This page is general information from official sources. It is not financial or legal advice, and it cannot tell you what your family will receive. For your own case, ask the city or town office where you are registered.
If you have just moved to Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town or Ozu Town with children, or you have just had your first baby, you need to claim the child allowance (児童手当, jido teate). It does not start by itself, and a late claim means lost months. This guide explains the 2026 rules and compares how to claim in the three places. It uses the city and town pages and the Children and Families Agency (こども家庭庁).
In short
- The allowance is for children up to high-school age. There has been no income limit since October 2024 (section 1).
- Claim within 15 days, counted from the day after the birth or the move. Months you miss are not paid. (section 2)
- Claim at your new city or town: the Health and Children Section of a Kumamoto City ward office, or the Child-rearing Support Division in Kikuyo or Ozu (sections 3 to 5).
- Hand in the claim on time even if a paper is missing. Kumamoto City and Kikuyo Town take the rest later.
- It is paid in even-numbered months, into an account in the claimant’s own name.
Checked with official pages on October 6, 2026.
| Item | Kumamoto City | Kikuyo Town | Ozu Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Ward office or branch office | Town Office | Town Office |
| How | Counter, post, online | Counter, post, online | Paper form, online |
| Pay day | 15th | 10th | 11th |
| Late papers | Accepted later | Accepted later | Not stated |
1. Who receives it, and how much?
1.1 Who can claim
Official rule (Japan)
The Children and Families Agency says the allowance goes to the person raising a child from birth to March 31 after the child turns 18 (高校生年代, high-school age). As a rule, the child must live in Japan; some children studying abroad are covered.
One person claims for the family. When both parents raise the child, it is normally the parent with the higher regular income. Kikuyo Town says that when incomes are close, it also looks at whose health insurance the child is on and who heads the household. If you are a public servant (公務員), you claim through your workplace, not the city or town.
1.2 How much and when
Official rule (Japan)
| Child’s age | 1st and 2nd child | 3rd child and later |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 | ¥15,000 a month | ¥30,000 a month |
| 3 to high-school age | ¥10,000 a month | ¥30,000 a month |
To decide which child is the “3rd”, you count from the oldest, including children up to March 31 after they turn 22 (university age) whom you still support. The older child does not receive the allowance, but counts. If you have 3 or more such children, one still in high school or younger, the city or town may ask for a form about the older child (監護相当・生計費の負担についての確認書).
The allowance is paid six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December. Each payment covers the two months before it. Since the October 2024 reform, there is no income limit.
Kumamoto City’s own video (in Japanese, 2024) on the October 2024 changes:
2. When must I claim?
Official rule (Japan)
The allowance starts from the month after the month you claim. There is a special rule for births and moves near the end of a month. If you claim within 15 days, counted from the day after the birth or the move, it is paid from the month you claim.
- Kumamoto City counts from the birth, or from the planned move-out date you gave your previous city (転出予定日). It asks you to claim in the same month if you can.
- Kikuyo Town counts the 15 days including weekends and holidays. If day 15 falls on a day the office is closed, the next open day counts as day 15.
- Ozu Town counts from the day after the birth or the move-in.
Important
Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town all warn that a late claim means months with no allowance. Do not wait until every paper is ready. If you arrived from abroad, the pages do not say which date to count from; ask the counter as soon as you register your address.
3. Kumamoto City
3.1 Where and how to claim
Kumamoto City
Claim at the Health and Children Section (保健こども課) of your ward office, or at a general branch office (総合出張所). You can also claim by post, or online through Mynaportal (マイナポータル) with a My Number Card.
- Register your move or the birth at the Citizens Section (区民課) first. The city asks you to send a postal claim only after this.
- Fill in the claim form (認定請求書). It is on the city page.
- Add a copy of the passbook or cash card for an ordinary account in the claimant’s name. An account in your spouse’s or child’s name cannot be used. If you use your registered public-benefit account (公金受取口座), this copy is not needed.
- Hand it in, or post it with a copy of your ID. A residence card, passport or My Number Card is enough on its own. The city recommends a tracked service such as simple registered mail (簡易書留).
Some papers are needed only in some cases. For example, if your spouse or child is registered outside Kumamoto City, you need proof of their My Number. The city says it can take your claim provisionally even if papers are missing, so claim within the deadline.
3.2 Payment and later changes
Kumamoto City
Kumamoto City pays on the 15th of each payment month, or the weekday before if it falls on a weekend or holiday. Payments outside the usual months, for example after you move out, are made on the 20th.
Most people no longer send a yearly status report (現況届). The city mails one in early June to those who must; return it in June, or payments stop from August. When you leave Kumamoto City, hand in a notice that ends the allowance (受給事由消滅届). Then claim in your new city within 15 days of the day after your planned move-out date.
| Ward | Health and Children Section |
|---|---|
| Chuo | 096-328-2421 |
| Higashi | 096-367-9130 |
| Nishi | 096-329-6838 |
| Minami | 096-357-4135 |
| Kita | 096-272-1104 |
4. Kikuyo Town
Kikuyo Town
In Kikuyo Town, the Child-rearing Support Division (子育て支援課) handles the allowance. You can claim at the counter, by post with a copy of your ID, or online through Mynaportal with a My Number Card.
- Get the claim form (児童手当認定請求書) from the town page or the counter.
- Add a copy of the claimant’s health insurance proof. The town accepts a health insurance card, an eligibility certificate (資格確認書) or a Mynaportal screen. It must be the claimant’s, not the child’s.
- Add a copy of the passbook or cash card for an ordinary account in the claimant’s name. The town cannot pay into your spouse’s or child’s account.
- Hand in the form within 15 days, even if papers are missing. After the town accepts the claim, you can send missing papers through its online form.
If your spouse or child is registered outside Kikuyo, you also need proof of their My Number. If you gave birth away from Kikuyo (for example in your home area) and are registered in Kikuyo, you still claim in Kikuyo. Show the birth registration page of the handbook (出生届出済証明) when you do.
Kikuyo Town pays on the 10th of each payment month, or the bank day before. The yearly status report is no longer needed for most people; the town mails it to those who must.
Address: Child-rearing Support Division, Kikuyo Town Office, 2800 Oaza Kubota, Kikuyo-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 869-1192 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-232-2111 (Kikuyo Town Office)
Official page (Japanese)
5. Ozu Town
Ozu Town
In Ozu Town, the Child-rearing Support Division (子育て支援課) at Ozu Town Office handles the allowance. The town page has the paper forms and links for online claims through Mynaportal. It does not say whether you can send the forms by post.
- Fill in the claim form (認定請求書). It is on the town page.
- Show the claimant’s My Number health insurance card, or bring a copy of the eligibility certificate (資格確認書).
- Bring the passbook or cash card for an ordinary account in the claimant’s name.
- Bring the My Number Card or notification card of the claimant and the spouse, and ID. The town may ask for more papers, depending on your case.
Ozu Town pays on the 11th of each payment month, or the weekday before. If you gave birth outside the town but are registered in Ozu, you still claim in Ozu. When you move out of Ozu Town, hand in a notice that ends the allowance (消滅届).
Address: Child-rearing Support Division, Ozu Town Office, 1233 Oaza Ozu, Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 869-1292 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-293-5981 (Child-rearing Support Division)
Official page (Japanese)
6. Can I get help in English?
Depends on the place
The three pages and the forms are in Japanese, and none of them say whether the counter can help in English. Kumamoto City’s English Living Guide (February 2026) explains the allowance in English. Its amount table still shows the old income limit and an older list of items, so follow the city’s Japanese page or ask the ward office.
Ozu Town’s Foreign Residents Consultation Desk (外国人相談窓口) is on the first floor of the same Town Office. The town says an interpreter for English, Spanish and Portuguese is there on Wednesdays, and for Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien on Tuesdays and Fridays; on other days it uses machine translation. For other help in Kumamoto, see Help in your language in Kumamoto.
Common questions
Can the allowance go into my spouse’s or my child’s account?
No. Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town all say it can only go into an account in the claimant’s name.
Do weekends count in the 15 days?
Yes, in Kikuyo Town. If day 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the town accepts the claim on the next open day.
I gave birth in my home area. Where do I claim?
In the city or town where you are registered. Kikuyo Town asks you to claim within 15 days of the day after the birth.
Do I need to send a status report every year?
Most people do not. Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town say most people have not needed to since 2022. The city or town mails the form in June to those who must.
Why did the amount go down?
Kikuyo Town says the allowance drops from the month after a child turns 3, except for a 3rd or later child.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 6, 2026)
- Children and Families Agency: child allowance guide (Japanese)
- Kumamoto City: child allowance, Living Guide for Foreign Residents (English, PDF)
- Kikuyo Town: child allowance and FAQ, October 2024 changes, sending papers online
- Ozu Town: child allowance, Foreign Residents Consultation Desk
- Video: child allowance changes (Kumamoto City official YouTube channel, Japanese, June 2024)
