YOKOHAMA - For people overwhelmed by distress or a sense of helplessness, being able to talk anonymously to someone who will simply listen can provide a vital outlet.
For more than three decades, a hotline in Yokohama has offered that support in Spanish and Portuguese, serving a segment of people in Japan who may struggle to express their deepest concerns in Japanese.
The foreign-language counseling service, known as LAL, is run by the social welfare corporation Yokohama Inochinodenwa, or Yokohama Lifeline, and is the only branch of the suicide-prevention organization in Japan to provide support in the two languages.
Its roughly 40 counselors come from eight countries, including Mexico and Peru. After about a year of training that includes psychology and a screening process, they work shifts to handle some 40 to 50 calls a month.
The LAL section sits beyond the Japanese-language counseling area at the organization's office.
"The Spanish side is on the right when you go in and the Portuguese side is on the left. They're almost back-to-back," a staff member said.
LAL was established in 1993, with its name formed from the initials of words describing a hotline for the Latin American community in Japan in Spanish and Portuguese.
According to LAL, its creation followed an incident several years earlier in Kanagawa Prefecture in which a Cambodian refugee, affected by trauma from war, attempted a murder-suicide.
The incident highlighted the need for mental health support for foreign residents, and the organization decided to begin taking calls in Spanish and Portuguese, languages for which it believed it could secure counselors.
The 1990s also brought an increase in foreign nationals coming to Japan for work, including people of Japanese descent, as changes to immigration rules made it easier for them to find employment.
At first, most calls to LAL concerned administrative procedures and problems encountered in everyday life. Over time, however, psychological and emotional concerns came to account for a large share of consultations.
Toyomi "Ruth" Fujii, 67, LAL's coordinator and a Brazil-born second-generation Japanese-Brazilian, said the experience convinced her of the importance of being able to speak in one's first language.
"When it comes to emotional problems, it's best to be able to talk in your native language," she said.
Depending on what callers say and the tone of their voice, counselors may recommend that they seek professional counseling or other support.
But their basic approach is to listen carefully without criticizing or judging, staying with callers until they are ready to end the conversation.
One issue being raised more often in recent years is loneliness.
LAL says such calls are particularly noticeable among middle-aged people who have lived in Japan for many years and whose ties with their countries of origin have gradually weakened.
Some may be struggling to secure stable employment, while others face a new sense of isolation after their children leave home.
"Things can build up day after day until they become much bigger and more serious," said a 56-year-old woman who trains and supports LAL counselors.
"We'd be happy if people felt they could call us casually about anything -- something unpleasant that happened that day, or sometimes even something enjoyable."
