Consultation Resources for 1,714 Municipalities, Organized by Area: Digital Kodomo BASE Launches a Guide for Parents and Children on School Absence and Development

Background

Through its activities, including Furatto Lab, the organization has heard from parents of children who find it hard to go to school that they are anxious because they cannot find information on where to get help and what support is available. These voices led to the creation of this guide.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), 353,970 elementary and junior high school students were counted as long-term absentees (futoko) in fiscal 2024, a record high and the 12th consecutive annual increase. Of these, 135,724 (38.3%) had not received specialized counseling or guidance from any institution inside or outside school (FY2024 Survey on Problem Behavior, School Non-Attendance and Other Student Guidance Issues).

When a child finds it hard to go to school, the places to consult are split among the board of education’s counseling service, educational support centers, child and family departments and developmental consultation offices, and their names and systems differ from one municipality to another. The organization believes that making published information available in one place for each area will help parents find where to turn first.

Overview

Features

1. Just choose your areaSelecting a prefecture or municipality from the map or list on the top page shows that area’s resources by category.
2. Based only on official published materialsThe guide lists only information published by the national, prefectural and municipal governments. Each item shows its source and the date it was checked, so users can confirm the original material.
3. NeutralThe guide does not introduce or compare individual private facilities. The organization’s own programs are not listed among each area’s resources; they are introduced separately at the end of each page as the operator’s own activities.
4. Pages children can read themselvesSeparate from the pages for parents, the guide has 491 pages for children, “When you want to talk to someone: places where children can get help.” Children can find services they can reach by phone, chat or LINE through entry points that follow how they feel, such as “I want to talk right now,” “Things at home are hard,” “Talk on the phone” and “Ask in writing.” Kanji are shown with furigana. Only services that official materials state accept consultations from children themselves are listed.
5. Regular reviewSources on the prefectural pages and Tokyo’s municipal pages are checked automatically every week. Other municipal pages will be reviewed twice a year (April–May and September).

Next steps

The 27 towns and villages that do not yet have their own page, mainly because their official websites are currently unavailable, will be checked again in mid-November 2026 and added as their sites become available. These towns and villages are already listed on their prefectural pages. The organization will continue regular reviews to keep the content up to date.

* The story behind the guide is told in the President’s column, “Where Do I Even Ask?”

* Content is current as of the check date shown on each page. Phone numbers and hours may change; please confirm the latest information with each local government.