A practical guide for Muslims new to Matsudo and Chiba.
Everything we wish someone had told us in the first month: city hall, garbage, trains, halal food, emergency numbers, and how to ask for prayer time at work. Written by the congregation, for the congregation.
The committee updates this page as rules change. If something is out of date, let us know.
First steps in your first two weeks
Do these in order. Most of them happen at Matsudo City Hall (松戸市役所), a short walk from Matsudo Station. Bring your passport and residence card to every visit.
Your checklist
Tick each step when it is done. Your progress is saved on this device only.
Garbage rules in Matsudo
Matsudo separates garbage strictly, and collection days differ by neighborhood. Put bags out before 8 a.m. on the correct day at your building's collection point, never the night before.
Burnable garbage (燃やせるごみ)
Kitchen waste, paper scraps, diapers, small plastics with food residue. Use the city's designated bags. Collected twice a week.
Non-burnable garbage (燃やせないごみ)
Metal, ceramics, glass, small appliances, batteries in a separate clear bag. Usually once or twice a month.
PET bottles (ペットボトル)
Remove the cap and label, rinse, crush lightly. Caps and labels go in plastic containers or burnable.
Cans and bottles (缶・びん)
Rinse. Spray cans must be empty. Sort by material where the collection point has separate crates.
Paper and cardboard (紙類・段ボール)
Tie newspapers, magazines, and flattened cardboard with string. Milk cartons rinsed, opened, and dried.
Large items (粗大ごみ)
Furniture, bicycles, futons. Book online or by phone, buy a sticker at a convenience store, and put the item out on the agreed day.
Find your collection days
Collection days depend on your district. Check the Matsudo garbage calendar, use the city's garbage app, or ask your landlord for the leaflet. Many apartment buildings also post the schedule next to the collection point.
Matsudo City garbage pageLanguage tips
- 燃やせる (moyaseru) means burnable, 燃やせない (moyasenai) means non-burnable.
- If you see the sign 分別 (bunbetsu), it is reminding you to separate.
- A sticker on your bag with 違反 (ihan) means it was rejected. Check the type and the day and put it out again correctly.
Getting around from Matsudo
Matsudo sits on the JR Joban Line and the Shin-Keisei Line, 20 minutes from Ueno and 30 from Tokyo Station. The mosque is a 12 minute walk from Matsudo Station.
Everyday halal in Chiba
Pork and alcohol hide in many Japanese foods. Learn the kanji, know the shops, and when in doubt, ask.
Supermarkets with a halal corner
- Gyomu Super (業務スーパー): halal-certified chicken and frozen food in some branches.
- Halal grocery stores near Matsudo, Kashiwa, and Otsuka stations for meat, rice, and spices.
- Online shops deliver halal meat to Chiba within a day; ask the group for the ones families use.
Labels to check every time
- 原材料名 (ingredients): look for 豚, ポーク, ラード, ゼラチン.
- 酒, 料理酒, みりん, 酒精: any form of alcohol.
- 乳化剤, ショートニング, 動物油脂: ask the maker if the source is animal.
- ハラール認証 or a halal mark means the product has been certified.
Emergencies
Save these numbers now. Calls to 110 and 119 are free from any phone, including a locked phone, and interpreters are available.
Police
110
Accidents, theft, lost items. Say 事故 (jiko, accident) or 泥棒 (dorobō, thief) and your location.
Call 110Ambulance and fire
119
Say 救急 (kyūkyū) for an ambulance or 火事 (kaji) for a fire, then your address slowly.
Call 119Disaster message line
171
After a large earthquake, record and listen to voice messages for family when phone lines are jammed.
Call 171Earthquake basics
- 01Drop, cover, and hold under a sturdy table until shaking stops. Do not run outside while it shakes.
- 02Know your nearest evacuation shelter (避難所), usually the local elementary school. Check the Matsudo hazard map.
- 03Keep an emergency bag: water for three days, food, flashlight, copies of passport and residence card, medicine, a power bank.
- 04Turn off the gas after a strong quake and use the 171 line or the WhatsApp group to tell people you are safe.
Indonesian Embassy (KBRI Tokyo)
Passport, consular help, and emergencies for Indonesian citizens. 5-2-9 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. Main line +81-3-3441-4201. For citizens of other countries, search your embassy in Tokyo.
+81-3-3441-4201Hospitals with foreign-language support
- Matsudo City General Hospital (松戸市立総合医療センター): emergency care, interpreter tablets.
- Chiba University Hospital (千葉大学医学部附属病院): specialist care with English support.
- Chiba Prefecture medical information line for foreigners: multilingual guidance on where to go.
Muslim life at work and school
Most Japanese employers and schools have never had a Muslim before and simply do not know what to offer. Ask clearly, early, and politely, and bring the sentences from the dictionary.
Asking for a prayer space
Ask for a quiet unused room or corner for about ten minutes, twice during the workday. Show the sentence from the dictionary; most companies agree once they understand it is short and quiet.
Friday prayer
Ask to use your lunch break on Friday and make up the time. If the mosque is far, the Jumuah times page lists nearby mosques and prayer rooms.
Fasting in Ramadan
Tell your manager before Ramadan starts. Explain that you work as usual but skip lunch and may need a short break at sunset. Many colleagues are curious and supportive.
School lunch (給食)
Japanese school lunch often contains pork. Ask the school for the monthly menu (献立表) and agree whether your child brings a lunch box (お弁当) on certain days. Hand the teacher the letter template below.
Letter template for the school
私は（お子様の名前）の保護者です。私たちの家族はムスリム（イスラム教徒）で、宗教上の理由により豚肉、豚由来の原材料、アルコールを含む食品を口にしません。該当する献立の日には弁当を持参させたいと考えておりますので、毎月の献立表をご共有いただけますと幸いです。ご理解とご協力のほど、よろしくお願いいたします。
I am the parent of (child's name). Our family is Muslim, and for religious reasons we do not eat pork, pork-derived ingredients, or food containing alcohol. We would be grateful if you could share the monthly lunch menu so that we can send a packed lunch on days when the menu contains these ingredients. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Contact the committee
We answer questions about paperwork, halal food, school, and anything else about settling in. WhatsApp is fastest.
Location: Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture (full street address to be announced) 271-0092
Email: info@almuttaqinculturalcenter.org · Call: +81-47-000-0000
The printed version fits on a few pages and keeps the emergency numbers on the first page.