In addition to the CLAIR hotline, Tokyo English Life Line offers a free and anonymous telephone counseling from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year.
Here is the link http://www.telljp.com/index.php?/en/life_line/
If you ever felt that talking to a CLAIR representative may come back to you, this site offers a non-official channel to talk.
Here are two paragraphs from an overview of symptoms of Culture Shock. Please click the link for the full article, if you’re interested.
Here is the link: http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/dailyliving/medicalcare/cultureshock.htm
Exhaustion
After trying to adjust to one’s new environment, culture, language and customs a person will find that they have used up so much energy that they are mentally exhausted. Working to maintain relationships (social and private) while living in a foreign country also can be the source of various stresses and exhaustion. In many cases, foreign residents work very hard to model themselves after the native people of the country they live in (in this case, the Japanese). This can also lead to exhaustion, unexpected identity issues and other stresses.
Homesickness
After the newness wears off, one has begun to adjust and adapt to his/her new environment. At this time one may begin to compare his/her home country and Japan (or the country he/she is living in). As such, one may find things he/she does not like about Japan and may begin to become frustrated with Japanese people/society. At this stage it may be a good idea to go back to one’s home country for an extended visit.
If a person does not return to his/her home country at this stage, one may encounter deep misgivings about their choice of staying in Japan. Or, they may find that they go from one extreme to another and go to great lengths to adapt to various aspects of the Japanese language, culture and society.
