Hello there! My name's Ken Joseph Jr.

I was born and raised here in Tokyo, where my parents came in 1951 and 1954, answering the call put out by Gen. Douglas MacArthur for 10,000 young people to come and help rebuild a devastated Japan.

I run a service called The Japan Helpline, which since 1975 has assisted Japanese traveling, living and studying throughout the world, and also the international community here in Japan 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

How things have changed in Japan over the years.

It used to be the only "foreigners" in Japan were teachers, business people, missionaries and students -- but now it seems the whole world has come to the place.

I hope, with this new service in The Japan Times, to be able to help you with any questions, problems and needs you might have while living in Japan, but also to have you, the readers, send in your experiences and solutions to the needs that come here.

When we were kids, it was Jean Pearce we turned to for help, through her weekly column in these pages.

Jean's column provided a superb forum for the international community.

After we started the Japan Helpline, she became a dear friend and it's a fantastic privilege to be now taking over the reins of her column. And I will certainly do my best to tackle whatever you can send my way.

Most of all I want to hear from you, the reader. Over the years, I have heard just about every story there is -- in fact, I am writing this week's piece from a Mexican restaurant in California, where I have had to come on an emergency situation.

A father in the middle of a divorce has kidnapped his child. Happily it seems as we have been able to convince him to return the child.

So no query, question or situation is outside our remit.

Don't be afraid to let us know what's on your mind.

To start off the column, I would like to provide a list of important numbers you can and should cut out and keep. You never know when you might need them.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Japan Helpline: (0570) 000-911
Operator assistance: 104
Intl. operator assistance: 0051
Immigration: (03) 3213-8111
Narita Airport: (0476) 34-5000
Kansai airport: (00724) 44-2500
To find a suitable hospital, call the Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Board telephone service:
Within Tokyo: 3212-2323
Outside Tokyo: (0425) 25-0119

FOREIGN RESIDENT ADVICE
English: 5320-7744
French: 5320-7755
Chinese: 5320-7766
Korean: 5320-7700

IMMIGRATION
Central Immigration Office: 3580-4111
Tokyo Immigration Bureau: 3213-8111, 3213-8523/7
Yokohama Regional Immigration Bureau: (045) 681-6801
Osaka Immigration Bureau: (06) 941-0771

MONEY
Tokyo National Tax Bureau: 3216-0511
Pension Information (Tokyo): 3334-3131

COUNSELING
Tokyo English Lifeline: (03) 5481-4347
Women's Counseling Center: (03) 3355-3110
AIDS Hotline Tokyo: (03) 5256-3001
AIDS Hotline Kansai: (0720) 48-2044

TRAVEL
JR East Infoline: (03) 3423-0111
Japan Tourist Organization:
In Tokyo: (03) 3502-1461
In Narita: (0476) 32-8711
In Kyoto: (075) 371-5649
West Japan: (0120) 222-800