[Nikkei Shimbun Series Concludes] Omoihito Inc. Releases Full Functions of "Omoihito Care Guide" to Bridge Gaps in Care, Illness, and Disability Systems
Omoihito Inc. has released the full functions of its web application, "Omoihito Care Guide," designed to bridge the gaps in care, illness, and disability systems. Developed based on the experiences of CEO Moe Kaneko, a former young caregiver, it is available for free via LINE.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 21:47 (7h 15m after Collected)
Omoihito Inc. (Headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Moe Kaneko) announced on May 8, 2026, the full release of "Omoihito Care Guide," a web application designed to help individuals and families facing illness, disability, or caregiving needs organize available systems, support measures, consultation services, and next steps according to their specific situation. With the concept of "For those who don't know where to start," it presents highly likely usable systems, financial outlooks for costs and housing, and actions to take, based on a few basic questions answerable in 3 minutes. It can be accessed from the LINE Official Account, requires no registration, and is free. Representative Moe Kaneko is a former young caregiver and current double caregiver. This tool was developed to bridge the "gaps in the system" that she highlighted in the Nikkei Shimbun series "Facing It" (April-May 2026, all 4 installments).
■ Development Background: Systems exist, but are not reaching those who need them
Representative Moe Kaneko is a former young caregiver and current double caregiver who has been continuously caring for her father with early-onset dementia with her mother since the winter of her 17th year. Over 14 years as a caregiving family, navigating multiple system windows such as medical insurance, long-term care insurance, disability welfare, intractable diseases, taxes, and labor, she encountered the structural problem that "systems exist, but are not reaching those who need them."
Although each window was helpful, there was no one who could guide them on "what to do next" based on the family's overall situation. Families had to research, apply for, and manage multiple systems on their own, often missing out on numerous support services due to lack of knowledge.
This experience is detailed in the Nikkei Shimbun series "Facing It" (all 4 installments) from April to May 2026. The third installment (published April 25, 2026) discussed the issue of "systems exist, but are not reaching caregivers" and Omoihito's efforts to address it.
The "Omoihito Care Guide" is a tool that Omoihito has been developing to fill these "gaps in the system" highlighted in the series. In conjunction with the series' conclusion, it is being released in a form that can be used by more people.
■ Three "I don't knows" faced by caregiving families
Families facing caregiving challenges encounter the following three "I don't knows":
(1) I don't know what systems are available
Systems are fragmented, including long-term care insurance, medical insurance, disability welfare, local government unique measures, pensions, and tax deductions. There is no cross-system means to understand "what I can use," resulting in financial burdens from missed opportunities.
(2) I don't know what to do first
Without clarity on application order, urgency, and required documents, decisions are delayed, and optimal application timing is often missed.
(3) I don't know where to consult
It's unclear which is the appropriate consultation point among ward offices, comprehensive community support centers, professionals, and medical counselors, leading to being passed around and fragmented information.
The "Omoihito Care Guide" is designed to resolve these three "I don't knows."
■ Three Entry Points for "Omoihito Care Guide"
The Care Guide offers three entry points depending on the user's situation.
▼ For those currently in need
If you want to know about systems, consultation services, and what to do now, start here.
We will ask about your situation and organize potentially usable systems.
▼ For those preparing for the future (Preparation Check)
If you want to check risks and finances in preparation for parental care, start here.
You can organize information on your family doctor, medication, important documents, and family responsibilities.
▼ For those who want to consult first (AI Consultation)
If you don't know where to start thinking, start here.
AI will organize your situation and guide you to the necessary entry point. AI's function is for information organization, general guidance, and arranging next consultation points, not as a substitute for experts.
■ Features of "Omoihito Care Guide"
▼ Gradual questioning to organize only necessary information
Initially, only a few basic questions are used to organize and present highly likely usable systems. If more detailed information organization is needed, you can proceed to additional questions to organize costs, housing, and specific actions.
The design is to first show top candidates before proceeding to detailed input, rather than asking a large number of questions from the start.
▼ Usable in 3 minutes on a smartphone
Basic questions can be answered in 3 minutes. It can be used anytime, anywhere with just one smartphone.
▼ Result page organized into 4 tabs: "Overview," "Money," "Systems," "Actions"
The final result page displays your situation organized from four perspectives.
・Overview: Situation summary and high-priority systems/procedures
・Money: Monthly costs, self-pay ratio, estimated savings duration, housing cost comparison by type, impact of system application
・Systems: Potentially usable systems organized by category (highly applicable systems prioritized, source explicitly stated)
・Actions: Procedures to take immediately
Keywords:
■ Development Background: Systems exist, but are not reaching those who need them
Representative Moe Kaneko is a former young caregiver and current double caregiver who has been continuously caring for her father with early-onset dementia with her mother since the winter of her 17th year. Over 14 years as a caregiving family, navigating multiple system windows such as medical insurance, long-term care insurance, disability welfare, intractable diseases, taxes, and labor, she encountered the structural problem that "systems exist, but are not reaching those who need them."
Although each window was helpful, there was no one who could guide them on "what to do next" based on the family's overall situation. Families had to research, apply for, and manage multiple systems on their own, often missing out on numerous support services due to lack of knowledge.
This experience is detailed in the Nikkei Shimbun series "Facing It" (all 4 installments) from April to May 2026. The third installment (published April 25, 2026) discussed the issue of "systems exist, but are not reaching caregivers" and Omoihito's efforts to address it.
The "Omoihito Care Guide" is a tool that Omoihito has been developing to fill these "gaps in the system" highlighted in the series. In conjunction with the series' conclusion, it is being released in a form that can be used by more people.
■ Three "I don't knows" faced by caregiving families
Families facing caregiving challenges encounter the following three "I don't knows":
(1) I don't know what systems are available
Systems are fragmented, including long-term care insurance, medical insurance, disability welfare, local government unique measures, pensions, and tax deductions. There is no cross-system means to understand "what I can use," resulting in financial burdens from missed opportunities.
(2) I don't know what to do first
Without clarity on application order, urgency, and required documents, decisions are delayed, and optimal application timing is often missed.
(3) I don't know where to consult
It's unclear which is the appropriate consultation point among ward offices, comprehensive community support centers, professionals, and medical counselors, leading to being passed around and fragmented information.
The "Omoihito Care Guide" is designed to resolve these three "I don't knows."
■ Three Entry Points for "Omoihito Care Guide"
The Care Guide offers three entry points depending on the user's situation.
▼ For those currently in need
If you want to know about systems, consultation services, and what to do now, start here.
We will ask about your situation and organize potentially usable systems.
▼ For those preparing for the future (Preparation Check)
If you want to check risks and finances in preparation for parental care, start here.
You can organize information on your family doctor, medication, important documents, and family responsibilities.
▼ For those who want to consult first (AI Consultation)
If you don't know where to start thinking, start here.
AI will organize your situation and guide you to the necessary entry point. AI's function is for information organization, general guidance, and arranging next consultation points, not as a substitute for experts.
■ Features of "Omoihito Care Guide"
▼ Gradual questioning to organize only necessary information
Initially, only a few basic questions are used to organize and present highly likely usable systems. If more detailed information organization is needed, you can proceed to additional questions to organize costs, housing, and specific actions.
The design is to first show top candidates before proceeding to detailed input, rather than asking a large number of questions from the start.
▼ Usable in 3 minutes on a smartphone
Basic questions can be answered in 3 minutes. It can be used anytime, anywhere with just one smartphone.
▼ Result page organized into 4 tabs: "Overview," "Money," "Systems," "Actions"
The final result page displays your situation organized from four perspectives.
・Overview: Situation summary and high-priority systems/procedures
・Money: Monthly costs, self-pay ratio, estimated savings duration, housing cost comparison by type, impact of system application
・Systems: Potentially usable systems organized by category (highly applicable systems prioritized, source explicitly stated)
・Actions: Procedures to take immediately
Keywords: