What Problems Are Not Suitable for This Site Yet?

The Bottom Line

We are not a platform that can do everything. At our current stage, our capabilities and focus are concentrated on a narrow problem domain: helping people developing in Japan with front-end direction sorting and path judgment.

The following types of problems are ones we cannot handle yet or are not the best option for.

Problem Types We Do Not Handle Yet

1. Matters requiring formal legal advice

Visa disputes, labor disputes, contract legal issues — these require licensed professionals such as administrative scriveners (行政書士) or lawyers (弁護士). We do not provide legal advice, and we will not pretend we can.

Where to go instead: Local foreign resident consultation counters, legal aid centers, or consult directly with an administrative scrivener or law firm.

2. Matters requiring professional financial advice

Investments, tax planning, insurance choices — these require qualified financial advisors or tax accountants (税理士). We do not cover financial advice.

Where to go instead: Tax accounting firms, bank foreign customer windows, or professional financial advisory services.

3. Urgent mental health issues

If you are experiencing serious psychological distress or emotional crisis — please contact professional mental health services first. We can help you sort your direction, but we cannot provide counseling or crisis intervention.

Where to go instead: TELL Japan, local mental health welfare centers, or counseling services in your city.

4. Specific job referrals or recruitment services

"Can you recommend a job for me?" — We are not a recruitment agency and do not maintain a job database. What we do is help you sort your direction so you can be more targeted in your job search.

Where to go instead: Hello Work, recruitment agencies (人材紹介会社), or job platforms in your target industry.

5. Issues unrelated to developing in Japan

If your problem is not directly related to developing in Japan (e.g., domestic job-seeking in your home country, immigration to other countries), we currently do not cover it.

6. Complex cases requiring extensive ongoing support

We currently do not have the capacity for long-term follow-up on complex cases. If your situation requires months of sustained support and adjustment, you may need to find a specialized consultant or agency.

Why We Wrote This

Because we believe telling you honestly what we cannot do is more valuable than pretending we can do everything.

Knowing our boundaries means:

• We will not give unreliable advice just to accommodate more people
• If your problem falls outside our scope, we will tell you directly
• We will recommend more suitable resources rather than hold onto you

If You Are Not Sure Which Category Your Problem Belongs To

That is perfectly normal. Many people come here unsure whether they need "direction sorting" or "professional consultation."

You can submit your situation first. After an initial assessment, we will tell you whether your problem is suitable for our process or better addressed by another type of help.

This itself is part of What Hope Sorting Is — helping you figure out what category your problem belongs to.

Next Steps

If your problem does not fall into the categories above and is not urgent, start by checking When to Use Hope Sorting to assess your direction, or browse the 4 Common Preparation Paths to find a better-matching entry point.