HELP YOU PROJECT

What HELP YOU PROJECT does

HELP YOU PROJECT is a privately-held, Niigata-headquartered organization founded in 2018 by Masahiro Furuyama (古山 正裕) to address language and information barriers that foreign residents in Japan face when accessing healthcare. Its primary stakeholder segments are foreign residents (international students, expatriates, and foreign workers) who struggle to communicate symptoms and navigate the Japanese medical system, and Japanese healthcare providers (hospitals, clinics, and dental offices) that lack tools to examine non-Japanese-speaking patients. The organization operates as a community-driven project with volunteer and long-term intern participation, structured into four units (BizDev, Partner, Project, and Social Media/PR/Talent/Culture).

The company's product portfolio centers on two core offerings: the 'HELP YOU' medical interpretation book, a non-verbal reference containing 130+ illustrations reviewed by a medical school professor with foreign-resident input, which has been adopted by 70+ healthcare facilities and educational institutions in Niigata; and 'mikke', a free web application enabling foreign residents to search nearby multilingual-capable clinics and hospitals across four languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Portuguese). Underlying technology is conventional — illustrated print content and a curated facility directory web app — with no disclosed AI/ML components, APIs, or proprietary data flywheels. Distribution combines direct e-commerce (help-you.stores.jp), self-serve web access (mikke-nippon.com), field sales to medical institutions, and educational-institution collaborations.

HELP YOU PROJECT's revenue model is diversified across five small streams: one-time book sales through the online store, a recurring monthly supporter membership starting at 500 yen (with annual and bank-transfer options), corporate sponsorships and 'co-creation' partnerships, an affiliate arrangement with Yogibo (5% of qualifying purchases via coupon code HLPY), and ongoing crowdfunding on Readyfor.jp. The organization is privately funded with no disclosed institutional investment, operates a single-country footprint in Japan, and is actively recruiting across SNS marketing and project management functions to support continued product and geographic expansion.

Name

HELP YOU PROJECT

Legal name

HELP YOU PROJECT

Website

https://helpyou-niigata.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HELP YOU PROJECT is a Niigata-based nonprofit organization that helps foreign residents in Japan access healthcare through a 130+ illustration medical interpretation book adopted by 70+ facilities and a free multilingual (Japanese, English, Chinese, Portuguese) clinic-search web application called mikke.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Communication Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Healthcare Access & Provider Network Navigation (EDAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Multilingual medical communication
• Healthcare interpretation services
• Foreign resident support
• Medical illustration tools
• Community health projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Kashiwa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Medical Interpretation Book: Sale of HELP YOU medical interpretation books through online store for individual and institutional purchases
2. Supporter Membership Program: Monthly supporter program starting from 500 yen per month, with annual payment and bank transfer options available
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Project support, advertising, and annual sponsorship from corporate partners
4. Affiliate Marketing - Yogibo Partnership: Coupon code partnership (HLPY) with Yogibo online store where 5% of purchase amount is paid as advertising fee to HELP YOU PROJECT
5. Crowdfunding: Project funding through Readyfor.jp crowdfunding platform for product development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HELP YOU PROJECT is a Niigata-based community organization that supports foreign residents in Japan in accessing healthcare. It sells a multilingual medical interpretation book ("HELP YOU") containing 130+ illustrations for non-verbal medical communication, and operates a free web application ("mikke") that helps users locate multilingual-capable clinics and hospitals nearby. It funds activities through product sales, a monthly supporter program starting at 500 yen, corporate sponsorships, affiliate partnerships, and crowdfunding.

Product overview

HELP YOU PROJECT is a Niigata-based organization offering two core products to help foreigners navigate Japan's healthcare system: the medical interpretation book 'HELP YOU' (featuring over 130 illustrations for non-verbal communication) and the multilingual clinic search web application 'mikke' (supporting Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese). Both products work together to address language barriers, helping foreigners communicate with medical staff and find suitable healthcare facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mikke: Multilingual clinic search web application supporting Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese languages for finding nearby medical institutions.
• HELP YOU

Products and services

• Medical Interpretation Book "HELP YOU" (医療通訳ブック『HELP YOU』) A medical interpretation book designed for foreigners in Japan, featuring over 130 illustrations for non-verbal medical communication. Includes explanations of Japan's unique medical system and insurance, reviewed by a medical school professor. Adopted by 70+ medical facilities, universities, and educational institutions.
• Multilingual Medical Facility Search App "mikke" (医療機関連検索アプリ『mikke』) A web application that allows foreigners in Japan to easily search for multilingual medical institutions near their location. Features a curated database of medical facilities that support Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70+ healthcare facilities have introduced the medical interpretation book
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• YogibominorGTM or Marketing PartnerBead sofa manufacturer partnership where Yogibo online store purchases with coupon code HLPY result in 5% of purchase amount being paid to HELP YOU PROJECT as advertising fees
• Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative projects with educational institutions for various initiatives including ongoing projects and collaborative event planning

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Google Translate: Free, ubiquitous general-purpose translation tool covering 100+ languages including text, voice, and camera-based translation. A broad incumbent competing for the same use case (multilingual patient-provider communication) but lacking HELP YOU PROJECT's curated medical-domain accuracy and illustration-based non-verbal alternative.
• International SOS: Global provider of medical assistance, travel risk management, and healthcare access services for expatriates and international travelers. Comparable in addressing healthcare access barriers for non-native populations, though serving corporate/expatriate travelers rather than resident foreign communities.

Direct peers

• Boostlingo: Interpretation platform offering on-demand phone, video, and on-site interpretation plus scheduling tools for healthcare and enterprise clients. Comparable as a technology-enabled interpretation service targeting multilingual patient-provider communication, overlapping with mikke's directory approach and HELP YOU's institutional adoption model.
• LanguageLine Solutions: US-headquartered medical interpretation services provider offering phone, video, and in-person interpretation across dozens of languages to healthcare organizations. Most directly comparable to HELP YOU PROJECT as a dedicated medical interpretation provider targeting healthcare institutions serving non-native-language patients.
• CyraCom: Large US provider of medical interpretation and translation services for hospitals and clinics, including video remote interpreting. Comparable as a healthcare-focused, language-access provider serving institutional customers with limited-English-proficiency patients, similar to HELP YOU PROJECT's facility-facing mission.
• Widgit Health: UK-based provider of symbol-based communication tools for healthcare settings, including illustrated resources for patients with communication difficulties. Highly comparable to HELP YOU PROJECT's 130+ illustration approach for non-verbal medical communication across language and literacy barriers.
• Tobii Dynavox (Boardmaker): Global provider of picture-based communication symbols (Boardmaker) widely used in healthcare and special education to enable non-verbal communication. Overlaps with HELP YOU PROJECT's illustration-based approach to bridging communication in medical contexts.

Regional players

• Multicultural Community Center Kobe: Japan-based nonprofit supporting foreign residents with multilingual information, including healthcare and welfare guidance. Comparable as a community-led, foreign-resident-serving organization in Japan with overlapping mission on healthcare access, though operating in the Kansai region rather than Niigata.
• Allganize Japan: Japan-based AI translation and document-processing platform offering enterprise translation tools with multilingual support. Comparable as a Japan-focused multilingual communication technology provider targeting institutional customers, competing for similar budget lines at hospitals and clinics.
• TELL (Tokyo English Life Line): Japan-based nonprofit offering counseling, life-line support, and community resources for non-Japanese residents facing language and cultural barriers. Comparable mission (foreign-resident support in Japan) with overlapping end-user audience, though focused on mental health rather than physical healthcare access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helpyou_niigata
• Facebookfacebook.com/helpyou.niigata
• Instagraminstagram.com/helpyouproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HELP YOU PROJECT