In English, "has to" and "have to" serve to express obligations (as in "must",
like in the classic example of having to do homework), and also work for when
one wants to express something that isn't an obligation - but is otherwise a
highly reasonable, obvious, or even inevitable choice of action. Consider the
examples:

Before going on a long car ride: _" You have to eat something before we head
out."_ (Suggestion as to the only reasonable action)

Upon learning information that's relevant to a friend: _" I have to call her
to let her know."_ (Not an obligation, but an action that naturally follows)

Or, for a more casual example, using a sports game:

_" You'll have to hide after such an embarrassing defeat."_

I hope it's clear, especially with this last example, that I'm basically
asking how to express that someone _certainly has_ to do an action, even if
the person isn't actually obligated to, but is otherwise understood as having
their hand forced by, for instance, personal inclinations.

For example I am not obligated to post here my every doubt, and can still
learn Japanese without having an answer to this question - but if I can't
clear it up by myself, it's my best option to consult others ("I'll have to
ask").

**What would be the most precise way to do this?**

I thought about using "方がいいのだ" but it struck me being a simple suggestion,
while I'm looking to put the emphasis on the necessity of taking the action
given circumstances. I thought of using "必要がある" where 必要 (noun/na-adj meaning
"necessity"/"necessary") acts as the sentence subject, taking the "strongly
advisable action" as its description.

There's also 余儀なくされる, which is a pretty particular verb meaning:

> to be forced to do or experience something (against one's will); to be
> forced to do something because one has no other choice

Which I thought could probably be used with verbs in te-form or with the stems
themselves, but it is a verb I have never seen before, and does seem to carry
the nuance of having actual serious consequences for not doing the expected
action.
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question
grammar word-choice nuances expressions english-to-japanese
How do you express "have to" in order to talk about a non-obligatory, but obvious course of action?
I would use ないといけない or its shortened colloquial version ないと.

> 彼女に電話して教えてあげないと。  
>  _I have to call her to let her know._

ないといけない sounds less obligatory and more subjective than なければならない, while the
latter’s contracted colloquial form なきゃ can be used practically
interchangeably with ないと.

> 彼女に電話して教えてあげなきゃ。

As a native speaker of a Western dialect, I personally never say なきゃ even when
I'm speaking in standard Japanese (perhaps unless it is followed by いけない)
because it sounds feminine to me. I guess it is a regional thing.
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answer