F A Q

List of Inquiries from Foreign Residents

I want to become friends with Japanese people.

At the Asahikawa International Center we do not provide direct introductions for individuals.

At the bulletin board corner you can advertise that you are looking for language partners, so please make use of it.

Write your information on the designated form and please hand it in to the general service counter for processing. Language partner requests from foreign residents and events can also be posted on the board.

I want to do a homestay.

The Asahikawa International Committee helps arrange homestays with volunteer families. After filling out a homestay request application, please contact us with the information below. For more details, please refer here.

 

<Important Information for Applying>

※As a rule, applications for homestays must be made 4 weeks prior to the desired date. There are instances where we will not accept sudden requests. 

※In Japan, during the O-bon Holiday (mid-August,) End-of-Year/New Year Holidays (end of December to beginning of January,) and other seasonal events, many households travel or are busier than usual. As a result, finding a host family during those times will be difficult. We request that you please try to avoid making requests during those periods. 

※After receiving a homestay application, we will make a request to the volunteer household. If there any changes in the information in the application, please contact us as soon as possible. In cases where changes in the application information are extreme, we may have to refuse the homestay request as it may cause a disturbance for the host family. We appreciate your understanding.

Example> Please refrain from making dramatic changes in the period of stay or number of people staying.

 

※As homestays are ultimately about experiencing life in a Japanese home, speaking Japanese and facilitating cultural exchange, we are able to provide homestays due to the kindness of our registered host families. We request for each day 1500 yen in compensation for expenses, but in cases where it is determined that homestays are being used in place of a hotel or for purposes other than international exchange, we will refuse placement. 

In case of any questions, please contact us.

 

I want to find a job.

At AIC we cannot directly refer foreign residents to employment opportunities, but at the Asahikawa International Center we have a bulletin board for local and foreign residents to exchange information. Please make use of it.

Regarding the use of bulletin boards (LINK)

I want to learn Japanese.

The Asahikawa International Committee has from May to December every year the “Japanese for Foreign Learners” course, which is split into two terms. Also, we do consulting for individual lessons with Japanese language volunteers in Asahikawa. Please contact our office for details. 

 

I want to get a visa.

Visa procedures are different for each country. Please reference the appropriate country’s embassy website or contact them via phone.

 

Does the Information Counter provide support in foreign languages?

Although times may vary, at the Information Counter at the Asahikawa International Center we have support staff members who speak English, Chinese and Korean. Please reference in advance the schedule regarding when multi-language support is available.

More Details are Available Here (LINK)