Living Alone in Japan? Make Sure Someone Would Know.
Japan's National Police Agency recorded 76,941 people who lived alone and died at home in 2025 — and 22,222 of them were not found for eight days or more. A daily check-in doesn't stop an emergency. It changes how long it takes for someone to notice.
Free forever • No credit card • iOS & Android
The Problem
Sound familiar? You're not alone.
Living alone in a building where nobody would notice for days
Family in another prefecture — or another country — with no reliable way to know you're okay
Not wanting a monitoring service, a pendant, or anyone watching where you go
How I'm Alive Solves This
A simple solution that actually works.
One tap a day confirms you're okay — that is the whole routine
Miss it, and the people you chose are told within hours, with your location
No pendant, no home sensors, no GPS tracking — location is shared only in a real emergency and auto-deletes in 72 hours
Why This Works for You
- Built for people who live on their own in Japan — not for a family member to monitor you
- Nothing to install in your home and nothing to wear: it runs on the phone you already have
- A complement to a 見守り (mimamori) service or a family arrangement, not a replacement for either
- Works the same in a Tokyo apartment block where you have never met your neighbours as it does in a rural house where the nearest one is a field away
How It Works
Three simple steps.
Set Your Time
Choose when to check in each day
Tap I'm Okay
One tap confirms you're safe
Auto-Alert
Miss a check-in? Contact is notified
Features
One-Tap Check-In
Large, easy button - done in seconds
Customizable Schedule
Set your perfect check-in time
Smart Alerts (Protect Me)
Escalating notifications to your contacts if you miss a check-in
Check-In Notes
Add context like 'Going hiking today'
History Tracking
See all your past check-ins
Free to Start
Daily self check-in and reminders are always free; add Protect Me for contact alerting
Frequently Asked Questions
What is kodokushi, and does this prevent it?
孤独死 (kodokushi) means dying alone, often without being found for some time. This app does not prevent a death — nothing on your phone can. What it changes is the discovery window. On the National Police Agency's 2025 figures, 22,222 people who died alone at home were not found for eight days or more; a daily check-in means the people you chose hear within hours instead. See our full breakdown of the police data.
Is the app available in Japanese?
Not yet — the interface is currently in English only. The daily check-in itself is a single button, so most people manage regardless, but we would rather say this plainly than have you find out after you have come to rely on it. A Japanese version is something we are looking at.
How is this different from a 見守り (mimamori) service?
Mimamori services are usually tied to your home — a sensor on a kettle, an electricity meter, a scheduled visit — and often to a contract with a utility or security company. This runs on your phone, costs nothing for the daily check-in, and follows you outside the house. Many people use both; they answer different halves of the question.
Does it call 119?
No. It alerts the trusted contacts you chose — your family, a neighbour, a friend — with your location. It never calls emergency services and is not connected to a monitoring call centre. If you need an ambulance, call 119.
Does it track where I am?
No. There is no continuous location tracking. Your location is shared only when an alert is actually triggered, and it is deleted automatically after 72 hours.
Does fall detection work in Japan?
Fall detection works anywhere, but only on iPhone at the moment (app v2.3.1) and only on the Protect Me plan or above. It stays off until you switch it on. If your phone senses a hard fall it checks on you first with a full-screen "Are you okay?" — if you don't answer, your contacts are alerted. There is no Android version yet and it does not require an Apple Watch.
What does it cost?
The daily check-in is free (Try It, $0), forever. Automatic alerts to your contacts when you miss a check-in start on Protect Me ($29.99/year). There is a one-time Stay Connected lifetime upgrade at $4.99, and Protect Me On The Move is $39.99/year.
I'm from India and living in Japan — is this still for me?
Yes, and if what you actually want is to check on parents back in India, we have a page built for exactly that. This page is about your own safety while you live here; the two are not the same thing and the app does both.
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Free forever • No credit card required • iOS & Android
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