How to find help: mental health support in Japan

Updated March 2026

Living and studying in Japan can be an overwhelming experience. On top of an intense study schedule, you’re also adapting to a new way of life, a different culture, and an unfamiliar language. This can be stressful, which is why it’s important to have mental health support when you’re in Japan.

We’ve put together some resources in case you’re looking for mental health support while you’re living in Japan. We recognize that mental health needs are extremely personal and complex, and we hope the information in this article will be useful in some way to those looking for support. 

Introduction to mental health services in Japan

Professional mental health care in Japan is available through psychologists and psychiatrists. Psychologists (shinrigakusha, 心理学者) offer counseling services, but cannot prescribe medication. Psychiatrists (seishinkai, 精神科医) specialize in treating various mental health issues and can prescribe medication. 

Note that psychiatric services are generally covered under Japan’s National Health Insurance Scheme, but counseling is not covered. You should always double check with your chosen healthcare provider.

There is also another area of mental health treatment called psychosomatic medicine (shinshinigaku, 心身医学). Doctors specializing in this field treat physical issues brought on by psychological stress. Their care is usually covered by National Health Insurance. 

Accessing mental health support in Japan 

Seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist can be intimidating and costly, especially for international students. Few clinics offer their services in languages other than Japanese and if you’re living in a small town or rural area, it’ll be difficult to find a doctor who can help you in your own language.

This is where a service like Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) can help. TELL is dedicated to supporting the mental health of Japan’s international community through their Lifeline and counseling services. You can access TELL’s services anywhere in Japan through their remote teletherapy option. All TELL staff speak English, with some speaking other languages too.

You will get anonymity and the space to talk about anything on your mind, no matter where you are in the country. Learn more about TELL on their website.

A similar hotline that has a broader focus is the Yorisoi Helpline for Foreigners. In addition to its counseling service, it offers help for visa issues, family and work issues, domestic violence, and more. Find out more here.

If you’re looking for psychology or psychiatry services and have the money to pay for it, try Tokyo Mental Health. They offer counseling, therapy, psychological evaluation, and psychiatry services in English. You can book an online consultation, or an in-person appointment if you’re located in Tokyo and Okinawa. Be aware that they do not accept National Health Insurance.

You can also visit the International Mental Health Professionals Japan Directory for a list of professionals working in Japan who offer services in languages other than Japanese. 

Mental health apps and online counseling

You can access online counseling platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace from Japan. These are leading online therapy companies that pair you with licensed therapists. It can be a more affordable and convenient alternative to visiting a clinic in Japan.

Another flexible and affordable online therapy platform you can use is Online-Therapy.com. This platform is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has a directory of qualified therapists to provide you with the highest level of personalized support. We have partnered with them and are providing a 20% discount code THERAPY20 to help you find the support you need.

If you prefer to self-manage your mental health needs, apps are a great option. There are a variety of both free and paid apps available to address many mental health needs. For example, Moodfit is a free app (with paid premium features) that helps you track your moods so you can understand your feelings better. Headspace is a paid app that builds mindfulness and meditation to help with stress, sleep, and overall mental wellbeing. 

Other popular mental health support apps include:

• MindShift CBT — designed as a personal wellness partner to help you manage anxiety
• Happier Meditation — offers a flexible and personalized approach to mindfulness and features a huge library of guided meditations on a range of different topics
• Calm — a popular meditation and sleep app with guided sessions for stress, anxiety, and better sleep
• Daylio — a micro-journal and mood tracker that lets you log your emotions and activities without needing to write anything

Podcasts

There is a huge range of mental health podcasts available that can help you better understand your own challenges. They are not a substitute for professional diagnosis and care, if that’s what you need. However, they do offer an accessible way to learn more about mental health issues, how to practice self-care, and methods of management.

Some popular mental health podcasts include:

• The Mental Illness Happy Hour — explores mental illness through honest and sincere experiences shared by a variety of guests. It aims to destigmatize conversations about mental illness and to help listeners feel less alone. 
• The Anxiety Coaches — a podcast focused on different aspects of anxiety and how to help heal your trauma
• The Happiness Lab — Dr. Laurie Santos teaches a class at Yale University called “Psychology and the Good Life” and shares inspiring stories and scientific research to help listeners reshape the way they think about happiness
• Inside Mental Health — an award-winning show that features interviews with well-known people with the aim to make complex information about mental health easy to understand
• The Hilarious World of Depression — conversations with top comedians who experience clinical depression, the ways in which they have dealt with it, and how they are able to laugh about it along the way
• Hidden Brain — a show that combines science and storytelling to explore the human behaviors that influence the way we are and the choices we make

Reach out and stay connected

If you are experiencing loneliness while you’re studying in Japan, know that you’re not the only one. It’s a common experience to feel out of place or homesick. It’s important to have a support network around you and good friends you can spend time with. 

We know how hard it can be to find friends when you first move to Japan, so we put together an article on where to make friends in Japan. 

While we can’t offer professional mental health support, we’re committed to helping students as much as we can to live their best lives while studying in Japan. We do this by supporting you in your application process, as well as including you in a growing community of fellow Go! Go! Nihon students. 

If you are struggling and need professional help, please reach out to TELLand speak to one of their experienced counselors. You can contact their toll-free hotline by phoning 0800-300-8355. The hotline is available Tuesday-Thursday 9am-11pm, Friday 9am-2am, and Saturday-Monday as a continuous 9am-11pm service. You can also use their chat service daily from 4pm.

Please note that some links in this article may be commission-based, but we only recommend services that we believe in.