Kawaguchi City Opens Japan's First Consultation Counter for Foreign Residents Staffed by a Resident Immigration Official
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Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, announced on May 29, 2026, that it would set up a new "Foreign Resident Consultation Counter" staffed by a resident immigration official inside city hall, and began operating it on July 1, 2026. A consultation counter with an immigration official stationed permanently at city hall is said to be the first initiative of its kind in Japan.
The counter is located on the fifth floor of City Hall's First Main Building and is staffed by a team of three — one employee each from the Living Safety Division and the Collaborative Promotion Division, along with one official from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau. It operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and serves as a single point of contact for consultations from both Japanese and foreign residents, ranging from everyday issues such as garbage disposal and noise to matters concerning visas (residence status).
Mayor Okamura reportedly explained the initiative as a measure to ensure "the safety and peace of mind of residents." Kawaguchi City has seen a string of reports about troubles involving foreign residents (related coverage), and how this counter performs in practice will draw attention going forward as a concrete administrative response.
Having an immigration official stationed permanently at a local government counter offers the advantage of being able to respond quickly to specialized consultations on residence status, but issues have also been raised regarding the design of the system, such as the municipality's operational structure and privacy considerations. Kawaguchi City is pursuing this initiative amid a series of reports of troubles involving Kurdish residents (related coverage), and how the counter performs going forward will draw attention as a concrete administrative response.
The city is also building out its information dissemination and consultation systems through multiple channels, including publishing its official position on its website (related coverage).