About the Founder
Taku Kanaya — Founder of LO-PAL
I created LO-PAL because I know what it's like to be lost in a foreign country — because I've been there.
Living Abroad Changed Everything
In my early twenties, I moved to Manchester, UK, with limited English and no local connections. What followed was a crash course in the reality of being a foreigner:
When I tried to register with the NHS, I couldn't understand a word on the phone. I had to call back three times before I could even book an appointment. Opening a bank account turned into a dead end — the bank required proof of address through a utility bill, but I was homestaying with a host family and had no bills in my name. I ended up working a job that paid below minimum wage, simply because I didn't know my rights and had no one to tell me. And then there was the weather. The grey, endless winters of Northern England took a real toll on my mental health — something I never expected and didn't know how to deal with in a foreign language.
Through all of it, one thing was clear: what I needed most wasn't a government helpline or a translation app. It was a real person — a local who understood the system and could walk me through it.
From Both Sides of the Problem
After returning to Japan, I took on a role as a Medical Coordinator for Foreign Patients, a programme supported by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, at a hospital in Osaka. My job was to support foreign patients navigating the Japanese healthcare system — helping them overcome language barriers, cultural differences, and the anxiety of being sick in an unfamiliar country.
The hospital specialised in neurosurgery. But what struck me was how many foreign patients came in with common colds, stomach aches, and minor injuries — not because they needed a specialist, but because they had no idea where else to go. They couldn't find a local clinic, couldn't read the signs, couldn't explain their symptoms. The problem wasn't a lack of healthcare. It was a lack of access.
That experience, seen from both sides — as a foreigner struggling abroad and as a professional helping foreigners in Japan — became the foundation of LO-PAL.
Why This Blog Exists
Today, I also work as a legal affairs professional in Japan and write this blog to help foreign residents and visitors navigate the challenges I once faced myself. Every guide on this site is informed by real experience — my own and that of the thousands of foreigners living in Japan who share their stories every day.
LO-PAL exists because no one should have to figure it all out alone.
— Taku Kanaya, Founder of LO-PAL
