The Akashi Newsletter (Koho Akashi) is a newsletter published by Akashi City. It releases on the 1st and the 15th of each month. There are many announcements in each issue of the Akashi Newsletter. We have selected five of the most important or useful announcements and translated them into English.
Announcements in the February 1st Issue
Akashi City Will Make the “Basic Rate” for Your Water Utility Bill Free for Four Months
To help reduce the everyday financial burden on the people living in Akashi, the city will be making the “basic rate” (基本料金, kihon ryoukin) for the water utility bill free. This will last for four months. You do not need to apply to get this.
Your water bill is made up of two costs: A) the “basic rate”, and B) the “water usage rate.”
- The “basic rate” is not based on the water that you use. It’s based on the size of the pipes that are connected to your house, and it is a set cost. Most typical houses have water pipes that are 25mm or smaller in size. So, the typical basic rate for a home is 957 yen.
- The “water usage rate” is determined every two months. The city measures how much water you have used over the past two months, and charges you for that. When the city measures your water usage varies from home to home.
For homes that pay on odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, and November), their payments are shown in this chart:
Your water usage in February and March will be measured in April. Your water usage in April and May will be measured in June.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the Water Utility Bill Customer Center. Their phone number is 078-915-0270. Their fax number is 078-915-0273.
You Can Hear About the World Through Talks Given by People from Myanmar and Iran
The Akashi City Library will be holding two speaking events where you can hear from foreign residents who have come from different countries. One speaker is from Myanmar, and the other is from Iran. It’s a great chance to learn about their countries from them!
- Myanmar Talk
Date and Time: Sunday, February 15th, from 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Number of Participants: Up to 25 total
- Iran Talk
Date and Time: Sunday, March 1st, from 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Number of Participants: Up to 25 total
If you want to attend the event, you can either apply at the front desk at the Akashi City Library, call the library (their phone number is 078-918-5800), or send them a fax (their fax number is 078-913-6071). For the (1) Myanmar Talk, you can apply starting from February 2nd. For the (2) Iran Talk, you can apply starting from February 15th. Who can attend the event will be decided on a first come, first served basis.
If you want to apply by fax, please write the following things on the fax when you send it to the Akashi City Library:
- The date and the name of the event you want to attend. For the (1) Myanmar Talk, please write “2/15, 外国人による世界のお話会 (Talking About the World with Foreign Residents)”. For the (2) Iran Talk, please write “3/1, 外国人による世界のお話会 (Talking About the World with Foreign Residents)”.
- Please write the name of the person/people who want to participate, and your fax number.
- If you have a library card, please write the library card number as well.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the Akashi City Library. Their phone number is 078-918-5800. Their fax number is 078-913-6071.
