Feeling sick in Japan? Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do and what you need, based off my REAL experience as a Japanese local.
What do I need?
- You will need to bring your health insurance card (“保険証” – Hokenshou).
- Cash. Some small clinics do not accept card payment. For general check ups \5,000-10,000 yen should be enough.
Health insurance is mandatory by Law in Japan for all Japanese citizens and Expats with long-term Visa. If you are employed your company should provide you with the health insurance card. Family members are often also covered under the same employment insurance as a dependent. If you are self-employed or unemployed, you will need to be enrolled in the National Health Insurance (“国民健康保険” – Kokumin Kenkou Hoken) to receive your health insurance card.
If you do not have a heath insurance card, you will be required to pay the medical fee in full.
Where should I visit?
Visit your nearest Clinic or Hospital.
Generally it is easier to first visit a Clinic. If you need to be treated further, the Doctor at the Clinic may write you a Referral to be seen at a hospital with the necessary equipment.
If your matter is urgent, go to the hospital and visit the Emergency Room (“緊急外来 – Kinkyuu Gairai).
If you need to be treated for a specific condition it may be best to look for a specialized Clinic or a Hospital. Refer to the table below to find the correct medical facility.
Japanese | English | |
General Departments | ||
総合診療科 | Sogo Shinryou ka | General Practice |
緊急・集中治療部 | Kinkyuu・Shuchuchiryou bu | Emergency Room (ER) / Intensive Care Unit (ICU) |
臨床検査科 | Rinshou kensa ka | Clinical Laboratory |
病院薬剤部 | Byouin yakuzai bu | Radiology |
放射線科 | Houshasen ka | Hospital Pharmacy |
Internal Medicine Department (内科 – Naika) | ||
内科 | Naika | Internal Medicine |
消化器内科 | Shoukaki naika | Gastroenterology |
呼吸器内科 | Kokyuuki naika | Respiratory Medicine \ Pulmonology |
内分泌内科 | Naibunpitsu naika | Endocrinology |
免疫・アレルギー科 | Meneki・Allergy ka | Immunology / Allergy |
感染症内科 | Kansenshou naika | Infectious Diseases |
精神科 | Seishin ka | Psychiatry |
循環器内科 | Junkanki naika | Cardiology |
血液内科 | Ketsueki naika | Hematology |
肝臓内科 | Kanzou naika | Nephrology |
神経内科 | Shinkei naika | Neurology |
腫瘍科 | Shuyou naika | Oncology |
小児科 | Shounika | Pediatrics |
Surgical Deparment (外科 – Geka) | ||
一般外科 | Ippan geka | General Surgery |
消化器外科 | Shoukaki geka | Gastrointestinal Surgery |
脳神経外科 | Noushinkei geka | Neurological Surgery |
血管外科 | Kekkan geka | Vascular Surgery |
整形外科 | Seikei geka | Orthopedic Surgery |
産科 | Sannka | Obstetrics |
皮膚科 | Hifuka | Dermatology |
眼科 | Ganka | Ophthalmology |
呼吸器外科 | Kokyuuki geka | Thocracic Surgery |
心臓外科 | Shinzou geka | Cardiac Surgery |
形成外科 | Keisei geka | Plastic Surgery |
泌尿器科 | Hinyoukika | Urology |
婦人科 | Fujinka | Gynecology |
耳鼻咽喉科 | Jibi Intouka | Otorhinolaryngology |
検眼化 | Kenganka | Optometry |
Difference between a Clinic and Hospital
The legal difference between a clinic and a hospital is that hospitals must have the capacity to serve over 20 patients. This means Hospitals must have over 20 beds, while clinics will usually have less than that.
Clinics are small scale medical facilities which often specialize in certain fields. Hospitals have a range of departments and equipment for deep assessments and surgical operations.
Seeing the doctor: Step by step
Once you have decided which Clinic or Hospital you are going to visit and have prepared your health insurance card its time to visit the facility.
Visiting the venue
In Japan appointments or bookings are not required (and often not possible) for first time visits so just make sure you visit during operating hours. However depending on your condition (COVID for example) you may want to give them a ring before you visit.
Once you arrive at the Clinic/Hospital head to the reception. If it is a Clinic the reception should be obvious as the venue is likely to be small. If you are visiting a hospital the reception may be slightly harder to find – search for the “外来(gai-rai)” reception by following the signs or simply ask the hospital staff for directions.
At the reception
Tell the receptionist that you are here for a check up. The receptionist will ask for your health insurance card and tell you to wait until your name is called. If you are coming from another clinic and have a referral letter (“紹介状 – Shoukaijou) from another doctor, show the letter to the receptionist.
If this is your first time visit, you will be handed a questionnaire form (“問診表 – monshin-hyou) to fill in while you wait. The questions are mostly general and ask about your conditions. The doctor will use this form as part of their assessment.
Once your name is called follow the directions from the staff to see the doctor. If you are at a hospital, depending on your condition you may need to go through blood tests, urine tests etc before you can see the doctor.
After seeing the doctor
Once you have seen the doctor you will be guided back to the reception. The doctor would have instructed the receptionist to provide you with the required documents and prepare the invoice for payment. Most clinics simply require you to pay at the reception while some hospitals may require you to pay separately at a machine.
How much do I need to pay?
With health insurance the initial consultation should be around 3,000 – 4,000 yen. For general follow-up consultations the cost can be around 1,000 yen.
Medical fees in Japan are calculated in points. Your medical invoice should list the medical service items in points before the final amount required to be paid is tallied.
1 point = 10 yen and this is universal by law throughout Japan. With health insurance generally you will only pay 30% of the total amount. Final amount will be rounded to the nearest 10 yen.
Example:
Total Consultation fee | 324 points |
Converted to yen (324 x 10 yen) |
3,240 yen |
With insurance (3,240 x 30%) |
972 yen |
Final payment amount (rounded to nearest 10 yen) |
970 yen |
Payment amount in-depth
The price structure for medical bills are reviewed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare every 2 years. The point structure of 1 point = 10 yen is universally applied throughout Japan by law.
As of 2022, The initial consultation fee is fixed at 288 points or 2,880 yen. Follow up consultation is fixed at 74 points or 740 yen. These costs will vary by around 130 – 600 points if the visit falls outside of normal operating hours and on weekends.
The amount covered by health insurance varies depending on your income bracket and age.
For the full list of medical costs refer to the Ministry website in the Useful links section below.
Useful Links
- Guide for When you are feeling ill (Japan National Tourism Association) (EN)
- Search Medical Institutions that are able to service in English nation wide.
- Useful medical and symptoms terms summarized for non-Japanese natives. (direct link here)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (EN)
- Website is extremely limited when viewed in English. If you are able to read Japanese view the website in Japanese for more details.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – Medical Bill update (JP)
- Direct link to the medical bill section on the government website. Details only available in Japanese.