Sick in Japan - All About Japanese Healthcare, Insurance, Hospitals and Doctors

1. What If I Get Sick? How to Visit a Doctor in Japan

You will find medical facilities that are open to foreigners all over Japan. If the worst-case scenario occurs and you need to see a doctor, look for somewhere nearby on the following online list of medical facilities that accept foreigners, compiled by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). This incredibly handy tool allows you to search by area, symptom, language and whether the facility accepts credit cards. Available languages, types of treatment, and payment methods may differ, but you can find relevant information on medical institutions before seeking treatment without needing to know Japanese. 

English: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html
Chinese (Traditional): https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/chc/mi_guide.html
Chinese (Simplified): https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/chs/mi_guide.html
Korean: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/kor/mi_guide.html

In addition, the JNTO’s Japan Visitor Hotline is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year. You can contact them if you need assistance following an emergency, accident, or natural disaster, and they can also help you out if you need tourist information or if you have any trouble during your stay in Japan. This valuable service is available in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. 

Japan Visitor Hotline
TEL: 050-3816-2787 (From Japan) / +81-50-3816-2787 (From outside Japan)

2. What Are Japanese Medical Facilities Like? Will You Be Seen Without an Appointment? How Do You Call an Ambulance?

In Japan, as in most countries, there are many different kinds of medical facilities, from university and municipal hospitals to small clinics etc. Larger facilities will have an extensive range of departments from surgery and internal medicine to pediatrics, orthopedics, and psychiatry, and they should have no problem accommodating you. However, you should be aware that if you are visiting medical facilities without an appointment, you will probably have to wait a long time to be seen. In case of an emergency, you could visit a hospital with an emergency department or call 119 for an ambulance. Also, it is worth knowing that there may be additional costs involved in a trip to the emergency room such as holiday fees or late-night fees. 

How to Call an Ambulance
When you call 119, the operator will first answer in Japanese, but if you speak in English to them, you should be connected with an English-speaking operator. However, if you can get a Japanese person to help you, things will go a lot more smoothly, so try and find someone nearby to make the call for you. 

① Dial 119.
② You will hear the question “Kaji desu ka? Kyukyu desu ka?” (Is it a fire or a medical emergency?). Answer “Kyukyu desu” (medical emergency). 119 is also the number for the fire department. 
③ Do your best to accurately describe nearby landmarks to determine your address or location. 
④ Give details of the accident, injury, or condition. 
⑤ Give the name and phone number of the person calling. 
⑥ When you hear the ambulance siren, try to guide them as best as you can. (Follow the instructions given by the paramedics)
⑦ When the ambulance crew arrives, tell them about any first aid that has been administered, the patient's condition, and anything you can about their medical history. 

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications has produced the “Guide for Ambulance Services,” which teaches foreign tourists how to use an ambulance in Japan, available in English, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai, French and Italian. Please check it out.

 

3. Are You Worried About Seeing a Doctor in Japan? Take Notes so You Can Accurately Describe Your Symptoms

You’ve probably had times when you couldn’t quite find the words to explain how you’re feeling. If you know what is wrong, try to take some notes with you so you can accurately describe your problems to the doctor. Important things to write down to help the examination go smoothly are your name, blood type, current symptoms, current medications, any serious past illnesses, chronic allergies, your religion, and an emergency contact.

4. How Do I Get My Medication After Seeing the Doctor? Will I Get It When I Pay My Bill?

If you are at a large hospital, you will be able to get your prescription there. If you go to a smaller clinic, you will have to take your prescription to a pharmacy. In many instances there will be a pharmacy within the grounds of the hospital/clinic or somewhere close by. In recent years, pharmacies have started to open in drugstores, many of which now also offer multilingual support, so it should be easy to get an explanation about your prescribed medication. 

5. Can You Use Your Country’s Travel Insurance in Japan? How to Buy Japanese Insurance?

What worries people about using medical facilities abroad is the cost. If you can’t use your insurance and have to shoulder the whole cost yourself, it can become a huge expense. This makes travel insurance essential. Depending on the terms of your policy, your entire medical bill may be covered. If travel insurance is included with your credit card, you should explain this when you pay. 

If you do not have an active travel insurance policy or a credit card that includes travel insurance at the time of traveling, it’d probably be a good idea to purchase a policy like the ones outlined below when you arrive in Japan:

・Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance
Insurance name: Travel insurance for visitors
Languages available: English, Chinese, Korean
Policy limit: 10 million yen for each occurrence of an injury or outbreak of an illness 
Insurance premium: Differs depending on length (2,900 yen for 10 days) 
Official website: https://www.sompo-japan-off.jp/travelins/travelins_ja.html

・Tokio Marine Nichido
Insurance name: TOKYO OMOTENASHI POLICY
Languages available: English, Chinese, Korean
Policy limit: 10 million yen
Insurance premium: Differs depending on length (760 yen for one day, 3,610 yen for 10 days)
Official website: https://japantravelinsurance.net/

 

6. I Don’t Feel Well But It’s Not Bad Enough to Go to the Hospital… Where to Buy Over-the-Counter Medication in Japan?

If your condition is not serious enough to go to the doctor but you still need medication, you should head to the drugstore. There are many duty-free drugstores aimed at foreign travelers, and more importantly, Japanese medication has a reputation for being highly effective. Below are some examples of well-known drugstore chains in Japan. 

・Matsumoto Kiyoshi: https://www.matsukiyo.co.jp/store/online
・Tsuruha Drug: https://www.tsuruha.co.jp/
・Sun Drug: http://www.sundrug.co.jp/
・Cocokara Fine: https://corp.cocokarafine.co.jp/english/index.html
・Welcia: https://www.welcia-yakkyoku.co.jp/
・Satudora:
https://satudora.jp/
https://satudora.jp/taxFree/en/
https://satudora.jp/taxFree/zh-tw/
https://satudora.jp/taxFree/zh-cn/
https://satudora.jp/taxFree/ko/
https://satudora.jp/taxFree/th/

 

7. Can I Bring My Own Medication to Japan in Case I Get Sick?

Laws on medication vary from country to country, but is it okay to bring your prescribed medications from your country into Japan? Basically, there are no restrictions on bringing medication for personal use to Japan with you, even if it has not been approved for use in the country.

8. What If I Start Feeling Ill While I’m in Japan…? Consult JNTO’s Guide for Visitors to Japan

JNTO has released the “Guidebook for When You Are Feeling Ill.” Print it out and bring it with you or download it and keep it on your smartphone. It contains multilingual pages that allow you to interact in a range of situations, including pages where you can point to your symptoms and write down your personal medical information. It is worth looking over so you are prepared for all eventualities.

English: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/common/pdf/guide_eng.pdf
Traditional Chinese: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/common/pdf/guide_chi01.pdf
Simplified Chinese: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/common/pdf/guide_chi02.pdf
Korean: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/common/pdf/guide_kor.pdf
Thai: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/common/pdf/guide_tai.pdf