Shinjuku 新宿区
Last verified 2026-07-10
Consultation desk for foreign residents
Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza / Consultation Support Center for Foreign Residents
しんじゅく多文化共生プラザ（外国人総合相談支援センター）
Address: Hygeia 11F, 2-44-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021 — Open in Google Maps
Hours: Plaza: 9:00–21:00 (closed 2nd & 4th Wed, year-end holidays). Consultation center: Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00
Phone: 03-3202-5535
Languages:
- Japanese
- English
- Chinese
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Tagalog
- Vietnamese
- Indonesian
- Nepali (Mon)
- Thai (Tue)
- Myanmar (Thu)
Phone/video interpreting available for other languages.
Garbage sorting guide (English)
How to Separate and Dispose of Recyclable Resources / Garbage (PDF, 2.5 MB) www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp
Ward office
1-4-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8484
Phone: 03-3209-1111
Mon–Fri 8:30–17:00 (Tue until 19:00 for some counters; 4th Sun open for some counters)
Moving-in procedures page
https://www.foreign.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/en/kurashi/jyushohenko/ www.foreign.city.shinjuku.lg.jp
Moves from outside Japan are handled only at the main City Office counter (not during Tue evening or 4th-Sun hours).
Procedures you will do at this office
National Health Insurance 国民健康保険
If your employer doesn't insure you, join NHI at your ward office. With the card, you pay 30% at the hospital instead of 100%.
National Pension 国民年金
Everyone living in Japan aged 20–59 must join, any nationality. Employees are covered automatically — everyone else enrolls at the ward office. Low income can be exempted.
Residence card address 在留カード住所変更
Your residence card must show your current address — but there is no separate trip: it happens at the ward office when you register.
Resident registration 転入届・住民票
Register your new address at your ward office within 14 days of moving in. This creates your jūminhyō (resident record), which almost everything else depends on.