Call the Life Line for free, anonymous, and confidential telephone counseling from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year. Trained volunteers can offer counseling and support, as well as information on a broad range of English-speaking services in Japan.

Calls to the Life Line cover a wide range of issues, including relationships, depression, anxiety, HIV, cultural adjustment, pregnancy, sexuality, eating disorders, and substance abuse, as well as emergency situations, issues relevant to young people and suicide.

Sometimes we just need to talk, so whether the problem is big or small, whether you are young or old, or whether you are from the Japanese or international community--we are here to listen.

Life Line Counselors

In order to provide year-round telephone counseling, the Life Line runs a twice yearly intensive training program for suitable candidates. Prior counseling experience is not required, but only candidates with the required level of maturity, experience and commitment are offered a place on the program.

For more information on training, please click here

Life Line in the Community

Life Line staff and volunteers go out into the community, consult with mental health providers and develop links with nationwide organizations so that the English-speaking community is aware of the counseling and support services the line can provide.

TELL strives to assess the needs of the community and responding to them and the Life Line has involved itself in a number of community outreach programs;

- In 2006, the Life Line introduced an Applied Suicide Intervention ASIST workshop to the foreign community, aided by a grant from Morgan Stanley. This program has been developed by Living Works, an international organization that provides professional suicide intervention programs around the world.

- In 2007, a three year TELL Children’s Life Line Awareness Program began, thanks to a grant from the Masonic Foundation of Japan. In 2008 and 2009 NTT Docomo kindly supported the second and third stages of this initiative.

-In 2008, the Life Line began a University Awareness Program to let international students and International Student Centers around Japan know where to find support when needed.

If you would like information and resources about the Life Line to post on websites, bulletin boards or in international centers, please contact the Director of Life Line Services at the address below.

Being telephone-based and anonymous, the Life Line is not a very visible part of TELL’s operations, but its existence is critical to the thousands of people that call every year. We are very grateful for the support of all the individuals, corporations, and other organizations that make this service possible—and with your help we look forward to continuing to expand and improve the Life Line in the future.

For more information, please contact the Director of Life Line Services, Jason Chare