In Fukuoka City, there are many free counseling services regularly available throughout the year, so please contact them according to your needs.
Rainbow Plaza
8F IMS Bldg. 1-7-11 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-733-2220
http://www.rainbowfia.or.jp
Specialists from various fields offer free consultation services for foreigners.
◇Legal Consultation for Foreigners
Lawyers from the Fukuoka Bar Association advise foreigners on legal matters. Interpreters are provided if necessary.
Date: first and third Saturday of each month 13:00-16:00
* 45 minutes per person (including interpretation)
Appointment necessary
◇Psychological Counseling for Foreigners
An English-speaking clinical psychologist offer counseling for foreigners who have psychological distress.
Date: Mondays 10:00-18:00, Thursdays 10:00-12:30, Saturdays 15:00-19:00 （however, 16:15-19:00 on the first and third Saturday of each month）
* approximately 60 minutes per session
Appointment necessary
◇Immigration, Residency, and Nationality Consultation
Administrative scrivener from the Fukuoka Prefecture Gyoseishoshi Lawyers Association offer advice on immigration procedures such as change of status of residence. English and Chinese interpreters are available.
Date: second Sunday of each month 13:00-16:00
No Appointment necessary （however, if you need interpreters in languages other than English and Chinese, please contact Rainbow Plaza at least one week in advance.）
◇Health Consultation for Foreigners
For foreigners with health issues, Japanese volunteer physicians offer advice in English
Date: Wednesdays 17:00-19:00
No appointment necessary
* Doctors do not conduct medical examinations, or prescribe medication.
◇Counseling for Chinese Students （kokoro no space）
For Chinese students who have any problems, a psychological support team made up of Chinese students specializing in clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Kyushu University offer advice.
Date: fourth Saturday of each month 13:00-15:00
Appointment necessary
To apply: xin-ling-kongjian@hotmail.com
Kokusai Hiroba
3F ACROS Fukuoka 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-725-9200
http://www.kokusaihiroba.or.jp/
Various free consultations are available for foreigners. For details, please contact the organization directly.
◇Immigration, Residency, and Nationality Consultation
Administrative scrivener from the Fukuoka Prefecture Gyoseishoshi Lawyers Association offer advice on immigration procedures such as change of status of residence. English and Chinese interpreters are available.
Tel: 092-641-2501（Fukuoka Prefecture Gyoseishoshi Lawyers Association）
Date: fourth Saturday of each month 13:00-16:00
No appointment necessary （however, if you need interpreters in languages other than English and Chinese, please contact Kokusai Hiroba in advance）
◇Human Rights Consultation
Civil liberties commissioners （attorneys） provide consultation on human rights issues related to employment, housing, marriage, divorce, naturalization, and immigration. English interpreters available.
Tel: 092-721-9166（Civil Liberties Department, Fukuoka Legal Affairs Bureau）
Date: second Wednesday of each month 13:00-16:00
No appointment necessary （however, if you need interpreters in languages other than English, please contact them in advance）
Fukuoka City Administration Consultation Hotline
Citizen consultation offices (Shimin Sodan-shitsu) located at the city hall and ward offices offer free advice on various issues related to city administration and daily life. (in Japanese only)
For details, refer to the Fukuoka City website: http://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/shicho/kocho/opinion/005.html
Higashi Ward Office offers the following interpretation services:
Tel: 092-631-2192
Date: English/Mondays, Chinese/Thursdays 10:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00
Fukuoka City Gender Equality Promotion Center AMIKAS
3-3-1 Takamiya, Minami-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-526-3755
http://amikas.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/
With female counseling staff, Aikas offers various free consultations on problems such as domestic violence in a female-friendly environment. (in Japanese only)
◇General Consultation
Phone, or in person (appointment necessary) * handled by female counseling staff
Tel: 092-526-3788
Date: Monday-Saturday 10:00-17:00, Sunday and holidays 10:00-16:30,
second and fourth Monday of each month 10:00-20:00
◇Legal Consultation
In person (appointment necessary） * handled by female attorneys
Tel: 092-526-3788
Date: first-fourth Wednesday of each month 13:00-16:00, fifth Monday of certain months 17:00-19:00
◇Employment Consultation
In person (appointent necessary）
* handled by employment advisors
Tel: 092-526-3788
Date: first Monday of each month 13:00-16:00
◇Amikas DV Consultation Dial
Phone * handled by female counseling staff
Tel: 092-526-6070
Date: Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:00-16:00
◇Counseling Hotline for Men
Phone * handled by male counseling staff
Tel：092-526-1718
Date: first and third Monday of each month 19:00-21:00
Fukuoka Prefecture Bar Association Tenjin Attorney’s Center
2F Minami Tenjin Bldg. 5-14-12 Watanabe-dori, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-737-7555
http://www.fben.jp/center/tenjin.html
◇Free Legal Consultation for Foreigners
Attorneys from the Fukuoka Prefecture Bar Association offer advice to foreigners on legal matters. They provide interpreters if necessary.
Date: second and fourth Friday of each month, 13:00-16:00
For appointment:
(Japanese) Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00
(Chinese) second and fourth Friday of each month 10:00-13:00
(English) fourth Friday of each month 10:00-13:00
* Charged consultations are also available. For details, please contact the Attorney’s Center above.
Women’s Empowerment Center Fukuoka
8F Shinko Bldg. 4-4-24 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-738-0138
http://www.geocities.jp/empower_f/
This NPO offers various support activities for economic, social, and psychological independence of women, and provides a multilingual consultation service by phone.
* Multilingual Hotline: available in 9 languages (Japanese, English, Tagalog, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Spanish)
Tel：050-1492-3911
Global Life Support Center
6F Yasuda Dai-ichi Bldg. 12-18 Kamikawabata, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Tel：092-441-0036
http://www.npo-global.jp/about.html
This NPO provides living support for foreigners living in Fukuoka, and offers consultations for those struggling with differences such as language and culture. Consultations are available in foreign languages such as Chinese.
Consultations Regarding Employment
When looking for work, advertisements from Hello Work or newspapers, or job advertisement magazines are useful. However, depending on your status of residence, you may not be able to work at all, or have restrictions for work. Please fully understand the conditions of your visa status, so that you do not work illegally. For job information and consultations on employment, please contact the following offices.
◇Hello Work Fukuoka Chuo/Employment Service for Foreign workers
1-6-19 Akasaka, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-712-8609 extension 308
Interpreters available
English: Mondays 13:30-17:15, Wednesdays 8:30-12:30/13:30-17:15
Chinese: Tuesdays 8:30-12:30/13:30-17:15, Thursdays 13:30-17:15
◇Fukuoka Labor Bureau/Consultation for Working Conditions of Foreign Workers
4F Fukuoka Joint Government Building New Annex 2-11-1Hakata-eki Higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-411-4862
Interpreters available
English: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00-16:00
* No employment referrals
◇Fukuoka Labor Affairs Office/Labor Consultations
5F Fukuoka West General Government Building 1-8-8 Akasaka, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-735-6149
Monday-Friday 8:30-17:00
Interpreters: English, Chinese, and Spanish (appointment necessary)
* No employment referrals
◇Attaka Fukuoka （Fukuoka Foreign Student Support Association）
5F Fukuoka City Hall North Annex Building 1-10-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
c.o. Fukuoka International Association
Tel: 092-733-5630
http://www.attaka-fukuoka.jp/
* Through the bulletin board “Attaka Koryu Keijiban”, it helps international students and Japanese language school students find part-time jobs.
◇Fukuoka International Student Support Center (FISSC)
3F ACROS Fukuoka 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
c.o. Kokusai Hiroba, Fukuoka International Exchange Foundation
Tel: 092-725-9201
http://www.fissc.net
* FISSC introduces part-time jobs for international students, and offers support for employment after graduation.
