-boshi techou)

- Document from hospital (Birth Certificate and Birth Registration)

Note

The baby will get Alien Registration Certificate which is half A4 in size.

The officer will also stick a stamp of Reported Birth Certificate (出生届出済証明書)　inside the Mother-Child Diary


STEP 2: To enroll in National Health Insurance

Insurance desk, Ward Office

Required documents

- Alien Registration Certificate of the baby

- Health Insurance Card of the family (国民健康保険被保険者証- kokumin kenkou hoken hihokensha shou)

Note

The baby name will be added into the family Health Insurance Card


STEP 3: To apply for Child Medicare Card (乳幼児医療費受給者証-nyuuyouji iryouhi jukyuusha sho)

Insurance desk, Ward Office

Required documents

- Alien Registration Certificate of the baby and parents

- Health Insurance Card of the family -> got from STEP 2 above

Note

The baby will get another card for any medical treatment. For any cost of medical treatment, by showing this card together with Health Insurance Card, the parent just need to pay only 580yen.


STEP 4: To apply for Child-care allowance (児童手当-jidou teate)

Welfare desk (保健福祉-hoken fukushi), Ward Office

Required documents

- Alien Registration Certificate of the baby and parents

- Health Insurance Card of the family -> got from STEP 2 above

- Bank Account Book

- Income Proof (所得証明-shotoku shoumei) -> the officer will ask you to get it from the other section in the ward office

Note

If the family income is lower that the certain level, the householder is qualified to get monthly allowance for taking care of the baby. Refer the lastest rate with the Ward Office. For the first baby is 10,000 yen per month is transferred into bank account.


STEP 5 : To apply for Residence Status

Imigration Office

Required documents

- Parents' passport and Alien Registration Certificate

- Baby's Alien Registration Certificate

- Baby's passport (if available)

- Mother-Child Diary

- Student Identity Card

- Birth Registration (Shussei Todoke) --> after STEP 1, don't forget to ask one copy of the submitted Birth Registration. 350 yen for a certified copy of the Birth Registration.

Note

The Office will issue a small sticker to be stamp on the baby passport


STEP 6: Notify the residence status of the baby to the Ward Office

Both Foreign desk and Insurance desk, Ward Office

Required documents

- Baby's Alien Registration Certificate

- Health Insurance Card

- Residence Status Sticker --> from STEP 5

Note

The ward office will get notified by the residence status of the baby.


STEP 7 : To apply for the baby passport

-->depending on the baby citizenship and respected embassy procedure



Fuh! Lastly, the baby is SAFE...legally