How to complete a postal application for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment

Application procedures for the one-off 100,000 yen cash payment being doled out to residents of Japan in light of the new coronavirus outbreak are already underway. As early as April 30 some municipalities began handling applications.  

The application process can be done online for holders of a My Number Card. Those residents of Japan without this card will have to complete their application on paper via post. 

Whether of not a municipality has begun to send out applications for the 100,000 yen benefit can be checked (in Japanese) via a special website run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications -- tokubetsu teigaku kyufukin (特別定額給付金): https://kyufukin.soumu.go.jp/ja-JP/.

According to the ministry, residents will have three months from the start of applications to complete their own application. 

Samples of the application form are available from the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. There appears to be no word on whether or not these application forms will be provided in a language other than Japanese.   However, given the scale of the operation facing the authorities it’s perhaps a fair assumption that forms will be in Japanese only.

Upon the initial announcement that the 100,000 yen coronavirus payments are going to get underway an early example of the application form was issued and examples on how to fill in the forms as provided on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications -- tokubetsu teigaku kyufukin (特別定額給付金) website are based on this.

There has, however, since been issued an alternative form enabling the use of optical character recognition (OCR). To Japanese people the differences between the two forms are probably negligible, however, to less trained eyes the difference may cause confusion, especially because so many guides and video tutorials are based on the earlier version of the application form. We take a look at both forms here, although the details entered into them are largely the same. As to which form will be used by local municipalities, we can’t pretend to know.

Here we take a look at how to complete the postal application form for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment -- early version of the form 

This is based on the sample application form as provided on the homepage of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000685171.pdf

1) Date / municipality of application

Enter the date of the application (A): 令和 / Reiwa - the current era name. At the time of making the application it is and will be “2.” Next is the month (月) and date (日). In the space underneath (B) enter the name of the municipality /city in which you reside.

2) Head of the household / applicant

Application forms for the 100,000 yen coronavirus benefit are being sent to the head of each household. If you live in an apartment alone, that’s you. If you live in a share house, chances are each occupant is registered as the head of their own household. If you’re married (and with children), it will likely be either mum or dad, wife or husband who is registered as the head.

Anyway, let’s not worry about this too much. According to the ministry, application forms will arrive with the relevant names and dates of birth already printed on them. In the above section then check that your name is printed correctly (A) -- on the top it should be printed in “furigana” (i.e. katakana). In the section below it looks like we are being asked to write out our name, presumably as it has been registered with the local authorities. The mark to the right (印) is when you stamp your name, err, stamp.

The section to the right details your address (B) -- check it is correct. Below the address enter a contact telephone number -- while it is not explicitly stated, the wording asks for a number via which you can be contacted throughout the day, basically your cell phone number. 

The final section (C) asks for your date of birth (using the Japanese “wareki” calendar). Again, according to the ministry this should already be printed. Just in case though, the era names from left to right -- 明治 / Meiji - 大正 / Taisho - 昭和 / Showa - 平成 / Heisei -- given that the Taisho Era ended around 1926, it’s probably the case that you were born during one of the latter three. Circle the relevant one. Month and date as you are used to

Section 3: Recipients

This table details the name, relationship to the head of the household (i.e. the applicant), and date of birth of each recipient of the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment. If you’ve been keeping up-to-date with your residency / family affairs all recipients should be pre-printed on the form. You just need to check it.

Based on the example application form the head of the household (setainushi / 世帯主) will be listed first (A), followed by (if applicable) the spouse (B) (wife in this case - 妻 / tsuma - 夫 / otto in the case of husband). Children (C) are listed using the kanji "子." 

If mistakes are made / have been made in the details of each recipient, draw two red lines through the relevant section and enter it again into any spare spaces below.

Each recipient receives 100,000 yen, so the total for three people (as given in the example application form) is already printed as 300,000 yen. 

The table to the right of this (D) is an interesting one. It’s asking you (or the other recipients in the household) if you or they DO NOT want to receive the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment. In which case mark the box(es) with an “X.” If you DO wish to take receipt of the payment, leave this table blank. 

Section 4: Bank details

In the body of text above the table we are being asked how we would like to take receipt of the payment. Bear in mind that it is the head of the household who takes receipt of the payment (in one lump sum) for all recipients registered in their household. 

In order to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus the authorities are urging applicants to take receipt of the payment via bank transfer, rather than going to collect it in person. To do this check box A (A).

The box under the letter “A” (B) is to be checked if the bank account you wish to use is that which you are currently using for other city-related payments / support. If so, tick this box and you will not be required to submit any copies of your banking details in support of your application. After ticking this box, you’re asked to check the purpose for which this account is already being used (in relation to city matters): water payments (水道料引落口座) (C) - residence tax payments (住民税などの引落口座) (D) - receipt of childcare allowance (育児手当等の受給口座) (E).

Regardless whether or not the bank account you wish to use is for the above purposes applicants still have to enter some of their account details in the next table. 

In the case of a (regular) bank (first table) ...

Enter the name of the banking institution and type (F). If you’re with a regular bank, circle 1. 銀行 (ginko).  

The next section (G) is asking for the branch name (probably the name of the city / town where the account was set up). Below this enter the branch code -- 支店コード. (Branch name / code can be found in your passbook.)  

The next section (H) is asking for the account type -- 分類. This will either be a personal account -- 普通, or current account (if it’s for a business) -- 当座.  

Enter the account number (I) -- 口座番号. (If there are more spaces provided than digits in your account number, leave blank spaces on the left, rather than on the right as might come more naturally to many foreigners.) 

The final section is the account holder name (J). The top should be completed in furigana (katakana). The bottom should be completed in the way that the name is registered with your account. 

In the case of Japan Post Bank (second table) … 

Enter the long number you can see on your JP Bank cash card, separated by a hyphen, into the two sections provided (K)  In the first section, if the first part of the number consists of six digits, the final digit is entered where it is marked ※. Finally enter the account holder name (L) in katakana and as it has been registered with the account. 

If applicants do not have a bank account or for whatever reason simply must collect the payment in person, select B at the bottom of the first page of the form.  In this case there is no need to mail the application.  Take it in person to the relevant "collection counter."

Section 6: Third party recipient of 100,000 yen coronavirus payment

A section of the application is given over to those applicants who would like to designate a third party to receive the payment on their behalf. We are going to skip this section and continue in the assumption that it is the applicant who will take receipt of the payment.

Section 7: Identification documents (copies)

In this section applicants are being asked to attach a copy of some form of identification -- driver’s license, My Number Card, insurance card, pension book are all listed as examples. Perhaps a copy of a Residence Card (gaijin card) will suffice for foreigners living in Japan who are applying for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment. (Japanese friends tell us that they would fold up the photocopied document to a small size and tape or glue one corner of it to the space provided on the application form.)

Section 8: Bank account copies / details

Here applicants are being asked to provide copies which detail the bank account as listed in the earlier section of the application. Copies of a cash card or passbook are listed as examples, as is a screenshot of an online banking page on which can be seen the name of the banking institution, the account number, and the name of the account holder. 

Section 9: Checklist

This is for the applicant’s benefit really:

1) Have all relevant sections of the form been completed?

2) Do the banking details entered into the form match those on any copies of documents provided?

3) Have all relevant supporting documents been provided?

How to complete the postal application form for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment -- OCR version of the form

This is based on the sample application form as provided on the homepage of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: https://kyufukin.soumu.go.jp/doc/14_document.pdf

The OCR application form looks to be a little simpler, sections in “yellow” being those that we really need to pay attention to and those areas that need the mark of our pen being outlined in bold, according to the example given by the ministry.

Section 1: The applicant

(A) The name of our local authority (city / town etc) should be pre-printed here.

(B) Enter the date of making the application (年 year / 月 month / 日 date).

(C) Your home address should be pre-printed here for you to check.

(D) Your name will be pre-printed in furigana in the upper section, write it out (in print) in the lower section and stamp (印).

(E) Enter a contact telephone number (which can be used during the day).

(F) Your date of birth should be pre-printed here.

(G) It’s not the clearest layout (and even confused the Japanese we consulted with) but it appears that all sections here relate to having a third party make the application / take receipt of the payment on your behalf. We’re making the application ourselves so will leave all of this blank.

(H) We are being asked to check that we have attached (later in the form) the relevant identification document (copy) to support the information entered in this section of the from. Check next to “ 貼付しました.”

Section 2: Recipients

As with the previous application form, in this section we are being asked to check the details of each recipient -- name, D.O.B, relation to applicant -- which it seems will be pre-printed on the form.

Where things differ from the previous form is that applicants are being asked in the next part of the table (A) to check whether they wish to receive the 100,000 yen payment or not. If “Yes,” check next to “希望する.” If “No,” check next to “不要.”

Section 3: Receipt of payment / banking details

The first thing to address here is the kanji character which appears as a square in “口座 / account” -- this is not to be confused with a check box.

In part (A) we are being asked whether or not we are an account holder with a banking institution. In the case that the answer is “Yes,” check the box next to “金融機関の口座がある.”

If “No,” check the box in the next section, “金融機関の口座がない.” It’s important to note that in the event you wish to collect the money in person, the application form is not to be mailed. You take it directly to the relevant “collection counter” at the location of your local municipal authority. Again, we are not being encouraged to do this in a bid to prevent further spread of the new coronavirus.

The table in part (B) covers both accounts with regular banking institutions and those with Japan Post Bank. Either way, enter your account holder name in katakana at the top.  

Below this is space for the account number of your Japan Post Bank account if this is the account through which you wish to take receipt of the 100,000 yen.

In the case that you wish to use another bank account, fill in the sections below the space provided for Japan Post Bank accounts. *Note - Where we have written “bank name original” and “branch name original” we mean write it out as it appears in its normal form (be that using kanji, romaji etc).  

In part (C) we are being asked whether or not the account, the details of which we entered above, is being used to make / receive payments regarding municipal matters (water, residence tax, childcare allowance e.t.c). If “No,” check the next section -- なし -- and prepare a copy of the requested banking documents (passbook, cash card e.t.c).  

If the account is already being used to make / receive payments regarding municipal matters check final section -- あり -- and select from the relevant situations in which it is being used: 

市区町村の税金、保険料等 = debit of residence tax, insurance

水道料の引落 = debit of water charges

児童手当の振込(公務員を除く) = receipt of childcare allowance

As with the earlier version of the application form, if the account is already “in use” in this way, there is no need to attach any copies of banking documents to the application form. 

The final page of the OCR application, where applicants attack supporting copies, appears to be no different in content than the earlier version of the application form. 

We don’t know, but are assuming that application forms for the 100,000 yen payment will come with a stamped-addressed envelope for applicants to use.

According to the ministry, the time it takes from submitting an application until payment is made will depend on each municipal authority. 

Our uncertainties

This is by no means to be taken as an official guide. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has set up a helpline for applicants to get, presumably, official guidance regarding the application process. This number is detailed on the ministry’s Guide to Special Cash Payments here:  

While the Guide to Special Cash Payments gives a clear and concise overview of the 100,000 yen payment application process (and is available in a number of languages) there doesn’t appear to be any official guidance about how to complete the application form in languages other than Japanese. 

The guidance in this article then, will hopefully at least get things started for some foreigners living in Japan who want to apply for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment.  Where we have referred to "sections" or "parts" we have done so at our own discretion -- these are not official labels.  On the images, text marking letters for reference and some terms is our own.

As we mentioned earlier, one of the primary uncertainties regarding how to complete the postal application form for the 100,000 yen coronavirus payment is exactly which form is going to be sent to us.

A scan of the homepages of local municipalities also reveals that some have opened up the option of downloading blank forms for earlier application (for a limited period) by residents who are in more urgent need of the money but don't hold a My Number card.  In this case we might be able to see forms vary in presentation, even if it may only be font style and size. 

Where we have other uncertainties is what to do if you don’t have your own inkan or "name stamp."  Will a signature suffice?  We don’t know.  

What should be done if you run out of sections to make corrections regarding the details of each recipient?  

We are also not clear on when exactly an application process is deemed to have started in regards to when that “three month” application period begins. Will a date be detailed on the application form? 

Have you already received your postal application form for the special one-off 100,000 yen cash payment?  Let is know in the comments.

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