On August 27, SoftBank said it had begun offering Mentari to elementary, middle and high schools in Japan. The service combines student surveys, free-text responses and follow-up work, using AI to organize items that may need attention. It is designed to reduce the burden of finding signals, not to make decisions for students or teachers.
What does Mentari do?
Schools can collect students’ feelings and concerns through surveys. The system analyzes free-text responses and flags replies that may need faster follow-up, giving teachers another way to notice issues beyond one-by-one reading or waiting for students to speak up.
Students interact with an AI character called Mofu, whose role is to listen and organize what they say. SoftBank says Mofu does not give advice or judge a student’s situation for teachers, parents or professionals. It is an expression entry point, not counseling or crisis care.
How do teachers respond to signals?
Teachers can review organized content and consult similar cases and response guidance reviewed by experts and psychiatrists. The material supports the next conversation; an AI flag is not a diagnosis or a basis for discipline.
The same words can have different contexts, and students may not fully express themselves in a survey. AI analysis is therefore only a prioritization aid. Schools still need conversation, existing support procedures and professional help when needed.
The initial period is for free evaluation
SoftBank says the initial period is free so schools can evaluate whether the workflow fits their settings. The focus is still on adoption, teacher workload and student use, not a claim that AI solves school mental-health support.
Before adoption, schools should clarify who can see raw answers, how long flags are retained, how errors are corrected and how students and families are informed. With minors’ data, transparency and access controls matter as much as model performance.
The practical value of the service
Mentari’s value is not replacing human care, but making the collection, organization and follow-up of student concerns more sustainable. SoftBank has begun offering the school evaluation service; whether it consistently reduces teacher workload or missed signals still requires real-world evaluation.
