The International Affairs Office is open on Monday through Friday from 9:45 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. and from 12:20 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
During vacations, the office is open on Monday through Friday only from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

The International Affairs Office will notify you if it receives any important messages or information for you. If you have a cellular phone, notify the International Affairs Office and give the office your number.

Computers are available in the LB Classroom on the first floor of the International Exchange Center and on the fourth floor of the Library. The International Exchange Center Computer Room hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. The room is closed on Sundays and holidays.

All Japanese universities at which international students are enrolled are required to have such information as the visa status and permitted period of residence for the international students. At the beginning of the academic year and whenever there is a change or renewal in your visa status, submit the following documents to the Soka University International Affairs Office.
The information on these documents is not used for other purposes.

1. A copy of the pages of your passport that contain your photograph and your college student visa.
2. A photocopy of both sides of your Certificate of Alien Registration.

When you return to your home country or travel outside of Japan temporarily, you must fill out an overseas travel report form and submit it to the International Affairs Office. The form is available at the International Affairs Office. Be sure to acquire a re-entry permit before departure. You will find information concerning the re-entry permit in the Re-entry Permit section below.

All foreign nationals residing in Japan more than 90 days must, by law, obtain an alien registration (gaikokujin tohrokusho). This card must be carried at all times. Police officers have the right to ask anyone for identification at any time, and the only two acceptable forms for foreign nationals are a passport and an alien registration card. An alien registration card may be obtained at your local municipal office.

The following documents are needed to apply for an alien registration card:

1. Application form (available at your local municipal office.)
2. Passport
3. Two color photos (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm).

The use of cars for commuting to school is prohibited in The Institute of Japanese Language (hereafter called Bekka). The cost of maintaining a car along with such responsibilities and paying compensation in case of an accident can adversely affect a student’s academic performance during his or her period of study at Bekka. Although the use of motor scooters and bicycles is not forbidden, similar problems could arise in case of accidents. Therefore, we strongly advise the students to walk or use public transportation while studying at Bekka.

If the use of a car or a motor scooter is absolutely necessary, be sure to receive permission from the International Affairs Office and to discuss thoroughly insurance coverage.

Please abide by the traffic regulations and do not drink and drive. When driving a motor scooter, wear a full-face helmet.

If you purchase or are given a bicycle, you must have a Bicycle Burglary Prevention Registration document. If you do not register your bicycle and you are stopped by the police, you may be in trouble.

If you purchase a bicycle, you must register it at the shop at which you purchased it.
If you are given a bicycle, you will need to register it yourself. Please ask about the procedure at the International Affairs Office.

You are not permitted to leave the campus for a long period of time while classes are in session.
If you reside in a university dormitory, you are requested not to stay anywhere else for many days without informing the university. If for any reason you need to leave the campus for a period of time, notify your professors and get their consent to be absent from class and also notify the International Affairs Office. This requirement applies whether you travel for a long period of time or temporarily return to your home country during the summer and spring vacation period.

If you plan to travel outside of Japan or return temporarily to your home country, you will need to obtain or have a re-entry permit. See Re-Entry Permit section below for more information.

If you plan to travel more than 100 kilometers within Japan, during the summer or spring vacation, for example, you can apply for a gakuwari (reduced transportation fee for students), which reduces your transportation fee by twenty percent. Proof of your identity is required. Apply for a gakuwari at the Student Department window located at first floor of the Building A. Students are entitled to 10 tickets per year.

International telephone calls can be made from the public telephones in the lobby of the International Exchange Center and from the telephone booth in front of the center. Please note that you must purchase a telephone card to use those public phones.

When making a telephone call, please dial as follows:

0033+010 + country code + telephone number.

We ask all those who live in a university dormitory to abide by the rules for comfortable communal living.

University dormitories have a curfew for security reasons.
Please return to your dormitory before curfew, especially as the areas in which the dormitories are situated are unsafe at night.

The curfew in women’s dormitories is 11:00 p.m., and in men’s dormitories, 12:00 midnight.
There are other rules to follow besides those that are written in a contract. Each dormitory has its own rules.

You might be asked to leave the dormitory if you break a rule or violate curfew.

If you plan to leave Japan to travel outside of Japan or temporarily return to your home country, you will need to apply for re-entry permit before your departure. You will not be allowed to re-enter Japan without a re-entry permit.

The following documents are required for a re-entry permit:

1. Re-Entry Permit Request Form.
The prescribed form can be obtained at the Department of International Affairs Office window.
2. Passport
3. Photocopy of the front and back pages of your Alien Registration Card.
4. Payment Fee Form. The payment must be made in the form of a stamp that can be bought at a post office or convenience store near the Immigration Office. The Immigration Office will give you further instructions.
a. Single Visa (one re-entry): A 3,000-yen payment stamp is required.
b. Multiple Visa (multiple re-entries during the period of the visa): A 6,000-yen payment stamp is required.

The Bekka program aims at having you master your Japanese skills during the one-year period of the course. It is therefore necessary that you preview and review the materials every day.

So that you may give your full attention to your studies, it is desired that you do not have a part-time job. If you must work for one reason or another, however, please discuss the matter well with your teachers or the Dean of the Bekka Department, and decide what is best in order that you not be distracted from your studies. As a rule, after receiving permission to work from your guarantor and the Dean of the Bekka Department, you will need, as a rule, to obtain Permission to Engage in Non-Curricular Activities document, which you are to keep in a safe place. A photocopy of the form is to be presented to your part-time employer.

An exchange student studying abroad and receiving a monthly amount of 80,000 yen is prohibited from having a part-time job outside of the University.

Students may work up to 28 hours a week during a semester. During the summer and winter vacations, they may work 8 hours a day.

The following forms are required for permission to work:

1. Request form for permission to engage in non-curricular activities. This form can be obtained at the Department of International Affairs window.
2. Passport.
3. Photocopy of the front and back pages of your alien registration card.
4. Permission to Engage in Non-Curricular Activities document. This document will be issued by the Department of International Affairs upon presentation of the request form.

Members of International Affairs Office staff can apply at the Immigration Office on your behalf for your re-entry permit, Permission for Non-Curricular Activities document, etc.

If you wish to have staff member act as your representative in applying such documents, please submit all the required documents to the International Affairs Office window before the tenth day of each month.

Please keep in mind that your passport may not be returned to you until your application is completed. The passport will be returned to you between the fifteenth and twentieth day of each month. Please note, however that the process may take longer if you are applying for a visa extension or a change of status.

National Health Insurance subsidizes a portion of one’s medical expenses in case of illness or injury. Persons without a health insurance card are charged the full cost of all medical care. Foreign residents, even with health insurance contracted for in their own countries, must enter a health insurance plan in Japan if staying in Japan for more than one year. Premiums are calculated to the basis of the previous year’s income. Premiums will be due from the month in which a person enters the plan.

In case of an unexpected accident or sickness, a student may ask for first-aid treatment either at the Health Center behind the Central Gymnasium.

The Health Center is open on Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and from 12:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

As Japan is prone to numerous earthquakes, individuals and families should formulate a plan on how to react if an earthquake occurs.

If an earthquake occurs,
Do not panic. Turn off the gas at the main valve and secure an exit by opening doors and windows.
Move carefully. Beware of heavy items, broken glass and other safety hazards.
Do not pay attention to rumors. Tune into radio and television reports for accurate information.

In case of fire,
Shout kaji desu! to alert your family and neighbors.
Immediately call 119 (fire station) to report a fire and seek assistance.
If possible, use a fire extinguisher, etc, to control or extinguish the fire.

Emergency calls are toll-free from a public phone.

Please note that the use of fire in classrooms in particular and on the campus in general is prohibited.

If you should ever be involved in an accident or be the victim of a theft or other crime, call 110 (police) immediately or report directly to the nearest police box or police station.

Be sure to contact the International Affairs Office.

Immediately contact your bank or credit card company as well as the Soka University International Affairs Office concerning stolen bank or credit cards.

For emergencies during the day, call the International Affairs Office at 042-691-8230.

For emergencies at night, call the Soka University Emergency Security Service at 042-691-2169.