So You Can Consult Us with Peace of Mind

Our Policy on Customer Harassment

1. What we do not treat as customer harassment

Even if any of the following happens, SOYOGI will not, for that reason alone, treat it as customer harassment or turn down your consultation.

• Opinions, criticism, and complaints about how SOYOGI responded or about our fees (including criticizing SOYOGI on social media and elsewhere based on your own experience or how you felt)
• Asking about fees or whether you qualify for free consultation, or telling us that paying is difficult
• Asking for something SOYOGI may not be able to do
• Talking about painful experiences such as abuse, sexual violence, or other violence in your own words (even when it involves sexual content, we receive it as a consultation)
• Telling us that you want to disappear or want to die (SOYOGI receives this as an SOS, not as a threat)
• Putting pain or anger into words, crying, falling silent, or telling the same story many times
• Spending time in the Digital Shelter without saying anything, or leaving without saying goodbye (as set out in the seven rules of the Digital Shelter)
• Coming every day, sending out an SOS again and again on a hard night, or coming without an appointment during our late-night hours, "a place to run to late at night" (9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. JST)
• Words or actions coming out strongly because of the characteristics of a disability or illness, strong anxiety, and the like (what SOYOGI does at such times is described at the start of section 3)
• Asking for accommodations that make it easier to talk, such as communicating only in text or using a private room

If you need accommodations because of a disability or for other reasons, please let us know. Even when SOYOGI's staffing or facilities do not allow us to meet a request right away, we will explain why and think through other ways together with you. You are welcome to talk with us about accommodations as many times as you need.

2. Behavior we ask you to refrain from

What SOYOGI treats as a problem is not the strength of your feelings, how heavy your story is, or how often or at what time you come to us. It is going too far in how you ask for things or how you say them, such as hurting others, threatening them, or forcing on us something we cannot do, so that our representative and collaborators can no longer carry on the activity with peace of mind. Separately from customer harassment, we also ask you, in the same way, to refrain from anything that threatens the safety of other users. Examples include the following.

• Verbal abuse, intimidating words or behavior, remarks that attack someone's character, and threats
• Discriminatory words or behavior, and sexual words or behavior that the other person does not want (including sending unsolicited sexual images, and directing sexual talk at our representative, collaborators, or other users)
• Forcing someone to apologize (such as demanding that they bow down to the floor or write a letter of apology)
• Blaming or threatening us to make us respond outside our hours (6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. JST) or reply right away (you are always welcome to send a message, or to tell us you are waiting for a reply)
• After we have explained why, demanding again and again, in harsh words, things SOYOGI cannot take on, such as a medical diagnosis or legal negotiation
• Deliberately causing a disturbance, or sending large amounts of the same text or meaningless characters, so that other users can no longer consult us (sending short messages one after another when you are struggling is not this)
• Approaching, continuing to talk to, or recruiting other users when they do not want it; asking them their real name or where they live; or suggesting that you exchange contact details or meet outside
• Continuing to ask our representative or collaborators for personal contact details, a meeting outside, or a romantic relationship after they have said no (calling for our representative in the metaverse, or saying "please stay with me," is not this)
• Trying to find out who our representative, collaborators, or other users are or where they are; publishing that information or hinting that you will; and following or stalking them
• Recording, filming, streaming, or publishing other people's appearance, voices, or chat without permission (if you would like to keep your exchange with our representative so you can look back on it yourself, please ask first)
• Publishing the entrance (URL) of the Digital Shelter on social media or elsewhere (if you want to tell a friend who is struggling, please share the Digital Shelter page instead of the URL)
• Pretending to be SOYOGI, our representative, a collaborator, or another user (for example, claiming to be our representative or a collaborator when you are not, or using the same display name as another user to pass yourself off as them; not giving your real name, using a nickname, changing your display name, or appearing as Soyosoyo is not impersonation)
• Posting defamatory or abusive content on social media, in comments on note, and similar places, or spreading information you know to be untrue (if we think there is a misunderstanding, SOYOGI will explain first)

3. What we do when something like section 2 happens

• As a rule, we will first ask you to stop, and let you know what SOYOGI can and cannot do.
• Even when words or actions fall under section 2, if they seem to come from the characteristics of a disability or illness, strong anxiety, pain, or the like, we will not blame you or turn you away right away. We will think together about a way to keep going, such as taking a short break, switching to text only, moving to a private room, or trying another day. To protect other users, we may ask you to move to a separate space for a while. When we do, we will tell you why.
• Even so, if words or actions that threaten the safety of our representative, collaborators, or other users continue, or if there is an immediate danger, we may end that day's exchange, remove you from the metaverse (kick), or refuse you entry (ban). Even then, we will not blame you. When you have calmed down, please let us know through the contact points in section 5. We will explain why, and think together about a way for you to use SOYOGI again, such as communicating only in text or coming back on another day.
• If things do not improve, we may limit how and how often you contact us, end that day's exchange, remove you from the metaverse (kick), refuse you entry to the metaverse (ban), or decline further bookings. A ban or a refusal of bookings may have no fixed end date. If your circumstances change, or you have calmed down and would like to consult us again, please let us know through the contact points in section 5. We will review the decision, and may lift it.
• In the case of threats that endanger the safety of our representative, collaborators, or other users, or malicious disruptive behavior in the metaverse, we will end the exchange at our representative's discretion, without first asking you to stop. In the metaverse, we will kick or ban the person. Banning people at once for malicious disruptive behavior is also stated on the Digital Shelter page. Where necessary, we will also consult professionals such as the police or lawyers, and the operators of social media and similar services. An SOS telling us that your own life is in danger, such as saying you want to disappear or want to die, is not this.
• Even when we end an exchange, if someone seems to be in danger or in a painful state, we will tell them about 119 (ambulance), 110 (police), and 24-hour phone lines (listed at the end of section 5).
• We keep records of exchanges in the metaverse, and of exchanges on the booking form and private pages. What is recorded, why, and for how long are as set out in Sections 6 and 7 of our Privacy Policy. Apart from the records used to investigate problems with voice, records in the metaverse are used only as evidence to show the police, lawyers, and similar parties in the event of harassment, defamation, or similar acts. Records from the booking form and private pages are also used so that we can continue responding to your consultation. What you send us by email or by social media DM is also kept as set out in Section 7, and is also used to check the facts.
• We do not tell anyone, including people who say they are your family or partner and other users, what is in the records, or whether a particular person is coming or has come to SOYOGI. The only exceptions are when that person consents, when it is required by law, and when it is necessary to protect a person's life, body, or property and it is difficult to obtain that person's consent (Section 8 of our Privacy Policy).
• Because a ban is applied based on the connection (IP address) and similar information, you may be unable to enter because of a ban on someone else who uses the same Wi-Fi or connection. If you cannot enter the metaverse even though you can think of no reason, or if you would like to know why we took an action, please also let us know through the contact points in section 5.

4. Fees and payment

• Our fees, and who can consult free of charge (young carers, people receiving public assistance, people struggling financially, and, depending on their circumstances, people living in hikikomori), are as shown on the Consultation page. The Digital Shelter is free. We will never raise a fee, or ask someone who qualifies for free consultation to pay, because of this policy.
• Fees for general consultation are paid after the consultation. Even if SOYOGI ends a consultation partway through under this policy, you pay only for the time we actually spent on the consultation. If we decline a booking, there is no charge.

5. Where to send consultations and complaints

Please send opinions, complaints, and questions about this policy through the form, email, or direct message on X below. You can use any of them while staying anonymous. From 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. (JST), you can also speak to our representative then and there in the metaverse. If another user has made you feel uncomfortable, or you are worried that this policy might apply to you, please use the same contact points.

• Booking and inquiry form
• Email: Hiro@soudansoyogi.com
• Direct message on X (formerly Twitter): @SOUDAN_SOYOGI

On the form, choose "General inquiry" under "What is this about?". The date and time are only placeholders, so you can choose any. In the "Name" field, write a nickname or the display name you use in the metaverse, not your real name. Write your message in the notes field ("Notes and requests"). If you already have a private page, you can also contact us from there.

Please tell us, as far as you can, when and where it happened and what happened. A reference number, or the display name you use in the metaverse, makes it easier for us to check. We do not need your real name or address.

When you tell us about another user, we will not tell that person that it was you who told us. And we will never decline your consultations or treat you unfavorably because you made a complaint about SOYOGI or our representative.

SOYOGI is not an emergency service. If you feel a life is in danger, at any hour, call 119 (ambulance) or 110 (police), or #いのちSOS (Inochi SOS) at 0120-061-338, or よりそいホットライン (Yorisoi Hotline) at 0120-279-338 (from Fukushima Prefecture: 0120-279-226). Both are in Japanese, every day, 24 hours, toll free. Other lines, including lines that take calls in English, are listed on the When Someone Says They Want to Disappear page (you can use them yourself, too).

Established on October 3, 2026