🌧️ Financial Relief Requested for July Rain Disaster in Tochigi

❓ What Was Announced

On August 21, 2026, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) announced that the Kanto Local Finance Bureau had issued a request titled "Financial Measures for the Disaster Caused by the Heavy Rain of July 17–18, 2026." This request covers Tochigi Prefecture. A "financial measures" request is the mechanism by which a Local Finance Bureau formally asks banks, shinkin banks, insurance companies and securities firms in its jurisdiction to handle disaster-affected customers flexibly. Applying normal paperwork rules unchanged would leave people who lost their passbook, seal (inkan) or ID documents unable to access their own money. Institutions receiving the request are expected to consider handling that reflects these circumstances. The specific items requested are set out in the request document published by the Kanto Local Finance Bureau. The FSA page itself confirms that the request was made and links to the bureau; the actual procedures and required documents must be confirmed at the branch of the bank, insurer or securities firm you deal with.

👥 Who Is Affected

• ●Residents and visitors in Tochigi Prefecture affected by the July 17–18, 2026 heavy rain
• ●Foreign residents holding deposit accounts, mortgages or insurance policies with institutions in Tochigi
• ●Anyone who lost a passbook, cash card, seal (inkan) or residence card in the disaster
• ●Sole proprietors and business owners operating premises in the affected area
• ●People whose family members were affected in Tochigi and who need to handle procedures or remittances on their behalf

🌏 Impact on Foreign Residents

For foreign residents, the hardest moment in a disaster is having a live bank account you cannot access. If you lose your passbook and cash card along with your residence card, identity verification stalls at the counter. This request gives financial institutions a basis for considering case-by-case handling in exactly that situation, so the first step is simply to contact your bank — by phone or in person — and tell them you were affected. Meanwhile, automatic debits for rent, utilities, mobile bills and mortgage payments keep running even when your home or workplace is damaged and income stops. Repayment arrangements and insurance claims do not start on their own, so contact your institution before the payment date rather than after. If handling financial procedures in Japanese worries you, book an appointment in advance and ask whether interpretation is available, or arrange for a Japanese-speaking friend or supporter to come with you.