BETTER TEXT SHO
Tokyo · Est. October 2026 · 10am–2am JST
As seen onnothing

English in. Japanese out.

Stuck in Tokyo?Better Text Sho.

You text in English. Sho calls in Japanese. A real human replies in 5 minutes. He's wearing a suit. We don't know why either.

Text Sho on WhatsApp or on LINE
Sho, in a black shirt, looking straight at you
Under 5 minreply from a human, 10am–2am Tokyo time
¥0to ask a question. Any question. Unlimited.
No fix, no feeif Sho can't get it done, you pay nothing
Sho at a dessert café, holding a shaved ice
Sho. Tokyo. Available. Dessert not included.

The guy

Meet Sho.

Born in Tokyo, raised bilingual, [add one line: where you worked, or where you lived abroad]. He has spent an unreasonable share of his adult life on hold with Japanese reception desks and has, against all odds, come to enjoy it.

He owns one suit. He wears it for the calls. Nobody on the other end can see it. He says it helps.

  • LanguagesJapanese (native), English (fluent), hold music (conversational)
  • SpecialtyPhone-only restaurants, lost things, 1am problems
  • Hours10am–2am Tokyo time, because that's when things go wrong
  • NotA lawyer, a bot, or going anywhere

What people text Sho

Things you can't ask the hotel front desk.

Some of these are free questions. Some need Sho to pick up the phone. He'll tell you which before anything costs money.

  • "How do love hotels actually work?"
    Asked more than you'd think. Answered without judgement, with slight amusement.
    Free
  • "The izakaya charged me for a tiny dish I didn't order."
    That's otoshi. It's legal. Sho is sorry.
    Free
  • "What does this letter from my ward office say?"
    Send a photo. Most Japanese people can't read it either.
    Free
  • "Do I tip?"
    No. Please stop.
    Free
  • "This sushi place only takes phone bookings."
    Sho has a phone. Sho has a voice. Sho books it in your name.
    Call
  • "I left my bag in a taxi."
    Send your payment receipt. Sho calls the company's lost-and-found in Japanese.
    Call
  • "Someone in my group is sick and it's 1am."
    Sho finds the clinic that's open, calls ahead, and tells them what's wrong.
    Call
  • "The hotel says I booked a different date."
    Sho gets on the phone with them and sorts out what actually happened.
    Call

Pricing

Simple prices. One rule.

Questions are free. Always. Unlimited.

No account, no card, no catch. Ask as many as you like, whenever you like. You only pay when Sho picks up the phone or does real work for you.

You pay when Sho picks up the phone.

Quick call
¥3,000
One call in Japanese. Confirm a booking, ask a shop a question, check if they take cards, call lost-and-found.
Reservation
¥4,000
A phone-only restaurant, booked in your name. Hard-to-get places: ¥6,000. Only charged if Sho gets you the table.
Handle it
from ¥8,000
Problems that take more than one call and some judgement: lost item, clinic appointment, hotel mix-up. Sho quotes before starting.
Research & tasks
from ¥3,000
Itineraries, translating documents, comparing options. No phone call, still work.
Live interpretation
¥3,000 / 15 min
Sho on the call with you and the other side, in real time.
After 9pm
+ ¥2,000
Sho's awake. Sho awake costs a little extra.

No fix, no fee.

If Sho can't get it done, you pay nothing. You pay by card link after you say yes, before Sho starts. Prices in yen; your bank shows your currency.

We launched in October 2026. These are launch prices and you're one of the first. Whatever you pay today is what you'll pay for the rest of your trip, even if prices go up next month. Tell Sho what we got wrong. Early customers are shaping the prices.

How it works

Three steps. Two of them are yours.

1

Text Sho

WhatsApp or LINE. Say what's going on, in plain English. Photos help.

2

Say yes

If it needs a call, Sho tells you the price first. You tap a card link. That's the whole checkout.

3

Sho calls

He handles it in Japanese and reports back in writing, with the details you'll need. Confirmation name, time, floor, which curtain.

Field notes

Sho, at work.

Between calls. Research is part of the job, apparently.

Sho in a white shirt and striped tie
Off duty, still in a tie. He says it helps on the phone. Nobody on the phone can see it.
Sho eyeing two fruit soft-serves
Field research. Checking the soft-serve is worth the queue before he recommends it. It was.
Official headshot of Sho
The official headshot. He asked for “serious but approachable.” This is that.

Boundaries

Everything Sho does is legal. He's almost disappointed.

Sho, straight-faced, against a red wall
Sho, declining a karaoke solo.

Sho will

  • Call anyone in Japan on your behalf and relay exactly what you said, politely
  • Bend his schedule, his sleep, and the patience of a reservation desk
  • Introduce you to a real English-speaking lawyer or doctor, for free, when it's that kind of problem

Sho won't

  • Give medical or legal advice. He's a man with a phone, not a licence
  • Negotiate disputes as your representative. He interprets; he doesn't litigate
  • Do anything illegal, anything involving a stranger's privacy, or a karaoke solo

FAQ

Reasonable questions.

Is this a real person?

Unfortunately, yes. Sho is a bilingual human in Tokyo. The replies are typed by a person. AI helps with his English spelling; it doesn't make the calls.

Can Sho get me into Jiro?

No. Neither can anyone. Sho can get you into the place next door, which is honestly fine.

How fast is "5 minutes"?

Between 10am and 2am Tokyo time, a human replies within 5 minutes. A phone call takes 10–20 minutes on top of that. Between 2am and 10am, Sho is a person; message anyway and he'll pick it up first thing.

What if Sho can't fix it?

Then you pay nothing and Sho goes to bed sad. A reservation counts as done when the restaurant confirms it. A call counts as done when the other side has answered, whatever their answer was.

Should I call a lawyer or Sho?

If it involves a courtroom, a lawyer. If it involves a ramen shop, Sho. If it involves both, what did you do. Sho knows real lawyers and introduces you for free.

Do I tip?

In Japan, no. For Sho, there's a link after the job's done. That's between you and your conscience. Your conscience knows where the link is.

Questions free · Calls from ¥3,000 · No fix, no fee Text Sho on WhatsApp