Section
People & Life
Everyday life, work and school. The voices of people connected with Ukraine.
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Over the New Year, National Government Offices Close From December 29 and Banks From December 31
This article lists the days when government offices, banks, hospitals, garbage collection, and mail close over the 2026–27 New Year, based on laws and announcements from each body. National offices are closed from December 29 to January 3, and bank branches from December 31 to January 3. Yokohama City suspends garbage collection from December 31 to January 3, and January 2 is a no-delivery day for mail (as of October 2026).
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Residential Fire Alarms Are Required in Bedrooms and on Stairs; Replace Them About 10 Years After Installation
In Japan, the Fire Service Act requires residential fire alarms in bedrooms and on the stairs of the floor where a bedroom is located. Kitchens and other places depend on municipal ordinances, and within the Tokyo Fire Department's jurisdiction, alarms are also required in rooms in regular use and kitchens. This article covers when installation became mandatory, who the persons concerned are in a rented home, replacement after 10 years, the sound of a dead battery, and the installation rate of 84.9% (June 2025).
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Claiming Family Members in Ukraine as Dependents in Japan: Proof of Kinship, Remittance Records, and the 380,000-Yen Condition
People who pay income tax in Japan can sometimes claim family members living in Ukraine for the dependent deduction, but they must give their employer or tax office documents showing the family relationship and records of money sent. Since 2023, family members aged 30 to under 70 must also meet a condition (studying abroad, a disability, or receiving at least 380,000 yen a year in remittances), and from the 2026 tax year the income ceiling for a dependent relative is 620,000 yen. This article sets out the types of documents and when to submit them (as of October 2026).
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Heating Room by Room, Refueling Kerosene Yourself: Winter in Japan Without Central Heating
Most homes in Japan have no central heating like Ukraine's. This article covers room-by-room heating appliances and their fuels, refueling kerosene heaters and filling them with the wrong fuel, carbon monoxide and ventilation, condensation, accidents in cold bathrooms, and the energy-efficiency standard for newly built housing since April 2025, based on materials published by NITE, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the Consumer Affairs Agency, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (as of October 2026).
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Flu Vaccination in Japan: Routine Vaccination Is for Age 65 and Over, and Children Under 13 Get Two Doses
For flu vaccination in Japan, the "routine vaccination" (teiki sesshu) provided under the law covers only people aged 65 or older and some people aged 60 to 64, and vaccination of children is optional. This article covers two doses for children under 13, the nasal-spray vaccine for ages 2 to under 19, the fact that health insurance does not apply and that the cost differs by municipality, and the early start of the 2026 flu season and when to get vaccinated (as of October 2026).
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дорогий Becomes дорожчий: Comparative and Superlative Forms in Ukrainian
In Ukrainian, "more expensive" is дорожчий and "most expensive" is найдорожчий, formed by changing the shape of the adjective itself. This article sets out the rules in §104 and §20 of the 2026 State Language Standard, irregular forms like кращий and гірший, the words ніж, за, and від used to say "than," and a comparison table showing what changed across successive editions of the orthography.
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авторка and директорка: Feminine Job Titles in Ukrainian
Ukrainian forms nouns denoting women by adding a suffix, as in автор (author) → авторка and директор → директорка. First made an explicit rule in the 2019 orthography, the pattern was carried over into §32 of the 2026 State Language Standard. This article sets out the four suffixes involved, how the 1993 edition differed, and how the dictionaries and encyclopedia describe the pattern, with comparison tables.
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Japan Has 16 National Holidays: The Substitute-Holiday Rule, and a Vernal Equinox Day Decided a Year Ahead
Japan's "National Holidays" are fixed at 16 days a year under the National Holidays Act. This article covers the substitute holiday when one falls on a Sunday, the holiday created when a weekday falls between two holidays, the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox Days that are decided in February of the previous year, the amendments that took the count from 9 days in 1948 to 16, and how the treatment of holidays differs among government offices, schools, and companies (as of September 2026).
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Childcare Leave Benefit Pays 67% of Wages: The 13% Top-Up and 10% Shorter-Hours Benefit Added in 2025
In Japan, an employee can take childcare leave until their child turns one, and employment insurance pays 67% of pre-leave wages (50% from day 181). This article covers the 13% top-up for parents who both take leave and the 10% benefit for shorter working hours, both new since April 2025, conditions for fixed-term employees, the working-arrangement measures that started in October 2025, and the order of procedures (as of September 2026).
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Kosen: Five More Years of Study After Junior High, at 58 Schools With 56,000 Students
Japan's "colleges of technology" (kosen) are schools that junior high school graduates enter and attend for five years (five years and six months for the merchant marine course). As of May 2026 there are 58 schools with 56,249 students. This article covers entrance eligibility, the school's history since 1962, the associate degree, advanced courses, transferring into university, third-year entry for international students, and the tuition support payment available only to first- through third-year students (as of September 2026).