How we made this list

We searched public care databases run by the national government and by local governments in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka. We included a service only when its database entry said it can help in English. A language menu on a website or a job ad did not count.

The English names are our own romanized versions, not official names. Use the Japanese name when you call or search.

Most Tokyo entries come from Shinjuku City’s care search, linked from the Shinjuku City website. Most Osaka entries come from the care guide explained on the City of Ibaraki website. We have not confirmed any entry by phone or email.

Where entries come from

Many cities use the same online care search. We checked 72 of them. Only Shinjuku City and Ibaraki City let you search by language. 34 services here come from Shinjuku City and 9 services here come from Ibaraki City.

We also searched the other cities for words like “English”. There were results only in Suginami City, Toyonaka City, Amagasaki City and Machida City. We opened all 25 results. They were English classes, clubs, a city help desk for foreign residents, or false matches such as a bus stop name. None was a care service saying it can help in English.

In the other Tokyo wards, the search does not look at what each service writes about itself. Of the cities we checked, only Shinjuku City and Toyonaka City search that text. So a service that mentions English only in its own description may be missing here. We found the Meguro City entry by reading its page.