Tokyo’s International Residents Support Center: services, eligibility and contact details

Tokyo’s International Residents Support Center TOKYO helps eligible foreign entrepreneurs, employees, researchers and their families with everyday administrative procedures and practical questions about living in the city. Support is available by phone, email and face-to-face consultation. Staff may also accompany residents to relevant locations when on-site assistance is needed.

The centre is known as IRSC TOKYO. It is operated through the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Invest Tokyo programme and is located inside JETRO’s headquarters at the ARK Mori Building in Minato City.

Who can use IRSC TOKYO?

The service is for foreign nationals who live in Tokyo, or plan to live in Tokyo, and fall into one of these groups:

• Entrepreneurs
• Employees
• Researchers
• Family members of people in those groups

The official eligibility page says students are not covered unless they are researchers. People undergoing vocational training, including technical intern trainees, are also excluded.

What help can the centre provide?

Bilingual staff can give general information and procedural help with common parts of daily life in Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government lists support including:

• Understanding administrative procedures and government forms
• Information about housing and setting up utilities
• Help with opening a bank account
• Information about medical institutions
• Information about children’s schools
• Advice on other practical concerns about living in Tokyo

Where necessary, staff may accompany a resident to a relevant office or location. This can be useful when a procedure is difficult to complete through written guidance alone.

What IRSC TOKYO cannot do

IRSC TOKYO provides general information and procedural assistance. It does not offer legal advice, medical judgement, or professional interpreting and translation services.

Anyone dealing with a legal dispute, an immigration decision, a medical diagnosis or a document that requires certified translation should use an appropriately qualified professional. The centre may still help identify the right type of service or explain the next administrative step.

Opening hours and contact details

• In-person consultations: Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm
• Phone and email enquiries: Monday to Saturday, 9:30am to 5:30pm
• Closed: Japanese national holidays and New Year holidays
• Telephone: +81 (0)3-5572-8215
• Email: info@irsc-tokyo.org

Consultation requests can also be sent through the official IRSC TOKYO enquiry form.

Where is IRSC TOKYO?

The centre is on the seventh floor of JETRO headquarters at:

ARK Mori Building
1-12-32 Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6006

Roppongi-itchome Station on the Namboku Line is the nearest station. The building is about a one-minute walk from Exit 3.

How to prepare for a consultation

Before contacting the centre, write down the procedure you need help with and any deadline attached to it. Bring relevant letters, forms and identification to an in-person appointment, but avoid sending sensitive personal information by ordinary email unless staff specifically request it through a secure route.

Start with the official services page to confirm eligibility. The official access page carries current hours, telephone details and directions.

Information checked on 2 October 2026.

Featured image: ARK Mori Building, photographed by Wikimedia user Wpcpey on 4 June 2018. Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive building photograph; WordPress may resize or crop the image for display.