This page is general information from official sources. It is not medical or financial advice. For your own case, ask the city or town office where you are registered.
If you have just found out you are pregnant and you live in Kumamoto City, Kikuyo Town or Ozu Town, your first official step is the pregnancy notification. In return you get the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, checkup vouchers and a ¥50,000 support payment. This guide compares where to go, whether you need to book, and what to bring in each place. It uses the city and town pages only.
In short
- See an obstetric clinic first. It gives you the pregnancy notification form (妊娠届出書).
- Kumamoto City: go to the Health and Children Section of a ward office or a general branch office. No booking is mentioned (section 2).
- Kikuyo Town: book first. The handbook is issued on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Town Office (section 3).
- Ozu Town: since April 2026 you must book online, and visits are on Thursdays and Fridays only (section 4).
- All three pay ¥50,000 after the notification and ¥50,000 per baby after the birth (section 1.2).
Checked with official pages on October 6, 2026.
| Item | Kumamoto City | Kikuyo Town | Ozu Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Ward office | Town Office | Checkup center |
| Booking | Not stated | Yes | Yes, online |
| Days | While the office is open | Tue and Wed, 9:00–17:00 | Thu and Fri |
| Online | Yes, then visit | Yes, then visit | Not stated |
1. What is the same in all three places?
1.1 The basic steps
Official rule (Japan)
The Maternal and Child Health Handbook (母子健康手帳, boshi kenko techo) records your pregnancy checkups, the birth, and your child’s growth and vaccinations. Kumamoto City calls it the Parent and Child Health Handbook (親子（母子）健康手帳). In all three places, you receive it in person after a talk with a public health nurse or other staff.
- See an obstetric clinic (産婦人科). When the pregnancy is confirmed, the clinic gives you the pregnancy notification form.
- Fill in the form, including your My Number. Ozu Town and Kikuyo Town say the pregnant woman’s My Number must be written on it.
- Go to your city or town with the form and ID. Each place lists its own items; see sections 2 to 4.
- Talk with staff and receive the handbook. You also get vouchers for pregnancy checkups. Keep them with the handbook.
1.2 The ¥50,000 support payment
Official rule (Japan)
Since April 1, 2025, a national pregnancy support payment (妊婦のための支援給付) has been paid through each city and town. All three pages describe it the same way: ¥50,000 after the pregnancy is confirmed, and ¥50,000 per baby after the birth. There is no income limit in Kumamoto City. Staff explain how to apply at the handbook interview. The second payment is explained at the home visit after the birth.
The deadlines are 2 years: from the day a doctor confirms the fetal heartbeat for the first payment, and from 8 weeks before the due date for the second (Kumamoto City and Ozu Town). People who had a miscarriage or stillbirth on or after April 1, 2025 can also receive it. Ask your city or town office.
2. Kumamoto City
2.1 Where and when
Kumamoto City
You file the notification at the Health and Children Section (保健こども課) of any ward office, or at a general branch office (総合出張所). Kumamoto City asks you to file early, by week 11 of the pregnancy, so that checkups and health advice can start.
The handbook is issued whenever the offices are open. Each ward also has a weekly maternity health consultation (妊産婦健康相談) when nurses are there to talk with you. On other days, the city says staff may not be able to give health advice. The city recommends these days especially for a first pregnancy.
| Ward | Consultation day | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Chuo | Thu 13:00–15:00 | 096-328-2419 |
| Higashi | Mon 9:00–11:00 | 096-367-9134 |
| Nishi | Mon 13:00–15:00 | 096-329-1147 |
| Minami | Thu 9:00–11:00 | 096-357-4138 |
| Kita | Wed 9:00–11:00 | 096-272-1128 |
The city’s page with these days was last updated in 2023, so phone your ward before you go.
2.2 What to bring, and filing online
Kumamoto City
Bring the pregnancy notification form and either your own My Number Card or an official photo ID such as a driving license or passport. The notification is free.
You can also file online in advance through Mynaportal (マイナポータル), with your own My Number Card. Finish it at least 3 days before your visit, not counting weekends and holidays. You still go to the counter for the interview; the city does not send the handbook by post.
A family member can file for you only when you cannot come, for example because you are unwell. They bring your items, their own ID, and a letter of proxy (委任状). The letter is not needed for a family member in the same household.
2.3 The Welcome Baby Gift
Kumamoto City
Kumamoto City calls the support payment the Welcome Baby Gift (ようこそ赤ちゃんギフト). You get the application guide after the interview, and then apply online as the guide explains. The city says payment takes about 2 months. The bank transfer shows the name クマモトアカチヤンギフト.
The talk with the pregnant woman herself is needed for the gift. At a general branch office, a health specialist may not be there; then a specialist phones you later and explains the gift. For questions about the gift, call 096-328-2158 (weekdays 8:30–17:15).
2.4 Checkups, and moving
Kumamoto City
The vouchers cover up to 14 pregnancy checkups at obstetric clinics in Kumamoto Prefecture, for people with an address in Kumamoto City. If you have checkups at a clinic outside the prefecture, for example when you go back to your home area to give birth, the city refunds the cost up to set limits. Apply within 1 year of each checkup. Checkups at clinics abroad are not covered.
If you move out of Kumamoto City, the vouchers stop working. Get new ones from your new city or town.
A Kumamoto City Health Promotion Division video (in Japanese) on balanced eating during pregnancy:
3. Kikuyo Town
3.1 Book, then go to the Town Office
Kikuyo Town
In Kikuyo Town, the Health and Insurance Division (健康・保険課) issues the handbook. It is issued on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:00 to 17:00 (not on holidays), and you need to book in advance. It takes about 30 minutes, so leave time. The page with these days was last updated in April 2023, so check the days when you book.
If your clinic is outside the town, use Kikuyo’s own notification form. You can download it from the town page or fill it in at the counter.
- Book a time with the Health and Insurance Division. The page does not say how to book; the Town Office phone number is below.
- Bring the form and your My Number Card. A notification card (通知カード) also works. Without a My Number Card, also bring a photo ID such as a driving license or passport.
- Bring your seal (印鑑) and a bank passbook in the pregnant woman’s name.
- Have the interview. Every pregnant woman talks with staff, who answer questions about the months ahead and give you the handbook.
You can send the notification online through Mynaportal. The handbook still needs the interview at the division. The town says the support payment reaches your account about 1 month after you apply.
3.2 Can someone go for me?
Kikuyo Town
Yes. As a rule, you fill in the form yourself. The person going brings the form, your My Number Card or notification card (a copy of both sides is fine), their own photo ID, and your seal and passbook. The letter of proxy at the bottom of the form is not needed for a family member in the same household.
Address: Health and Insurance 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)
4. Ozu Town
4.1 Book online, then go to the center
Ozu Town
In Ozu Town, the Maternal and Child Health Section (母子保健係) issues the handbook at the Child Care and Health Checkup Center (子育て・健診センター), not at the main Town Office. Since April 2026, you must book first with the town’s online form, and the booking days are Thursdays and Fridays. On Mondays to Wednesdays the center is used for infant checkups and other programs.
The town asks you to book early enough to get the handbook before your next clinic appointment. The visit takes about 30 minutes. Staff explain the checkup vouchers, life during pregnancy, and services after the birth. To change or cancel, use the town’s cancellation form, then book a new time.
- Get the form from the clinic, with your My Number written on it. Clinics near Ozu use a combined form that is also the application for the support payment (妊娠届出書兼妊婦給付認定申請（請求）書).
- Book a time with the online booking form (Japanese). Times you cannot choose are already full.
- Bring your My Number Card or a copy, and a photo ID. Without a card, bring your notification card.
- Bring a cash card or passbook for an account in the pregnant woman’s name. It is for the support payment, which the town says usually arrives 1 to 2 months after you apply.
A proxy can go for you. You fill in the form first. The proxy brings it with your My Number Card or notification card (or a copy), their own ID, and proof of your account. The letter of proxy on the form is not needed for a family member in the same household.
4.2 Moving to Ozu while pregnant
Ozu Town
Vouchers from another city cannot be used in Ozu. If you move to Ozu Town while pregnant, book a visit with the same form so the center can swap your vouchers. The town gives up to 14 checkup vouchers. Checkups are free with them, but tests or treatment outside the voucher cost extra.
The town does not reissue lost vouchers. If you have checkups outside Kumamoto Prefecture, at the National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, or at a midwife’s clinic (助産所), you pay first. Then claim a refund up to a set amount within 6 months of each checkup.
Since April 1, 2026, Ozu Town also runs a handbook app, Oyako Techo Karaimokko (おやこ手帳「からいもっ子」), for vaccination schedules and growth records. Its guide is in Japanese.
Address: Child Care and Health Checkup Center, 1156-3 Oaza Ozu, Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 869-1233 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-294-1075 (Maternal and Child Health Section)
Official page (Japanese)
5. Can I get help in English?
Depends on the place
None of the three pages say whether staff can help in English, or whether the handbook is available in another language. Ask when you book or phone.
Kumamoto City’s English Living Guide (February 2026) has a short section on the pregnancy notification. Ozu Town’s Foreign Residents Consultation Desk (外国人相談窓口) is on the first floor of Ozu Town Office, not at the checkup center. 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 the desk uses machine translation. For other counters in Kumamoto, see Help in your language in Kumamoto.
Common questions
Can Kumamoto City post the handbook to me?
No. Even if you file online, Kumamoto City gives you the handbook at the counter after the interview.
I moved here while pregnant. Can I keep using my old checkup vouchers?
No. Kumamoto City and Ozu Town both say vouchers stop working when you move to another city or town. Get new ones from your new office.
Are checkups abroad covered?
No. Kumamoto City says checkups at clinics abroad are not covered by the refund.
Can I get the support payment after a miscarriage?
Yes. Kumamoto City and Kikuyo Town cover a miscarriage or stillbirth on or after April 1, 2025, and Ozu Town covers people who were pregnant on or after that date. If you had not yet filed the notification, you may need a doctor’s certificate. Ask your office.
What if I lose the Ozu Town vouchers?
Ozu Town does not reissue them, so keep them safe with the handbook.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 6, 2026)
- Kumamoto City: pregnancy notification and the handbook, maternity health consultation days, pregnancy checkups, Welcome Baby Gift, Living Guide for Foreign Residents (English, PDF)
- Kikuyo Town: issuing the handbook, pregnancy support payment, child-rearing support center
- Ozu Town: issuing the handbook, pregnancy support payment, Karaimokko app, Foreign Residents Consultation Desk
- Video: eating during pregnancy (Kumamoto City official YouTube channel, Japanese)
