No. 183
August 1, 2012
http://www.city.urayasu.chiba.jp Published by the City of Urayasu
1-1-1 Nekozane, Urayasu-shi, Chiba 279-8501 047-351-1111
Population: 162,630 Male: 81,043 Female: 81,587 Households: 72,243 Foreign Residents: 3,201
(As of June 30, 2012) Population and No. of Households in Urayasu
Reduction/Exemption of City Tax for Victims of
the Great East Japan Earthquake
● Life Reconstruction Support Program
Application Deadlines
Basic relief fund: April 10, 2013 (must be received by this date)
Additional relief fund: April 10, 2014 (must be received by this date)
Note: For more information about the required documents and other details, please visit the Urayasu City website, or call the number below.
Eligibility: Households whose residence has been determined as being totally collapsed or substantially collapsed If your home has been recognized as being partially collapsed or substantially collapsed and had to be demolished because the cost for repairs would have been extremely high, or if your home has been recognized as being partially damaged and had to be demolished because of liquefaction, then the home is considered totally collapsed. Even if your home is eligible to be recognized as being totally collapsed, it will not be recognized as such unless you apply for the basic relief fund by the application deadline.
Notes
• There is no need to ile an application for the basic relief fund and the additional relief fund at the same time. You can apply for the basic relief fund first and then apply for the additional relief fund after you have determined how you will reconstruct your home.
• Unless you apply for the basic relief fund
by the application deadline, you will not be eligible to apply for the additional relief fund.
• The program applies not only to people who live in privately owned housing that was damaged by the disaster but also to people who live in rental housing, such as rental homes and apartments, that was damaged by the disaster.
● Donation Money
If you have not completed an application for the donation money, please do so as early as possible.
Eligibility: Households whose residence was classified as being partially collapsed or worse
Note: Households that were classified as being totally collapsed for the life reconstruction support program are also classified as being totally collapsed for the donation money program. However, depending on the amount of remaining funds, the household may not be eligible. In addition, the allotment of the donation money to households classiied as partially damaged ended on February 29, 2012.
● Chiba Prefecture Liquefaction-Damaged Housing
Reconstruction Support Program
Application Deadline: April 10, 2014 (must be received by this date)
Note: Applications must be filed after
construction is completed. An application can only be iled once.
Eligibility: Households that were living in a home in Urayasu City as of March 11, 2011, to whom any of the following apply:
Households that demolished their home due to partial damage caused by ground damage
• Households that restored the ground (i nclud e s r e st o r a t ion of t h e ba sic foundation) of a home that was partially collapsed or partially damaged
• Households that repaired housing that was recognized as being partially collapsed or
Those who demolished their home in Urayasu City after suffering from ground damage and to whom any of the following conditions apply (those whose occupation is in real estate are not eligible):
• Persons who were homeowners before March 11, 2011, or their family or heirs • Owners of a home that was in the process
of being newly built as of March 11, 2011
Note: Divided households or two or more households that live within the same house are handled as one household. If the same construction receives a different subsidy, this fund cannot be received.
● Urayasu City
Liquefaction-Damaged Housing Reconstruction Support Program
Application Deadline: April 10, 2014 (must be received by this date)
Note: Applications must be filed after construction is completed. An application can be iled only once.
Eligibility: Households that owned a home in Urayasu City as of March 11, 2011, were living there as of the date of application, and to whom any of the following apply: • Households whose home was recognized
as being totally collapsed, substantially collapsed, partially collapsed, or partially damaged, and who have rebuilt the home (only for those within the same property) • Households that have restored the ground
or basic foundation of a home that was evaluated as being totally collapsed, substantially collapsed, partially collapse, or partially damaged
• Households that have conducted repairs for a home that was evaluated as being totally collapsed, substantially collapsed, or partially collapsed.
Note: Divided households or two or more households that live within the same house are handled as one household.
● Reduction/Exemption of Individual City/Prefecture Resident’s Tax (Individual Resident’s Tax)
Eligibility: Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake whose total income* earned during 2011 was ¥10 million or less and who own a home where the taxpayer and family members who share the same livelihood live that is totally collapsed, substantially collapsed, or partially collapsed
* Total income refers to the sum of comprehensive income after carry-over deductions of pure loss, loss on property transfers resulting from purchases and the like of new property for housing, loss on a transfer of property for special housing, and miscellaneous loss; divided short-term transfer income (after special deductions); divided long-term transfer income (after special deductions); allotted income involving separate taxation market stocks (after carry-over deductions); transfer income involving stocks (after carry-over deductions); miscellaneous income involving futures trading (after carry-over deductions); forestry income; and retirement income.
Reduction/Exemption Standards
Total Income Amount
Percentage of Reduction/Exemption Partially Collapsed/
Substantially Collapsed Totally Collapsed ¥5 million or less Reduction of 1/2 Complete exemption ¥7.5 million or less Reduction of 1/4 Reduction of 1/2 More than ¥7.5 million Reduction of 1/8 Reduction of 1/4
Applying for Reduction/Exemption
Those who live in Urayasu City do not need to ile an application. However, if you were a victim of the Great East Japan Earthquake in another municipality and moved to Urayasu City on or after March 12, 2011, then an application is required. Please call for more information.
● Reduction/Exemption of Fixed Assets Tax
Area-based Reduction/Exemptions
For the following areas that were damaged due to liquefaction, 40% of the tax amount is exempted.
Eligible Areas
Kairaku, Mihama, Irifune, Higashino, Tomioka, Benten, Imagawa, Maihama, Hinode, Akemi, Takasu, Minato, Tekko-dori, and Chidori.
Reduction/Exemption Involving Homes
Depending on the level of damage, homes that suffered damage are exempt from tax as follows:
Level of Damage Percentage of Reduction/Exemption Totally collapsed Complete exemption Substantially collapsed Reduction of 8/10
Partially collapsed Reduction of 6/10 This program also applies to homes that were repaired in 2011.
Reduction/Exemption Involving Amortized Property
Property that was authorized for reduction/exemption in FY2011 will continue to be exempt.
Reduction/Exemption Application: There is no need to ile an application.
● Concerning Reduction/Exemption and Reimbursements of Taxes Reduction/exemption is made for the following taxes. For those who overpaid their taxes as a result of the reduction/exemption program, the excess will be reimbursed.
• City/Prefecture Resident’s Tax (regular collection): The tax amount from the 2nd term and afterwards
• City/Prefecture Resident’s Tax (special collection): The tax amount from the portion for September and afterwards
• Fixed Assets Tax: The tax amount from the 3rd term and afterwards
The city tax reduction/exemption program that was conducted in FY2011 will continue to be offered in FY2012 as well.
Those who suffered a designated level of damage or more to their home or land due to the Great East Japan Earthquake will be eligible for reduction or
exemption of city tax according to the level of damage as follows.
Be Careful about Application Deadlines for the Housing and Life Reconstruction
Support Programs for the Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake
For all the abovementioned programs:
For more information about the required documents and other details, please visit the Urayasu City website, or call the number below.
Inquiries: Life Support Disaster Recovery Project Team, Tel: 351-3003
The application deadlines for the housing and life reconstruction support programs are as follows.
Hello to all!
Hideki Matsuzaki, Mayor of UrayasuInvitation to Japanese Language Program
Urayasu International Friendship Association (UIFA) provides a Japanese language program. It’s a once-a-week, 90-minute private lesson for beginners. Tuition for one term of six months (April to September or October to March) is ¥1,800 paid in advance at the time of application. A new registrant who wants to start in the middle of the term should pay a monthly-calculated tuition (¥300 a month). Application forms are available at the Local Network Section on the fourth loor of the Urayasu City Hall. Current vacancies are shown below. Sign-ups are on a irst-come, irst-served basis.
For up-to-date information, please look at the UIFA homepage or contact the City Hall.
Classes and Vacancies (as of July 13, 2012)
Class Location Time Vacancy
Tuesday night Todaijima Kominkan 7:00–8:30 p.m. 1 Friday night Urayasu International Center 7:00–8:30 p.m. 1
Note: Urayasu International Center is located on the second loor of Shin-Urayasu Il Mare.
No. 183 August 1, 2012
●
Recyclable Waste Disposal Schedule for August
Collection Area
PET plastic bottlesBottles/Cans/ Newspapers/MagazinesNekozane, Kitazakae, Todaijima Every Tue. Every Mon.
Horie, Higashino, Fujimi, Maihama Every Wed. Every Sat.
Kairaku, Mihama, Irifune, Hinode, Akemi Every Thu. Every Mon.
Tomioka, Imagawa, Benten, Tekkodori, Takasu, Minato, Chidori Every Fri. Every Sat.
* Please put out your garbage between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. It is against the rules to put it out earlier or later than this designated time as it could become a nuisance in your neighborhood.
* Bulky items will be collected separately on request by phone. Call the Bulky Items Reception Center, 305-4000. For inquiries, contact the Garbage-Free Section.
(ext. 1665)
Trafic Park Hours Extended
Until August 31 (Fri.), the park will be open until 5:30 p.m. and will be open on Mondays as well. However, the areas for petting the animals, riding ponies, and petting pocket monkeys will be closed.
Inquiries: Trafic Park, Tel: 351-4083
Urayasu City Summer Bon-odori
Dance Festival
Date and Time: August 15 (Wed.) and 16 (Thu.), 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (until 9 p.m. for junior high school students and younger children)
Note: If it rains on both days, the festival will be postponed until August 17 (Fri.).
Location: Urayasu Elementary School
Note: No parking is available. Please come on foot or use public transportation.
Inquiries: Federation of Local Community Associations Off ice (inside the Location Network Section)
Hours Extended for Card-Based
Services at City Administration
Ofices Near Local Train Stations
In accordance with partial revisions of the
Basic Resident Registration Act, Urayasu City is revising the automated certificate issuing
system. For this reason, the automated issuing machines located at the Civic Affairs Section (Urayasu City Hall Main Bldg. 1F), Urayasu Station City Administration Office, and Shin-Urayasu Station City Administration Office cannot be used until August 31 (Fri.).
Please note that during this period when the
automated issuing machines are not available, those who bring their personal seal registration card, city resident’s card, or basic city resident registration card and has a registered PIN to the Civic Affairs Section, Urayasu Station City Administration Office, or Shin-Urayasu Station City Administration Office can file an abbreviated application form and receive a personal seal registration certiicate or a copy of residence records at the service counter upon the conirmation of their PIN.
Due to the upcoming unavailability of the
automated issuing machines, the service counter hours for card-based issuing of certificates at Urayasu Station City Administration Office and Shin-Urayasu Station City Administration Ofice will be extended.
Date and Time: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Note: When the automated issuing machines are not available, we cannot issue certificates on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.
Inquiries: Civic Affairs Section
The Thrilling Sanja Festival
The rain stopped, and we were blessed with refreshingly beautiful weather on the evening of June 15. Mikoshi (portable shrines) from places called mikisho gathered with the mikoshi of the three major shrines of Seiryu, Toyouke, and Inari Jinja.
There were 36 Seiryu Jinja Shrine mikoshi, 34 Toyouke Jinja Shrine mikoshi, and six Inari Jinja Shrine mikoshi, for a total of 76 mikoshi.
After the spirit was infused into the gather-ing of mikoshi, each portable shrine returned to its respective mikisho as the bearers’ shouted “Maeda! Maeda! (Forward! Forward!).” This was a thrilling scene. Then, the long-anticipated Urayasu Sanja Festival, which is held once every four years, began in full force.
This energetic festival of Urayasu has an inter-esting history. Urayasu was originally a fisher-men’s town, and this festival used to be called kenka matsuri (ight festival). It was famous for its brave and wild atmosphere, and in fact, due to the extreme wildness, riot police had to protect the area around the portable shrines during the festival in 1961. After that, the festival was nearly eliminated as approval for it could not be received from the police. However, in 1974, this exciting festival was inally held again for the irst time in 13 years.
This year, Flower-dori Street was added to the evening procession route for the Seiryu Jinja Shrine for the irst time in 50 years, and the city residents along the street were deeply moved. Among the crowds, there were families that
passed out festive red-and-white mochi (rice cakes), and there were teary-eyed elderly people who became nostalgic over old times, saying: “I carried the mikoshi along this street 50 years ago!” The atmosphere of the evening procession was full of emotion.
Also, I heard that for the irst time, the Nishi-gumi group of Toyouke Jinja Shrine and the par-ticipants from the Nekozane area set up special seats in front of Chuo Kominkan (Public Hall) for elderly people and the disabled, and that there were people who were moved to tears by the courtesy.
In the recent festival, the Federation of Local Community Associations prepared a portable shrine and encouraged the residents of Nakama-chi and ShinmaNakama-chi to participate in Urayasu’s fes-tival for the irst time. It was just for one day on the 17th, but the young high school baseball team of Prefectural Urayasu High School and others participated in the mikoshi procession, following the mikoshi of the Kita-Zakae Mutsumi-kai.
The turnout was beyond comparison with that of four or eight years ago, and actually I wondered where all the people came from. The energy and size of the crowd added to the festive atmosphere.
I, too, had the privilege of shouldering many portable shrines, including those of the major three shrines, from the evening procession of the 15th to the return to the shrine on the 17th. While rather wobbly from exhaustion, my spirit was delirious with joy. I enjoyed the Sanja Festival while taking in the heartwarming traditional at-mosphere of Urayasu.
Welfare Programs for Single-Parent Families
Financial Support
● Child-raising Allowance (Provided by the National Government)
This allowance is provided to a mother/father or guardian who meets any of the following requirements and is raising a child (including children under 20 years of age who have moderate to severe disabilities). The allowance is provided until March 31 following the child’s 18th birthday. Recipients of other public pensions, however, are excluded.
▷Requirements:
• The father or mother is deceased. • The parents are divorced.
• The father or mother has been missing or incarcerated for one year or longer, etc.
• There is only one parent.
• The father or mother is severely disabled (Disabled Person’s Handbook Level 1 or 2; however, this may not apply to internal disabilities in some cases).
▷Allowance (As of April 1, 2012):
For one child, the full beneit is ¥41,430, and the partial benefit is between ¥9,780 and ¥41,420. If there is a second child, ¥5,000 is added; for third and subsequent children, ¥3,000 is added per child. (Income restrictions apply.)
Note: Please call for more information, such as that concerning application procedures.
▷ Concerning the Partial Termination of the
Allowance
If a Partial Allowance Termination Exemption Reason Notiication is not iled after ive years since starting to receive the allowance or seven years since meeting requirements, whichever is earlier, the allowance may be partially reduced in some cases.
● Housing Allowance for Single-Mother Families
This allowance is provided to the head of a single-mother family (including cases in which the father is severely disabled) that is raising a child under 20 years of age and paying a monthly rent of more than ¥10,000. (Income restrictions apply.)
▷Allowance: The diference between the amount
of rent and ¥10,000 (The maximum allowance provided is ¥15,000 per month.)
Note: Please call for more information, such as that concerning the allowance amount or application procedures.
● If You Have Already Been Authorized to Receive Child-raising Allowance or Housing Allowance, Please Submit a Current Status Report
To confirm eligibility from August onward, a current status report must be filed every year. A current status report form was mailed to eligible people in late July. Please submit your completed form between August 1 (Wed.) and 31 (Fri.).
● Allowance for Bereaved Children Who Lost a Parent in a Traic Accident
This allowance is provided for those raising a child who has lost a parent in a traic accident (including parents who have become severely disabled) until the child completes compulsory education. (Income restrictions apply.)
▷All owan ce: Elem ent ar y s ch o o l age or
younger—¥12,000 per month per child; junior high school age—¥15,000 per month per child
Note: Please call for more information, such as that concerning the allowance amount or application procedures.
● Medical Subsidy for Single-Parent Families This subsidy is provided to a single-parent family that is raising a child (including children under 20 years of age who have moderate to severe disabilities) and covers the personally borne expense of the parent’s or child’s medical treatment (for illness or injury) under social insurance or National Health Insurance at a hospital or clinic. However, there is a personally borne expense of ¥1,000 per month for outpatient treatment and prescriptions. The allowance is provided until March 31 following the child’s 18th birthday. (Income restrictions apply.)
Note: Please call for more information on application procedures, etc.
Inquiries: Children & Family Section
Related to Everyday Life
● In-Home Support Service for Single-Parent Families
An in-home support provider visits the home of a single-parent family to help with child-raising and housework during times when everyday living and child-rearing are diicult to manage.
Note: Please call for more information on eligibility, application procedures, fees, etc.
●Training Programs for Single-Mother Families to Encourage Self-suiciency
▷ Subsidies for Self-suiciency Assistance
Training Program Fees
Subsidies that partially cover the cost of vocational classes designated by the city are available for single-mothers who are not qualified for the employment insurance beneit plan, which covers training fees. (Income restrictions apply.)
Note: Consultation in advance is required. Please call for more information.
▷ Financial Assistance for the Promotion of
Advanced Skill Training for Single-Mother Families
Financial assistance is available to those who wish to undergo training for two years or longer to obtain a vocational license, such as those for nurses, care workers, nursery staf, etc., so that they may become inancially independent. (Income restrictions apply.)
Note: Consultation in advance is required. Please call for more information.
▷ Support Program for the Self-suiciency of
Single-Mother Families
Support staff conducts interviews with single mothers who are receiving the Child-raising Allowance and looking to become financially independent or gainfully employed. The staf then develops a support program suited to each and every individual and ofers ongoing assistance.
▷ Personal Computer Classes for
Single-Mothers (Excel and Word)
Note: Please call for more information on the class schedule, etc.
▷ Job Search Assistance Seminars for
Single-Mothers (how to look for jobs, how to write a resume, etc.)
Note: Please call for more information on the seminar schedule, etc.
●Mother and Child Welfare Fund/Widow’s Welfare Fund
This loan program supports the financial independence of single-mother families and widows (those who used to be mothers in single-mother families and are currently without spouses). Please call for more information.
Inquiries: Children & Family Support Center, Tel: 351-7698
Consultation Services Related
to Families
The Children & Family Support Center offers the following consultation services that address problems that single-mother households face, problems that women in general face, child- or family-related issues, etc.
● Consultation for Single Mothers and Women in General
Female consultants offer advice on financial problems single-mother families face, children’s education and employment as well as problems women in general face, such as domestic violence.
Tel: 351-7698
● Consultation for Families and Children Family consultants offer advice on various concerns regarding children, interpersonal relationships within the family, and child abuse.
Tel: 350-7867
▷ For Both Services:
Date and Time: Monday through Saturday (excluding national holidays), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Children & Family Support Center (inside the General Welfare Center)
