City Services and Notices
Update：2026/7/30
- Survey cooperation request of City Life Newsletter readers
- Healthcare Information
- Tax Payment
- Beginners’ Japanese Lessons
- Watch out for food poisoning!
- Sakai Pools
- Sakai City Scholarships for FY2026 (High School Students)
- Beware of Heatstroke!
Survey cooperation request of City Life Newsletter readers
Thank you very much for your continued readership of our newsletter. As we transition our newsletter to a web-based format, we are conducting a reader survey to better understand your preferences and to use as a reference for future improvements. We greatly appreciate your cooperation. [Deadline for responses: End of September].
Click here to answer the survey.
Healthcare Information
Tax Payment
August is the second payment period for Municipal Inhabitant Tax, Prefectural Inhabitant Tax and Forest Environment Tax. The deadline is August 31st. Please make your payment by the deadline at your nearest financial institution, convenience store, etc. Payment can also be made using Pay-easy, mobile payment methods, and credit cards via the local tax payment site (eLTAX). Click here for the English user’s guide on the website. For those using automatic withdrawal, the second payment for Municipal Inhabitant Tax, Prefectural Inhabitant Tax and Forest Environment Tax will be withdrawn on August 31st so make sure you have sufficient funds.
Beginners’ Japanese Lessons
Date/time: September 25th ~ November 20th, every Tuesday & Friday, 14:00-16:00
Venue: Plaza of Multicultural Exchange Sakai
Eligibility: For people living, working or studying (at university etc.) in Sakai City
Content: Speak in Japanese with classmates and Japanese people about things you like or want to do. Study useful everyday conversational Japanese.
Fee: Free
To inquire/place of application: Plaza of Multicultural Exchange Sakai
To apply: Fill in the application form and fax, mail, email or hand-in directly
Application form: Click here
Watch out for food poisoning!
There are many cases of bacterial food poisoning across the country from June to October every year. Please take the following measures to prevent it from happening to you.
- When buying food: Check the expiration date and level of freshness, only buy what you need and aim to purchase refrigerated and frozen foods last and store them away as soon as possible.
- Storage: Don’t leave fridge door open for long periods of time, try not to overfill your fridge or freezer and keep meat and fish wrapped up well to prevent liquid leakage.
- When cooking: Always wash your hands before cooking, wash your chopping board and knives in boiled water to kill germs before you start cooking and make sure food is cooked thoroughly and to eat it as soon as possible. While barbecuing, keep chopsticks used for handling the raw meat separate from the ones used for eating.
Sakai Pools
Hot days are still continuing. Create fun summer memories at the pool! For more details, click here to visit the Sakai City website.
Sakai City Scholarships for FY2026 (High School Students)
A grant-type scholarship is available for households experiencing financial difficulties sending their children to senior high school etc. Financial assistance is granted to those selected, following a review of income and household conditions, prioritizing households with higher levels of need.
For more visit the Sakai City Scholarships for FY2026 (High School Students) page.
Beware of Heatstroke!
Summer in Japan is very hot and humid. There are around 400,000 cases of heatstroke reported every year, with over 100,000 people needing emergency transport in 2025. Please seek help if you start to feel unwell in the extreme heat. Make sure to stay hydrated and avoid direct sunlight and hot environments. If someone loses consciousness or is unable to drink water by themselves, call 119 for an ambulance.
