Mental Health Support in the U.S. and Japan

Mental health has become an important topic in both the United States and Japan. However, attitudes toward therapy and asking for help can be quite different between the two cultures.

In the U.S., therapy is relatively common and increasingly talked about openly. People may see a therapist not only for serious mental illness, but also for stress, anxiety, relationship problems, grief, work challenges, or personal growth. Saying, “I see a therapist” is becoming more socially acceptable.

In Japan, mental health struggles are often treated more privately. Japanese culture traditionally values endurance, self-control, and avoiding burdening other people. Because of this, some people may feel that they should manage emotional difficulties on their own rather than talk about them with someone outside the family.

There is also still stigma around mental health treatment. Visiting a psychiatrist or mental health clinic may feel like something that should be kept private. Counseling and psychotherapy are also less integrated into everyday health care, and medication may play a larger role when people seek psychiatric treatment.

Of course, not everyone in either country thinks the same way, and attitudes in Japan are gradually changing. Younger generations in particular are becoming more open to discussing mental health.

I think one of the biggest cultural differences is when people believe it is appropriate to ask for help. Therapy doesn't have to be only for people with severe mental illness. It can also be a place to talk, understand yourself, and receive support when life becomes difficult.

Hopefully, mental health support will continue to become more accessible—and asking for help will feel normal in both cultures.

What do you think about therapy? Is it easy to talk about mental health in your culture?

Crisis Counseling

 For the past six months, I’ve been volunteering as a crisis counselor.

I started because I care deeply about mental health and wanted to help people. But I didn’t fully understand how difficult this work could be until I was actually doing it.

Some conversations are incredibly intense. Sometimes I have to call 911 because someone may be in immediate danger. Sometimes people are angry, frustrated, or say hurtful things. I’ve even had someone simply say, “Fuck you.”

I won’t pretend those moments don’t affect me. They do.

I take this work seriously. It’s unpaid, emotionally demanding, and sometimes painful. There are conversations that stay with me long after they end.

But over time, I’ve learned something important: anger often comes from pain. People reach out in moments when they feel overwhelmed, hopeless, frightened, or completely alone. Their harsh words may have very little to do with me and everything to do with what they are carrying.

I’ve also learned that I cannot fix someone’s life in a single conversation. I can listen. I can stay present. I can help them through that moment. Sometimes, that is all I can do.

In six months, I’ve supported more than 100 people.

After we disconnect, I usually never know what happens next. I don’t know where they are today. I don’t know whether things got better.

But I think about them.

I hope they are still here.

I hope they found support. I hope life became a little easier. And I hope that, even if only for a few minutes, our conversation helped them feel less alone.

This work is heavy. It has affected me, challenged me, and taught me more than I expected.

But it matters.

And even when it’s hard, I keep showing up.

I'm American Now! ~Naturalization

 It has been a very long time since I last wrote on this blog. I thought it might be a good time to start writing again. I also want to share what I have been doing because a lot has happened since then.

A few blog posts ago, I wrote about getting my green card. Well, now I have become a U.S. citizen! I am American! Yay!

Japan does not officially allow dual citizenship, so many Japanese people choose not to become U.S. citizens. Many hope to return to Japan someday when they retire. So why did I decide to become a U.S. citizen?

The answer is simple: I love the United States.

For a long time, it felt a little strange living in the U.S. as a Japanese citizen. I had spent most of my adult life in America. I paid taxes here, worked here, built my life here, and received support from this country. At the same time, I hadn't really contributed much to Japan in recent years, and Japan was no longer the place where I lived my daily life.

Sometimes I wondered: Am I Japanese or American? I felt like I didn't fully belong anywhere, and that made me sad.

Eventually, I realized that I wanted to commit myself to the United States and become part of this country. I also wanted the U.S. to protect me as one of its citizens.

The process was not very complicated. I submitted the application, paid about $900 in fees, and then attended an interview and citizenship test. I had to study U.S. history, geography, and government. After I passed the test, I attended the naturalization ceremony and took the Oath of Allegiance.

It was a very special moment, and I was so excited.

I am proud to be both Japanese by birth and American by citizenship. Both cultures have shaped who I am today, and I am grateful for the journey that brought me here.