Africa and Yokohama: Sharing Passion for the Future! Nkoloi Nkoloi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Botswana shares the stage with children from Tsuzuki Ward’s Chigasaki Elementary School at the “Let’s Sing and Dance! Yokohama Elementary, Junior High and High School Students’ Africa Stage!” event on May 19. The Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) August 28 (Weds.) - 30 (Fri.) Africa and Yokohama, Sharing Passion for the Future From August 28 to August 30 Yokohama will be hosting The Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or in short, TICAD 7. Yokohama has been proud to host TICAD twice in the past in 2008 and 2013. Each of those previous TICADD conferences propelled our city’s cooperation and exchange with the countries of Africa to new heights. With its booming population growth, Africa todays is facing such serious urban problems as inadequate city infrastructure and environmental challenges. We in Yokohama, with our long experience and extensive know-how on city-building in conjunction with technologies owned by companies, have been cooperating with African cities to assist their development, be it in waterworks or waste management. At the same time, we have invited Ambassadors and other dignitaries from African countries to take part in our Japan-Africa “One School, One Country” program where our schoolchildren can learn about the culture and history of the guest’s home countries. Eighty elementary, junior high, and high schools around the city have taken part, deepening the interest in and understanding of Africa among Yokohama’s young people. When I had the opportunity to visit Kenya in 2016 at the time of TICAD VI I was delighted and honored that so many people from African countries told me how wonderfully they had been treated when they visited our city, and that they wanted to deepen their nations’ ties with Yokohama even further. I was able to feel directly how much our efforts to date had borne fruit, and were giving rise to even greater ties between Africa and our city. For TICAD 7 as well, we will all be working together to support the conference as an “all-Yokohama” effort so we can contribute all the more to technological cooperation and economic exchange between Africa and Japan. Africa, as it continues on its dazzling development, is our important partner as we work to create a future where everyone can grow together. In parallel with TICAD this August, there will be many events across Yokohama where you can experience the dance, the music, the mood and all aspects of the diverse cultures of Africa. Please enjoy your exchange and camaraderie with all our African friends. Fumiko Hayashi Mayor of Yokohama   TICAD returns to Yokohama This August Yokohama is Overflowing with Africa! AFRICA MONTH 2019 TICAD 7, the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development, will convene at the Pacifico Yokohama Aug. 28-30, 2019. As the month in which this important conference is taking place, Yokohama has declared August “Africa Month 2019.” A variety of Africa-related events will be taking place across the city in August to bring Africa closer to home to us all. What is TICAD? TICAD is an international conference on the theme of African development jointly convened by the United Nations, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the African Union Commission. It is one of the largest international conference sponsored by Japan. At TICAD 5, held in Yokohama in 2013, more than 4,500 participants attended, including heads of state, presidents and prime ministers. Africa Festival in Yokohama African Festival This event presents African music, dance, and fashion up close and personal. Dates and Times: 11:00 – 18:00, Aug. 24 (Sat.) and Aug. 25 (Sun.), 2019 Venue: Queens Circle, Queens Square Yokohama First Floor, 2-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku African Market Browse and buy variety of merchandise and art from Africa at this event. Dates and Times: 11:00 – 20:00, Aug. 24 (Sat.) and Aug. 25 (Sun.), 2019 Venue: Queen Mall, Queens Square Yokohama Second Floor, 2-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku Savanna Hot-Line An exhibit of African landscape and wild animal photography captured by Fujikawa Yasuhiko, floral artist and savanna photographer. Dates and Times: 11:00 – 19:00, Aug. 18 (Sun.) - Aug. 30 (Fri.), 2019 Venue: Cross Patio, Grand Mall Park First Floor, MM21, 2-1-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku “Africa and Me: From Yokohama” Exhibition “Africa and Me: From Yokohama” is a promotional video made from photographs collected from Yokohama residents that expresses our city’s ties to Africa. The presentation includes the video itself and a display of panels showing the original photographs used in the video. Dates and Times: 10:00 – 18:00 through Sept. 8 (Sun.), 2019 (last admission daily at 17:30) Venue: JICA Yokohama Third Floor Exhibit Hall, 2-3-1 Shinkō, Naka-ku African Travel Stamp Rally It’s a stamp rally through the Yokohama Municipal Subway system! Stamps representing all 54 countries on the African continent will be available at the different subway stations. Collect them all to get a special-edition clear file as a special gift, and to be entered into a drawing for related merchandise. Available through Aug. 31 (Sat.), 2019 at all stations on the Blue and Green Lines of the Yokohama Municipal Subway. The special-edition clear file Campaign for Support for Africa and the Promotion of SDGs This initiative is aimed at enabling people to aid Africa and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while going about their everyday affairs. Donations made via this campaign will go toward the World Food Project (WFP) aid program for school lunches in Africa. Red Cups for Africa A portion of revenues from sales of merchandise associated with this campaign will be donated to the WFP school lunch program. Available through Aug. 31 (Sat.), 2019 Zero Hunger Challenge for AFRICA By cutting down on your own food waste, you can help send meals to African schoolchildren! All you need to do is go to restaurants with food waste-aware menus or make meals at home with ingredients that you might otherwise throw out, and post about it on social media! Donations will be made on your behalf through participating businesses. Dates: Aug. 1 (Thur.) - Oct. 31 (Thur.), 2019 © WEP/Badre Bahaji Numerous events, seminars and other programs open to the public will be held over the course of the conference, so please come and participate. For details, visit the TICAD 7 website. TICAD7横浜　　Search In addition to the above, a wide variety of Africa-related events will be held across the city. Visit the Africa Month 2019 homepage for details. アフリカ月間2019　　Search Inquiries: International Affairs Bureau International Relations Division Tel: 045-671-3813 Fax: 045-664-7145 Please cooperate with restrictions on personal driving! During the convening of TICAD 7 from August 27 to August 30, there will be temporary traffic controls affecting roads in the Minato Mirai District near the TICAD 7 venue at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center. Congestion and traffic jams are anticipated, so please use public transportation whenever possible. Inquiries: Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters Traffic Control Division Tel: 045-211-1212 Extensions: 5491, 5492   Consumption Tax Rate Going Up on October 1 Effective October 1, the Consumption Tax and the Local Consumption Tax will be raised from 8% to 10%. In concert with the increase of the Consumption Tax to 10%, a tax abatement scheme will be implemented for low income residents. Fee adjustments Accompanying the increase in the Consumption tax, Yokohama City water rates, sewage rates, and other fees will be adjusted as below. Fees to be adjusted Inquiries Water rate Example: 30 m3/2 mths ¥3,598 → ¥3,665 (+¥67) Waterworks Bureau Customer Call Center Tel: 045-847-6262 Sewage rate Example: 30 m3/2 mths ¥2,721 → ¥2,772 (+¥51) Environmental Planning Bureau Accounting and Management Division Tel: 045-671-2826 Municipal Bus fares Example: Adult \220 (IC \216) → \220 (IC \220) (flat-rate applicable areas) Transportation Bureau Management Administration Division Tel: 045-326-3828 Municipal Subway fares Example: Adult ¥240 (IC ¥237) → ¥250 (IC ¥242) (Yokohama Station - Shin-Yokohama Station) Yokohama Municipal Citizens Hospital ● Medical certificate fee ●Special room use fee, others Patients Affairs Division Tel: 045-331-1961 (Main) Yokohama Brain and Spine Center Patients Affairs Division Tel: 045-753-2500 (Main) Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital Tel: 045-628-6100 (Main) Port and harbor facility usage fees (including warehouse fees) Port and Harbor Bureau First Property Administration Division Tel: 046-671-7082 Central Wholesale Market usage fees, facility usage fees Central Wholesale Market Operations and Coordination Division Tel: 045-459-3301 Central Slaughterhouse abattoir usage fees, abattoir facility usage fees Central Wholesale Meat Market Operations Division Tel: 045-511-0445 Automobile parking facilities parking fees, Parking Pass fees Road and Highways Bureau Road Safety Facilities Division Tel: 045-671-2731 Memorial Green public cemetery administrative fees, Hino-Komorebi Cinerarium usage fees and administrative fees Health and Social Welfare Bureau Cemetery and Funeral Facilities Division Tel: 045-671-2450 Tax Abatement Scheme ● Tax abatement rate: 8% ● Categories subject to tax abatement rate: (1) Foods and beverages, excepting alcoholic beverages and eating out, (2) Newspapers published two or more times weekly (subscription) ※ For details please visit the National Tax Agency website. 消費税の軽減税率制度　　Search Consultation window for small- and medium-size enterprises Business management consultations Special consultation desks have been established for small- and medium-sized enterprises experiencing reduced sales or other business issues resulting from the increase in the consumption tax. ● Economic Affairs Bureau Financial Division Tel: 045-662-6631 Fax: 045-651-3518 ● IDEC Yokohama Tel: 045-225-3711 Fax: 045-225-3738 ● Yokohama Credit Guarantee Corporation Head Office Tel: 045-662-6623 Fax: 045-661-0089 Measures Regarding the Passing on of Consumption Tax To help ensure that the increase in the consumption tax is properly passed on in pricing, the city provides consultation for small- and medium-size enterprises at the following service desks: ● Joint government service desk on tax pass-ons and pricing displays Comprehensive Consultation Center On Consumption Tax Pass-on and Related Issues　Tel: 0570-200-123 ● For further details please visit the Cabinet Office service desk webpage 消費税価格転嫁等対策　　Search The City of Yokohama has also established service desks to answer questions on the following issues: ● Passing on the consumption tax increase in pricing: Economic Affairs Bureau Financial Division Tel: 045-662-6631 Fax: 045-651-3518 ● Price displays that hinder the passing on of the consumption tax increase in pricing: Economic Affairs Bureau Consumer Economy Division Tel: 045-671-4140 Fax: 045-664-9533 New Light Vehicles Environmental Performance Tax Discount established Effective October 1, the Government of Japan will establish a new Light Vehicles Environmental Performance Tax Discount (The existing Automobile Acquisition Tax previously levied at the time of purchase of a motor vehicle will be abolished). For the time being, levy and collection of the tax will be under the jurisdiction of prefectures. Those required to pay new tax Those acquiring light vehicles with three or more wheels (new & used) Baseline for taxation Acquisition price of vehicle in question (tax exemption limit: ¥500,000). Tax rate A three-level taxation scale of 0%, 1%, and 2% will be set, tied to fuel efficiency of the purchased vehicle and other factors (commercial vehicles are exempted) ※ Through September 30, 2020, the tax rate will be reduced by 1% for vehicles acquired for personal use only. Inquiries: Kanagawa Prefecture General Administration Bureau Taxation Guidance Division Tel: 045-210-2322 Fax: 045-210-8808 Change in Name of Light Vehicles Tax Effective with the start of the 2020 fiscal year, the name of the Light Motor Vehicle Tax will be changed to the Light Motor Vehicle Tax Vehicle Type Discount. There will be no change in procedures or tax rates accompanying the name change. Inquires: Finance Bureau Tax Affairs Division Tel: 045-671-3669 Fax: 045-641-2775   Delivery of My Number Notification Cards Held at Ward Administration Offices to be Terminated after the end of August Up until now, all My Number Notification Cards mailed to residents but returned undelivered to ward administration offices due to the addressees not being at home to receive them or for other reasons have been stored at ward administration offices. Effective the end of August 2019, however, ward administration offices will no longer keep these notification cards which expire the one-year storage limitation, and will dispose of them sequentially. If you have not yet procured your My Number Notification Card, please confirm the procedure for receiving, and visit the Family Registry Division service window at the ward administration office of your resident ward in order to claim your notification card. If you request your notification card after its expiration, it will be treated as a reissued card and a service fee of ¥500 applied. ※ If you have recently moved, you may not be able to claim your card at the ward administration office in the ward where you presently reside. Please check with your ward office. Sample notification card (paper version) 横浜市 通知カード 受取　　Search Inquiries: Ward Administration Office Family Registry Division or Yokohama City call center Tel: 045-664-2525 Fax: 045-664-2828 Elimination of Fees for Infant and Toddler Care and Education to Begin October 1 Subjects for fee elimination Facilities and Projects Subjects (Children attending child care facilities) Requires official certification (*1) New application procedure Free tuition upper limit (monthly total) Designated nurseries, designated child care centers (used as nurseries), regional nursery services Children age 3 to 5 Yes No All fees Children age 0 to 2 from households not paying residence tax Yes No All fees Kindergartens and designated child care centers (used for education) subsidized by municipalities based on the child care-related laws Teaching hours Children age high 3 (*2) to 5 No No All fees Temporary/extended child care Children age 3 to 5 Yes Yes ¥11,300 (See *3) Kindergartens supported by subsidies to private educational institutions Teaching hours Children age high 3 (*2) to 5 No Yes ¥25,700 Temporary/extended child care Children age 3 to 5 Yes Yes ¥11,300 (See *3) Non-certified child care facilities (notification procedures completed); temporary child care facilities, other Children age 3 to 5 not attending nursery school or other child care facilities Yes Yes ¥37,000 Children age 0 to 2 from households not paying residence tax and not attending nursery school or other child care facilities Yes Yes ¥42,000 Child care facilities for children with disabilities Children age 3 to 5 No No Full amount *1 In cases where the guardian requires child care because the guardian is working, etc., the city will certify that child care is needed. *2 “High 3” applies to the period from the date when the child turns 3 to the first March 31st thereafter. *3 The maximum daily amount is ¥450 per day. Application Procedures, Other Please read and understand the rules of each institution regarding their use, and present all necessary documents. 【Where to apply】 For kindergartens and designated child care centers, present directly to the kindergarten or the child care center. For non-certified child care facilities and other facilities, present your application to the Children and Families Support Division of the ward administration office of the ward in which you live. 【Application deadline】 In order to be designated a recipient of free child education and child care, it is necessary for you to file your application before September and be certified as requiring child care services. Actual enrollment application deadlines vary from facility to facility, as well as from ward to ward, so please be careful to check all application deadlines in advance. Please visit the homepage below for a detailed explanation of the system and application procedures, the standards used for determining the necessity/eligibility for free child care, and all other related matters. 横浜市 無償化　Search Inquiries: Yokohama City Child Care & Education Fee Elimination dedicated call line Tel: 045-840-6064 Fax: 045-840-1132 Daily 8:00 – 20:00