In the Kumamoto earthquake that struck on July 28, 2026, the Disaster Relief Act was applied to 10 cities, 10 towns, and 1 village in Kumamoto Prefecture by the day after the disaster. When your home or household goods are damaged, public support does not simply "arrive if you wait" — in almost every case, you must apply for it yourself, starting with obtaining a disaster victim certificate (risai shomeisho). This article organizes, based on primary sources, the subsidies, benefit payments, loans, and reductions of taxes and insurance premiums available in major disasters including the Kumamoto earthquake, laid out so you can see the amounts and the order of procedures. Use it not only if you are in the affected area, but also to look things up on behalf of family members living far away.
The entry point to everything: the disaster victim certificate — take photos before cleaning up
For nearly every program — support payments, emergency repairs, tax reductions, and insurance claims — you will need a disaster victim certificate (risai shomeisho), in which the municipality certifies the degree of damage to your dwelling (total collapse, large-scale partial collapse, medium-scale partial collapse, partial collapse, quasi-partial collapse, or partial damage).
- Before cleaning up or making repairs, photograph the damage. Take plenty of smartphone photos: the whole building from all four directions, wide and close-up shots of each damaged spot, and, in case of flooding, photos showing the water line.
- Apply for the disaster victim certificate at your municipal office (many also accept applications by mail or online). After you apply, an inspector will conduct a dwelling damage certification survey.
- If you disagree with the certified result, you can request a re-survey. The first survey focuses mainly on the exterior, so if the interior damage is severe, do not hesitate to ask.
Issuance can take time, but as long as you have the photos, it is fine to proceed first with cleanup and emergency repairs (prioritize rebuilding your daily life).
Emergency home repairs (Disaster Relief Act) — up to 706,000 yen for partial collapse or worse
In municipalities where the Disaster Relief Act has been applied, there is a program under which the local government commissions contractors to carry out emergency repairs to the parts of a damaged home essential to daily life — roof, walls, plumbing and the like (this is in-kind assistance, not a cash payment).
- The guideline cost limits are up to 706,000 yen per household for partial collapse or worse, and up to 343,000 yen for quasi-partial collapse (the most recent standard amounts; they are revised by fiscal year).
- Repairs you commission from a contractor on your own are in principle not covered. If you want to use the program, always go through your municipal office before repairing.
- If you use the emergency repair program, you generally cannot also use emergency temporary housing (including "deemed" temporary housing in private rentals). Your choice depends on whether the damage still allows you to live in your home or evacuation is necessary.
- For this Kumamoto earthquake, according to the Cabinet Office's announcement, 10 cities, 10 towns, and 1 village including Kumamoto City, Uki City, and Yatsushiro City are covered (more municipalities may be added).
Disaster victim livelihood rebuilding support payments — up to 3 million yen
Households whose homes suffered major damage receive support payments under the Act on Support for Rebuilding the Livelihoods of Disaster Victims. The payments have a two-tier structure: a "basic support payment" (based on the degree of damage) and an "additional support payment" (based on how you rebuild).
| Category | Basic support payment | Additional support payment (build/purchase ／ repair ／ rent) |
|---|---|---|
| Total collapse (including demolition and long-term evacuation) | 1,000,000 yen | 2,000,000 yen ／ 1,000,000 yen ／ 500,000 yen |
| Large-scale partial collapse | 500,000 yen | 2,000,000 yen ／ 1,000,000 yen ／ 500,000 yen |
| Medium-scale partial collapse | — | 1,000,000 yen ／ 500,000 yen ／ 250,000 yen |
- A household whose home totally collapsed and that builds or purchases a home can receive up to 3 million yen. Single-person households receive three-quarters of each amount.
- Apply at your municipal office. You will need the disaster victim certificate and a copy of your bankbook, among other documents. The application deadline is in principle within 13 months of the disaster for the basic support payment and within 37 months for the additional support payment.
- Application of the program is finalized by the prefecture's announcement. For this earthquake, check the announcements from Kumamoto Prefecture and your municipality for the current status.
Other benefits and loans — donation-fund distributions, condolence grants, relief loans
| Program | Details |
|---|---|
| Distribution of donated relief funds (gienkin) | Relief donations collected by the Japanese Red Cross Society and the prefecture are distributed to disaster victims according to the degree of damage, through a distribution committee. Receiving them is not taxed. For the tax treatment on the donor's side, see our article on Kumamoto earthquake relief donations and the donation deduction. |
| Disaster condolence grant | Paid to the bereaved family of a person who died in the disaster: 5,000,000 yen if the deceased was the household's main earner, 2,500,000 yen otherwise. |
| Disaster disability grant | Paid for severe disability caused by the disaster: 2,500,000 yen for the household's main earner, 1,250,000 yen otherwise. |
| Disaster relief loan | A loan for households that suffered injury or damage to their dwelling or household goods. Limit of 3,500,000 yen; income restrictions apply. It is a loan, not a grant, so plan your repayments carefully. |
Taxes and insurance premiums can also be reduced — the casualty loss deduction and filing deadline extensions
- You can choose whichever is more favorable: the casualty loss deduction or the Disaster Reduction Act. For losses to your home or household goods, you choose between (1) the casualty loss deduction (a deduction from income based on the amount of loss; any amount that cannot be fully deducted can be carried forward for 3 years) and (2) the Disaster Reduction Act (if your income for the year is 10,000,000 yen or less and the loss is at least half the value of your home and household goods, income tax is reduced by between the full amount and one-quarter). In years with large losses, the carry-forward of the casualty loss deduction is often more advantageous.
- Extension of filing and payment deadlines. In disasters, the National Tax Agency designates regions and automatically extends filing and payment deadlines, and extensions can also be granted on individual application. Check the announcements from the Kumamoto Regional Taxation Bureau regarding this earthquake.
- Applications to reduce estimated tax prepayments and deferral of withholding income tax are also available.
- Reductions of local taxes and premiums — fixed asset tax, resident tax, National Health Insurance premiums and so on — are set by ordinance in each municipality. Apply with your disaster victim certificate attached.
- If you have earthquake insurance, the insurance payout is determined by the insurer's own damage survey, separate from the disaster victim certificate. Contact your insurer as early as possible.
Support for sole proprietors and small and medium-sized enterprises
For damage to a business, there is a support menu separate from personal livelihood support. On July 29, the day after the disaster, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced support measures for affected small and medium-sized enterprises and small-scale business operators.
- Special consultation desks: set up at societies of commerce and industry, chambers of commerce and industry, Yorozu support centers, and government-affiliated financial institutions in the prefecture. Start by consulting there.
- Disaster recovery loans and Safety Net Guarantee No. 4: you can secure working capital and equipment funds through disaster recovery loans from the Japan Finance Corporation and others, and through a separate credit guarantee quota (Guarantee No. 4).
- Easing of repayment terms on existing debt: a measure under which lenders respond to consultations on deferring repayments or modifying terms of existing loans.
- If you will rebuild while still carrying a mortgage or business loan, also consider the Guidelines for Debt Workouts for Natural Disaster Victims (a framework that lets you negotiate loan reductions without being registered with credit bureaus).
- For restoring equipment and premises, subsidies such as "nariwai (livelihood business) rebuilding support" may be put in place going forward. Keep checking announcements from the prefecture and the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency.
Beware of opportunistic scams and predatory repair solicitation
After a disaster, there is a surge in solicitations claiming "insurance will cover the repairs at no cost to you" and in door-to-door sales of blue-tarp installation and roof repairs at exorbitant prices.
- "It's effectively free because insurance pays" is a classic sales line. You can file an insurance claim yourself (or through your insurer) and there is no need to pay anyone a fee.
- If you use the emergency repair program, going through the municipality is the rule. Do not sign on the spot; get multiple estimates. For subsidies available for ordinary renovations, see our 2026 renovation subsidy roundup.
- Phone calls or visits claiming to be from public agencies and asking for cash or bank cards are scams. Cautions about relief-donation scams are also covered in our article on relief donations.
What to do today
- Before cleaning up, take smartphone photos of the building from all four directions and of each damaged spot, and keep them (save to the cloud as well).
- Check your municipal office or its official website for "how to apply for the disaster victim certificate" and "the status of applications for the emergency repair program."
- If you are a sole proprietor or run a company, phone a special consultation desk at a society or chamber of commerce and industry and book a consultation.
FAQ
By when do I need to apply for the disaster victim certificate?
Application deadlines are set by each municipality and are commonly several months to about half a year from the disaster. Even before the deadline, it is safest to apply early — with photos taken before cleanup attached — while memories and evidence are fresh. As long as you have photos, you can still receive certification even if you proceed with cleanup and emergency repairs first.
When and how do I receive the support payments?
You apply for the disaster victim livelihood rebuilding support payment at your municipal office, and it is paid into your bank account via the prefecture. The basic support payment comes relatively quickly; you apply for the additional support payment once you have decided how to rebuild your home (build, repair, or rent). Distribution of donated relief funds happens after the distribution committee's decision, so it can take on the order of several months.
Is there support available even if I live in a rental?
Yes. Losses to household goods qualify for the casualty loss deduction, and if the rented home you lived in is certified as totally collapsed, large-scale partially collapsed, or the like, you may qualify for the disaster victim livelihood rebuilding support payment (such as the additional support payment for renting). Distribution of donated relief funds also does not depend on home ownership. Start by applying for the disaster victim certificate.
I don't think I can meet the tax filing and payment deadlines.
In disasters, the National Tax Agency extends filing and payment deadlines by regional designation, and even outside designated regions an extension can be granted if you individually file an "application for extension of deadlines for filing, payment, etc. due to disaster." Similar deferral and reduction programs exist for local taxes and social insurance premiums. Start by telling your tax office and municipality about your disaster circumstances.
Sources: Cabinet Office, "On the Application of the Disaster Relief Act to the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake" and its disaster-preparedness information pages; Kumamoto Prefecture official website; National Governors' Association Center, "Disaster Victim Livelihood Rebuilding Support Program"; National Tax Agency, "Disaster-Related Information" and Tax Answer pages (casualty loss deduction, Disaster Reduction Act, deadline extensions); Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, "Support Measures for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Small-Scale Business Operators Affected by the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake" (as of July 29, 2026). The scope, standard amounts, and deadlines of support programs will change with future announcements. Always check the latest information from your municipality, the prefecture, and the relevant ministries before applying. This article is general information; for individual decisions, consult the relevant offices and professionals.