Kurume, City of Hospitality

■Information Services

[International Information Salon]
*We provide a wealth of information via overseas newspapers, magazines, and Internet.
*You can borrow, browse, or receive books, video-tapes, pamphlets, etc.
*We provide information about foreign affairs and exchange, and conduct free consultations about overseas study programs to local residents.
*The Kurume Bureau of Tourism and International Exchange also provides event and sightseeing information, as well as conducts free consultations for foreign nationals about life in Kurume.

[Newsletter Publication]
*KBTIE publishes a newsletter, Kokusai Koryu Shinbun (International Exchange Newsletter), featuring bureau and local events as well as information about Friendship and Sister Cities.

[Radio Broadcast]
*We broadcast information about regional events in four languages on Kyushu International FM (76.1 MHz).

■Exchange Activities
Meeting, Learning, and Having Fun!
We at KBTIE place a great deal of importance on interactions between people.

[Opportunities to Experience Cross-Cultural Exchange]
*KBTIE hosts foreign language classes, world food fairs, and similar such activities.
*We also offer homestay and home visit programs

[Promotion of International Understanding]
*KBTIE holds lectures, symposiums, and seminars to promote understanding on international exchange and foreign affairs.

■Friendship and Sister City Exchange Programs
KBTIE promotes grass-roots exchanges with Kurume City’s Friendship City of Hefei (Anhui Province, China) and Sister City of Modesto (California, U.S.A.).

*We send and receive groups of elementary, junior high, and high school students as well as study groups on cultural and educational exchanges.
*We provide support for technical trainees and other nongovernmental exchanges.

■Support Programs
KBTIE is meeting needs by supporting various activities as a local leader.

[Support for Foreign National Residents]
KBTIE helps exchange students and foreign national residents live more comfortably through:
*Free consultations for foreign national residents in cooperation with administrative lawyers (the third Saturday of every month)
*The preparation of guidebooks for living in Kurume City
*Free Japanese lessons

[Support for Exchange Students]
KBTIE helps exchange students studying in Kurume City by:
*Providing scholarships
*Subsidizing allowances for moving into apartments in Kurume City
*Paying a portion of their national health insurance

[Support for Non-Governmental International Exchange Groups]
KBTIE promotes international exchange and cooperation activities in Kurume City by providing support and partial subsidies for non-governmental international exchange groups and nonprofit organizations. We provide:
*Subsidies for international exchange activities
*Subsidies for international understanding projects
*Sponsorships