How to See a Doctor in Japan as a Tourist or New Resident

Emergency first

If it's an emergency, don't search online first. Call:

• 119 for an ambulance or the fire service. Say 救急車をお願いします (kyūkyūsha o onegai shimasu), “An ambulance, please,” then give your location.
• 110 for the police.
• The JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, for help in English, including finding medical care [VERIFY: number, hours and services].

Many 119 centers can connect to interpretation [VERIFY: availability by area]. If you can't explain where you are, staff at a nearby station, hotel or convenience store can help with the call. Some areas also run a non-emergency medical advice line, #7119, for questions like whether to go to hospital tonight [VERIFY: which areas offer #7119 and in which languages].

Clinic or hospital?

Japan's medical system works a little differently from what many visitors expect.

• Clinics, クリニック (kurinikku) or 医院 (iin), are small, often run by one doctor, and focus on a specialty such as internal medicine, 内科 (naika), dermatology, ENT or orthopedics. For colds, stomach bugs, minor injuries and ongoing conditions, a clinic is usually the right place.
• Hospitals, 病院 (byōin), are larger and handle emergencies, tests and specialists. Large hospitals may charge an extra fee if you arrive without a referral letter, 紹介状 (shōkaijō), from a clinic [VERIFY: current rules and amount].

Japan usually doesn't have a family-doctor gatekeeper system like the one in the UK or many other countries. People choose a clinic by specialty. If you're not sure which, internal medicine is a good starting point for most general symptoms.

Finding an English-friendly clinic

Many doctors in Japan can read medical English, and some speak it well, but reception staff often don't. A few ways to find a clinic:

1. JNTO's medical institution search lists hospitals and clinics that accept foreign patients, by area and language [VERIFY: current tool and URL].
2. Prefecture and city websites often publish lists of clinics with foreign-language support.
3. Your hotel front desk usually knows nearby clinics that see foreign guests.
4. Your travel insurance provider may recommend clinics and, in some cases, arrange direct billing [VERIFY].
5. Embassies and consulates often publish lists of English-speaking doctors.

An “English-friendly” listing doesn't always mean English at the front desk. Call ahead to check, and bring notes about your symptoms in simple English, or in Japanese, if you can.

These phrases help at reception, or when you call to check before going:

At night, on weekends and on public holidays, most clinics are closed. Many cities run a holiday and night clinic for urgent but non-life-threatening problems, often called 休日夜間急患センター (kyūjitsu yakan kyūkan sentā) [VERIFY: name and availability by city]. Your city or prefecture website usually lists the nearest one and its hours, and your hotel front desk may know it too.

Booking and walk-ins

Many clinics accept walk-ins during reception hours, 受付時間 (uketsuke jikan), while others require or prefer an appointment. Reception often closes before the clinic does, and many clinics close for a midday break, on one weekday afternoon, and on Sundays and holidays [VERIFY: general patterns].

1. Check the clinic's hours on its website or map listing.
2. Call to ask whether they take walk-ins or need an appointment, and whether they can see a foreign patient or someone without Japanese insurance.
3. Ask what to bring and whether they accept cards.
4. Arrive early, especially on Mondays and after holidays, which are often busy.

Some clinics use online booking or ticket-number systems that are Japanese only. If calling is the barrier, our clinic appointment service books the visit and checks the details you care about, like card payment and English.

What to bring and how payment works

For your first visit, bring:

• ID: your passport if you're visiting, or your residence card if you live in Japan.
• Health insurance: residents should bring their insurance card, 保険証 (hokenshō), or a My Number card registered for health insurance [VERIFY: current rules].
• Travel insurance details if you're a visitor.
• A list of medicines you take, with generic names, plus any allergies.
• Cash, because some clinics don't take cards.

Residents enrolled in Japanese health insurance usually pay a share of the cost, commonly 30% for most adults [VERIFY]. Visitors without Japanese insurance generally pay the full cost at the clinic and claim it back from their travel insurance. Some hospitals may ask for a deposit before treatment.

Ask for a receipt, 領収書 (ryōshūsho), and, if your insurer needs it, a medical certificate or itemized statement. Documents in English may cost extra and take a few days. If you have food allergies, our guide to booking phone-only restaurants covers how to tell a restaurant before you go.

Pharmacies and prescriptions

Clinics usually give you a prescription, 処方箋 (shohōsen), to take to a dispensing pharmacy, 調剤薬局 (chōzai yakkyoku). These are often right next to the clinic. Prescriptions are typically valid for only a few days, so fill yours promptly [VERIFY: validity period].

For minor problems, drugstores, ドラッグストア (doraggu sutoa), sell over-the-counter medicine. Some have a pharmacist on duty, but staff may not speak English. Showing a photo of the medicine you use at home, or its active ingredient, helps a lot.

If you're bringing your own medicine into Japan, check the rules before you travel. Some common medicines, including certain stimulant-based ADHD medicines and strong painkillers, are restricted, and larger quantities may need paperwork in advance [VERIFY: current import rules from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare].

Dentists

Dental clinics, 歯科 (shika) or 歯医者 (haisha), are very common in Japan, and many are appointment-only. For a broken tooth, a lost filling or toothache, call and ask for the earliest slot, and explain that you're in pain. Some areas run weekend or holiday emergency dental clinics [VERIFY: by area].

As with medical clinics, visitors usually pay in full and claim it back from insurance. Ask for a receipt that lists the treatment.