Where to Get Help in Japan: Consultation Services for Visas, Work, Legal Problems and Human Rights, and Which Offer Nepali

Living in Japan, you may run into trouble with visa procedures, part-time wages, housing problems, discrimination or bullying. If your Japanese is still limited, you may not know whom to ask or where to go, and end up worrying alone. This guide explains official consultation services, and the ones that support Nepali, using official information.

We checked the official pages listed at the bottom on 7 November 2026. Phone numbers, hours, supported languages, whether you need a reservation and call charges differ by service and can change. Before you use a service, check its latest information.

Whom to ask first when you are in trouble

1. 1Your school's staff: Student office staff and teachers are a first place to ask. Before you enroll, ask your school how far it can help.
2. 2The municipal office: The municipality where you live may run its own services for international students (Study in Japan). Ask at the counter what support is available.
3. 3Official specialist services: For visas, work, legal problems or human rights, consult the service that fits your problem (explained below).

In an emergency involving life or safety, do not consult, but call 119 (ambulance and fire) or 110 (police). See the guide to emergencies and disasters.

From anywhere in Japan: the Immigration Services Agency's Foreign Resident General Information Center

This is the Immigration Services Agency's phone consultation. You can get general guidance on entry and residence procedures.

• Phone: 0570-013904 (a navigation dial number, usable from anywhere in Japan)
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (closed on weekends, holidays and the year-end and New Year holidays)
• Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Thai, Burmese and Sinhala
• From overseas or IP phones: 03-5796-7112

They can give general guidance on procedures. They cannot answer about the progress of an individual case, the outlook for a permit or the status of an examination. There are counters in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka and other cities, but the only counter that supports Nepali is in Tokyo. Email is in Japanese and English only.

The Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) in Tokyo

The Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) in Yotsuya, Tokyo, houses consultation counters of national agencies and organizations. It is at Yotsuya Tower, 13th floor, 1-6-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on weekends, holidays and the year-end and New Year holidays. Reservation requirements and hours may differ by counter, so check each counter's latest information before you use it.

The FRESC general information desk also supports many languages, including Nepali, using tablet devices. The main counters that support Nepali as consultation services are:

Residence consultation is by reservation. For online consultation, you reserve on the internet. For phone consultation, you reserve through the Foreign Resident General Information Center and similar centers.

FRESC also has the Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners (job consultation, 03-5361-8722). It supports easy Japanese, English and Chinese, and Nepali is not listed on the official page.

If you live outside Tokyo, first use the phone service (0570-013904), the Daily Life Support Portal below, your municipal office and your school.

Work and wages, from anywhere in Japan (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Consultation Dial for Foreign Workers" is a service where you can get phone consultation in foreign languages about working conditions and similar matters.

• Nepali: 0570-001-708 (Monday to Friday)
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday (except noon to 1 p.m.). The days each language is available differ. Closed from 29 December to 3 January. The days and hours may change temporarily.
• Call charges: They apply (9.35 yen per 180 seconds from a landline, and 22 yen per 30 seconds from a mobile phone, both including tax).

In addition, the prefectural labor bureaus have Consultation Corners for Foreign Workers (Tokyo is 03-5361-8728). Check the Ministry's page for the office in charge and the languages and days supported.

Human rights consultation, from anywhere in Japan (Ministry of Justice)

With the Ministry of Justice's "Foreign-Language Human Rights Consultation Dial" (0570-090-911), you can receive human rights consultation from anywhere in Japan by calling this number. It supports many languages, including Nepali. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays (except the year-end and New Year holidays). It covers concerns that you feel are human rights problems in daily life, such as unfair discrimination because you are a foreigner, and bullying at school. The call goes through a private interpreting service to the Legal Affairs Bureau in charge. Take care not to dial the wrong number.

Who to consult, by problem

The part-time work rules are explained in the part-time work guide.

The Daily Life Support Portal (with Nepali guidebooks)

The Immigration Services Agency's "Daily Life Support Portal for Foreign Nationals" is a site that tells you what you need to know to live in Japan with peace of mind. It carries information such as:

• Daily life in general: entry and residence procedures, municipal procedures (resident registration, etc.), employment and labor, rules and customs of daily life, housing, traffic rules, taxes, emergencies and disasters
• Medical care, education, pensions and welfare, childbirth and child-rearing
• Consultation services: there is a link to a page where you can search for consultation services.

There are PDFs of the "Guidebook for Daily Life and Work" in many languages, including Nepali. For chapters such as entry and residence, municipal procedures, employment, medical care and education, there are Nepali versions. Some linked pages support only a limited number of languages.

Tips for consulting

• Write down in advance what you want to ask. Prepare what you can show, such as your residence card number, your school's name, dates and documents.
• If you need an interpreter, say your language first. At services that do not support Nepali, you may be able to consult in English or easy Japanese.
• Also talk to people at your school. Your school may help you contact the service.
• Do not simply believe what study-abroad agents (brokers) tell you. JASSO warns that claims such as "3,000 yen an hour" or "200,000 to 300,000 yen a month" are false. For anything you are unsure about, check with an official service.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a service where I can consult in Nepali?

The Foreign Resident General Information Center's phone line (0570-013904), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Consultation Dial for Foreign Workers (0570-001-708) and the Ministry of Justice's Foreign-Language Human Rights Consultation Dial (0570-090-911) support Nepali. FRESC in Tokyo also has counters that support Nepali, such as residence consultation, Houterasu, human rights consultation and the labor bureau.

Is the consultation free?

It differs by service. Houterasu's information service is free, but call charges apply. Houterasu also introduces free legal consultation to people who meet the conditions. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's consultation dial has call charges. Check when you contact them.

Can I use them if I do not live in Tokyo?

You can use the phone services (0570-013904) from anywhere in Japan. You can also view the Daily Life Support Portal from anywhere. The FRESC counters in Tokyo are counters you visit in Tokyo (check with each counter about online and other methods).

Can they tell me whether my visa will be approved?

The Foreign Resident General Information Center cannot answer about the outlook for a permit or the progress of an examination in an individual case.

What if my part-time employer does not pay me?

There are services for consulting about working conditions. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Consultation Dial for Foreign Workers (Nepali: 0570-001-708) can be used from anywhere in Japan. In Tokyo you can also use the Tokyo Labor Bureau's Special Consultation and Support Office for Foreign Nationals. Also talk to the staff at your school.

What to do next

Before you go to Japan, ask your school whom to consult when you are in trouble and for the contact details of the person in charge. Compare schools' support in How to Choose a Japanese Language School and the school list. If you need help, contact us. This site is free to use. We do not guarantee admission or a visa.