Seeing a Doctor in Japan: A Complete Guide for Foreigners

Japan's Healthcare System: The Basics

Health Insurance in Japan

Japan operates a universal health insurance (国民皆保険) system. Everyone legally residing in Japan who meets the qualifying conditions must enroll in health insurance:

• Workplace insurance (健康保険): For employees — premiums shared between employer and employee
• National Health Insurance (国民健康保険): For those not enrolled through an employer (working holiday participants, self-employed workers, students, etc.) — apply at your local ward or city office

Your co-payment with insurance:

• Adults under 70: 30% (3割)
• Ages 70–74: 20%
• Age 75+: 10%–30% (depending on income)
• Children under school age (6): 20%

⚠️ Working holiday participants note: Complete your resident registration (住民登録) as soon as you arrive, then promptly apply for National Health Insurance. Until your application is processed, all medical care must be paid for entirely out-of-pocket.

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How to Find a Hospital

Option 1: Google Maps

Search for the type of specialist you need (e.g., internal medicine (内科), dermatology (皮膚科), orthopedics (整形外科)) plus your neighborhood. Check reviews, hours, and whether they accept new patients.

Option 2: Byouin Nabi (byouin.navi.ne.jp)

Japan's largest hospital search website. Filter by area, specialty, hours, and whether the clinic has foreign language services (外国語対応).

🔗 Byouin Nabi

Option 3: Your Prefecture's Foreign Language Hospital List

Most prefectural health departments publish lists of hospitals that can provide care in foreign languages. Search your prefecture's government website.

Option 4: Emergency — Dial #7119 (Emergency Medical Advisory Center / 救急安心センター)

If you're unsure whether you need to go to the ER or don't know where to go, call #7119. A medical professional will assess your symptoms over the phone and advise whether you need emergency care.

Currently available in: Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa, Aichi, Hyogo, Fukuoka, and many other prefectures (confirm whether your area is covered).

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What to Bring

Document	Notes
Insurance card (保険証)	Most important — determines your co-pay rate
My Number Card (マイナンバーカード)	Can replace insurance card if My Number health insurance card (マイナ保険証) registration is complete
Residence Card (在留カード)	Some clinics request this from foreign patients
Patient card (診察券)	Issued on your first visit; bring it on return visits
Allergy information	Prepare in English or Japanese if you have drug allergies
Cash	Most clinics in Japan don't accept credit cards; bring cash

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The Visit Process

1. Book or walk in: Most clinics accept walk-ins (予約なし・初診可); large hospitals may prefer a phone appointment
2. Check in (受付): Show your insurance card and Residence Card; fill out the intake form (問診票)
3. Intake form: Covers symptoms, medical history, allergies — use a translation app if needed
4. See the doctor (診察): The doctor examines you
5. Prescription (処方箋): If medication is needed, you'll receive a prescription slip — take it to a pharmacy (薬局) to collect your medication
6. Pay (会計): Settle your co-pay at the reception desk

💡 About prescriptions: Japanese hospitals typically don't dispense medication on-site — they issue a prescription (処方箋) that you take to any nearby dispensing pharmacy (調剤薬局). Pharmacies are easy to find near clinics; search for "dispensing pharmacy" (調剤薬局) on maps.

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Guidance by Common Situation

Cold / Fever

Go to: Internal Medicine (内科) clinic

Common phrases for your intake form or the doctor:

• I have a fever (熱があります)
• I have a sore throat (喉が痛いです)
• I have a cough (咳が出ます)
• I have a headache (頭が痛いです)

Injury / Suspected Fracture

Go to: Orthopedics (整形外科)

For falls, sprains, and suspected fractures. If the injury is severe (heavy bleeding, visible bone deformity), call 119 instead.

Dental

Go to: Dentistry (歯科) / dental clinic (歯科医院)

Standard treatments are covered at 30% co-pay. Reminder: cosmetic procedures like whitening are self-pay and expensive.

Mental Health

Go to: Psychosomatic Internal Medicine (心療内科) or Psychiatry (精神科)

• Stress, anxiety, depression → start with Psychosomatic Internal Medicine (心療内科)
• Serious mental health conditions → Psychiatry (精神科)
• Language is a challenge — look for clinics with foreign language support, or ask AMDA for a referral

Emergency

Call 119

If someone is unconscious, seriously injured, or showing signs of a cardiac event, call 119 immediately.

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Overcoming the Language Barrier

Option 1: Translation Apps

• Google Translate: Camera mode can translate text on intake forms in real time
• DeepL: Excellent translation quality for many language pairs
• VoiceTra: Free multilingual medical translation app developed by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs; designed specifically for medical settings

Option 2: AMDA International Medical Information Center

Provides multilingual medical consultation and can refer you to foreign-language-capable hospitals or medical interpreters.

📞 Tokyo: 03-5285-8088 (multiple languages available)

Option 3: Prepare a Symptom Card in Advance

Before leaving for Japan, prepare a card or document listing your medical history, allergies, and common symptoms in both your native language and Japanese. Having it ready saves time in a stressful moment — a medical phrasebook app can also help.

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