Latest issue of Amagasaki City Newsletter
First half of March 2026 issue
▷Mayor Matsumoto announces his policy
For inquiries, please contact the Policy Secretary. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 4 7 4
At the 4th regular city council meeting, Mayor Matsumoto announced his policy guidelines for fiscal 2026.
The policy guidelines outline the mayor's basic thinking on city administration, budget proposals, and major policies. Please take a look.
Click here for the full policy statement
▷Key business points for FY2026
For inquiries, please contact the Policy Promotion Division. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 1 2 4
Amagasaki City is working to create a city where people want to live and continue to live, by enhancing support for children and child-rearing, promoting area branding to increase the value of the city, and revitalizing the local economy. Here, we introduce the key items in the recently compiled 2026 budget proposal. The budget proposal, including the major projects introduced here, is currently being deliberated at the regular city council meeting.
The main business activities are as follows:
Creating an environment where people can work and raise children with peace of mind and enhancing support for child development
◆Significant reduction in the burden of school lunch fees: Parents will pay zero yen per meal for elementary school students and half the price for junior high school students in fiscal year 2026. ◆Establishment of co-working spaces with childcare facilities. ◆Strengthening of inclusive childcare and education systems. ◆Strengthening efforts to expand junior high school club activities to the local community. ◆Installation of air conditioning systems in school gymnasiums, etc. ◆Expansion of efforts to combat and support school absenteeism.
Promoting area branding and creating a good living environment that enhances the value of the town
◆Station Front Update Project◆Significant expansion of subsidies for installing security cameras in local areas
Supporting the challenges of local businesses and revitalizing the local economy by enabling diverse human resources to thrive
◆Supporting innovation in the local community◆Introduction of a sweet vegetable vending machine with a refrigerated function
Strengthening the foundations for creating an inclusive society where everyone can live in peace
◆ Introduction of in-home respite care for children receiving medical care ◆ Expansion of support for crime victims, etc. ◆ Creation of an online space for people who are withdrawn
Promoting co-creation digital transformation to increase convenience and satisfaction for citizens
◆Digitization of contact methods for parents ◆Implementation of online consultations regarding the use of childcare facilities ◆Introduction of digital pre-examination forms for infant vaccinations ◆Introduction of a "Procedure Navigator" to help prevent confusion when visiting the office
In addition to these, we will also carry out maintenance projects in preparation for future urban development.
Additionally, as part of the city's 110th anniversary project, we will be inviting Mitsuho Fukudome as our PR ambassador and holding a commemorative ceremony in October, among other initiatives.
Click here for details of our main business
Viewing the publication of public comment results
The public comment period was from December 19th to January 8th. We received 55 opinions from 15 people. We will make the opinions we received and the city's response public until March 31st.
▷Continuing to implement measures to combat rising prices seamlessly into FY2026
For inquiries, please contact the Policy Promotion Division. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 1 2 4
Amagasaki City has implemented various support measures to support those facing rising prices for food and other commodities. In fiscal 2026, we will continue to implement measures to reduce the burden on residents and businesses and implement seamless, swift measures to combat rising prices. The details introduced here are currently being discussed at the regular city council meeting (rice coupons and subsidies to support the introduction of labor-saving and productivity-enhancing equipment were discussed at the December council meeting).
Distribution of rice coupons
To support citizens facing rising prices for food and other items, we are distributing rice coupons that can be used at supermarkets, drugstores, etc.
Although it varies by store, there are many stores where you can use the coupons for things other than rice. For details on what products you can purchase, please check the flyer enclosed with the rice coupon or the website .
Amazaki Coin Premium Campaign
We will be running a special campaign for Amazaki Coins, which can be used at affiliated stores in the city (approximately 1,500 stores), with 1 point worth 1 yen, to promote the revitalization of the local economy.
Full exemption from basic water and sewerage charges
For residents and businesses, the basic water and sewerage usage fees (2,417 yen for two months for an average household) will be fully exempted for the June or July meter reading. The amount of the exemption will depend on the diameter of the water meter. No application is required.
Reducing the burden of school lunch fees for elementary and junior high schools
Even as food costs continue to rise, in order to continue providing nutritionally balanced school lunches as before, we have been using public funds to cover the cost of school lunches at elementary and junior high schools that have increased due to rising prices.
Furthermore, starting from fiscal 2026, we will fully subsidize the cost of elementary school lunches and half the cost of junior high school lunches, reducing the burden on parents.
Subsidies to support the introduction of labor-saving and productivity-improving equipment
In order to support small and medium-sized enterprises in industries such as manufacturing, food and beverage, services, construction, and transportation in expanding sales and improving productivity, we will subsidize part of the expenses for introducing equipment to save labor and improve productivity.
Subsidizing credit guarantee fees
In order to facilitate cash flow for small and medium-sized enterprises and reduce management risks, we will subsidize part of the credit guarantee fees for cooperative support special loans under the Hyogo Prefecture Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Financing System.
Providing temporary support funds to social welfare facilities, etc.
The city will provide subsidies to social welfare facilities, education and childcare facilities, etc. in order to provide stable services to users.
▷A traffic violation notification system (blue ticket) for bicycles will be introduced from April 1st.
For inquiries, please contact the Public Safety Division. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 5 0 2
Starting April 1st, a traffic violation notice system (blue ticket) will be introduced for bicycle traffic violations. This system imposes fines on bicycle traffic violations.
When the police confirm or discover a bicycle traffic violation, they will generally issue a warning (verbal warning, etc.) on the scene. However, if the violation is serious and dangerous, posing a high risk or nuisance to pedestrians or other vehicles and could cause a traffic accident, the police will issue a blue ticket and a fine payment slip on the spot.
▷Child consultation center to open on April 1st
For inquiries, please contact the Child Guidance Center Establishment Preparation Department. ☎ 6 4 3 2 – 7 0 0 8 (until March 31st)
Amagasaki City will open a child consultation center on April 1st, transferring its functions from the prefecture to operate in conjunction with the Child Development Support Center (Ikushia), a comprehensive facility that provides support for children and families. In order to provide seamless, consistent support for children and families, Amagasaki City will transfer its functions from the prefecture to the center. The center will accept consultations not only from those directly involved, but also from those around them who suspect child abuse, as well as those regarding child rearing and parent-child relationships. Consultations can be made anonymously. The center is also looking for foster parents who will welcome children who have left home for various reasons into new homes and raise them with warm love.
▷Sonoda Nishi-Muko Line (Mogawa section) opens
For inquiries, please contact the Road Maintenance Department. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 4 9 3
The Sonoda-Nishi-Muko Line (Mogawa Construction Section), an east-west main road in the northern part of the city, will reopen at around 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20th. This will reduce traffic in the surrounding area, which previously required vehicles to take a detour, by approximately five minutes, and will also enhance the road's disaster prevention function as an evacuation route in the event of a disaster.
With the opening of this line, Hanshin Bus is planning to extend its Amagasaki City Line AD3 route (from Hankyu Sonoda to Amagasaki Drive School) to JR Inadera Station around May, further increasing convenience in the northeastern part of the city.
▷ Damage caused by crows is increasing
For inquiries, please contact the Infectious Disease Control Department. ☎4 8 6 9 – 3 0 6 2
◆Watch out for crows raising their youngCrows start building nests around March and begin breeding activities. During the raising season from April to June, the parent birds become aggressive and may threaten or attack people, so please do not approach the nests or chicks.
◆Crows are omnivorous so that they don't rummage through food waste . It is said that 70 to 80 percent of the food that crows eat in cities is food waste. Please be careful of the following:
▷ Use up all food ingredients ▷ Drain water from food waste thoroughly and try to reduce the amount of waste ▷ Put out your garbage on collection days and at collection times ▷ Use fine-mesh bird netting and attach weights to prevent it from being blown away by the wind ▷ Put your garbage in a trash can or surround it with boards or something. However, if you want to put your garbage in a trash can, be sure to consult the Business Division (Household Waste Information Center) in advance.
Consultations regarding capture and nest removal: As crows are wild birds, in principle they cannot be captured or their nests containing eggs or chicks removed. However, if harm to people is predicted or if damage to the living environment occurs, capture may be permitted, so please consult the Operations Division.
◆ Loaning of crow-proof boxes Going forward, we plan to temporarily loan out crow-proof boxes to apartment complexes and garbage collection points at collection points where crows are causing problems by scattering garbage, along with providing guidance and education on how to dispose of garbage properly.
▷ Designate temporary evacuation sites for tsunamis, etc.
For inquiries, please contact the Disaster Management Division. ☎ 6 4 8 9 – 6 1 6 5
On February 27th, a portion of ALFALINK Amagasaki South (6th floor rooftop parking lot) was designated as an additional facility.
▷ North Fire Station Sonoda Branch relocated
For inquiries, please contact the Fire Department Finance Division. ☎ 6 4 8 1 – 3 9 6 3
On March 1st, the branch will be relocating to 4-12-4 Higashisonoda-cho. The telephone number will remain the same (☎6-4-9-2 – 0-1-1-9). The relocation date may change due to disaster response, etc.
▷Events related to the History Museum special exhibition "Postwar Amagasaki Film and Theatre" will be held
For inquiries, please contact the History Museum. ☎ 6489-9801. Closed on Mondays (Tuesdays if Monday is a public holiday).
Both are at the History Museum.
Gallery Talk
Explanations of the exhibits in the special exhibition will be held from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 7th and Saturday, March 21st. Limited to 20 people each. No application required.
Public screening of the film "Amaroc"
Sunday, March 15th, 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:45pm to 4:45pm. First come, first served: 80 people each. Fee: 1,000 yen. Applications: Call the History Museum from March 5th.
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Amagasaki City holds a variety of events and courses that citizens can participate in.
Please see the event calendar for details.
Click here for Amagasaki City Newsletter
The second half of March issue of Amagasaki City Newsletter will be published on March 13th.