For safe travels in Japan - Guide for when you are feeling ill | Japan : the Official Guide

For safe travels in Japan | Guide for when you are feeling ill | To prepare for this, we have created a website to help you receive medical care in Japan. Please add it to your bookmarks to use in the event of an emergency. For safe travels in Japan | Guide for when you are feeling ill | To prepare for this, we have created a website to help you receive medical care in Japan. Please add it to your bookmarks to use in the event of an emergency.

  • Getting started
  • Search Medical institutions
  • How to use Medical institutions
  • Travel Insurance
  • Emergency contact information

Getting started

Main Contact Points for Illness or Injury among Foreign Visitors to Japan

IIf you become ill or injured, please check the following information to find a medical institution's consultation hotline or find a medical facility to visit for treatment.

  • I want to consult about medical treatment

    Please contact the consultation service of the prefecture in which you are staying as listed in the links.

    *In times outside of regular opening hours, please contact the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare COVID-19 Call Center.(0120-565-653)

  • I want to visit a medical institution

    Please seek direct medical attention according to your symptoms.
    You can search for medical institutions using the “Medical Institution Search” tab above.

Search Medical institutions

Download list of medical institutions as a PDF
Area

PDF Download

How to use Medical institutions

The type of medical institution you need differs between time of use,
if it is an emergency, and the level of severity.

  • Emergency hospital

    Available 24 hours a day,
    365 days a year.

    • Accepts emergency care patients.

  • If you need doctors’ assistance

    • Visit a clinic or general hospital during regular hours.
    • Otherwise, go to after-hours reception (varies by region).

  • If you do not need doctors’ assistance

    • Nearby pharmacy
    • Drugstore
    • OTC medication search (English only)
      An English-language search for drugs (OTC medication) that can be purchased from pharmacies or drugstores. Search under the name of the drug, affected part, or efficacy.
    • Consult a pharmacist or a registered sales clerk, if necessary.
    • Some types of medicines cannot be purchased when the pharmacist is not there.
How to use an emergency care hospital
  • Ambulance Call 119
    If you need an ambulance, show the sentence below to a nearby Japanese person so they will call one for you.
    Be transported to an emergency care hospital in the event of a traffic accident or other emergency.

    救急車を呼んでください。(Please call an ambulance.)

Important

You cannot choose which hospital you will be brought to. Depending on your condition, you may be given treatment without being questioned, so it is important to fill out the sheet below. ★1

Procedure from hospital reception to payment

*1 Be sure to listen carefully to the explanation of the examination results.

*2 Payment here is the cost for treatment received up to this point. Keep in mind that payment by credit card is only accepted at major hospitals. Clinics generally accept cash only.
If you are subscribed to overseas travel insurance including cash-free payment service, there is no need for payment. However, if you are not subscribed to overseas travel insurance, you may be charged the full amount.
Note: The cash-free conditions vary by insurance company. Please check beforehand.

*3 You will be charged separately at the pharmacy for any medicine you need. Some medical institutions provide in-house prescriptions.

Symptoms and Treatment

Primary symptoms Diagnosis and treatment departments
Fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose Internal Medicine
Headache Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery
Chest pain Cardiovascular Internal Medicine, Respiratory Internal Medicine
Abdominal pain Internal Medicine, Gastroenterological Medicine,
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Bloody vomit or stool Internal Medicine, Gastroenterological Medicine
Diarrhea Internal Medicine, Gastroenterological Medicine
Injury, wound Surgery, Plastic Surgery
Bone fracture, joint pain Orthopedic Surgery
Burns Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Surgery
Eczema/Hives Dermatology
Dizziness/Tinnitus Otorhinolaryngology, Neurology
Ears, nose, or throat Otorhinolaryngology
Children’s illnesses Pediatrics
Toothaches Oral Health
Difficulty urinating, bloody urine, pain when urinating Urology
During pregnancy (abdominal pain or bloating, spotting, water breakage, concerns about the baby) Obstetrics/Gynecology
In emergencies Emergency Medicine
Unsure what department to visit General Diagnosis and Treatment

A PDF file is available for you to print out the above information and hand it to foreign visitors to Japan.

Guide for using medical institutions（PDF）

Travel Insurance

There is travel insurance that you can purchase even after you enter Japan.

Private medical insurance that you can purchase after entering Japan provides sufficient coverage during your stay, even for COVID-19.

  • Coverage of up to 10 million yen that even covers expensive treatment
  • Includes interpretation services as well as medical institution referral and arrangement services
  • Coverage for COVID-19
  • Negotiation of cashless payment* for medical expenses, etc.

*A system that allows short-term visitors, etc. to seek medical care without having to pay the bill on-site by sending the bill to an insurance company (including assistant companies to which services are outsourced) instead of billing the short-stay visitor, etc. directly.

Private medical insurance can be purchased instantly online. Enjoy your trip to Japan to the fullest by purchasing insurance with sufficient coverage and services.

*Cannot be accessed before entering Japan.

PURCHASE JAPAN TRAVEL INSURACE

There are cases in which medical expenses during a trip to Japan can add up to a high amount.

Collision with a bicycle resulting in traumatic pneumothorax and fractured ribs

Surgery + Hospitalization + Transport
7.5 million yen

Surgery, 19-day hospital stay, attending physician,flight back to the US on civilian aircraft (business class)

Heart attack

Surgery + Hospitalization + Transport
10,000,000 yen

Surgery, 45-day hospital stay, attending physician, flight back to Singapore on civilian aircraft (business class)

*Source: Tokio Marine International Assistance

Please be aware that foreign visitors who fail to pay their medical expenses may be denied entry into Japan in the future.

Don’t forget to buy travel insurance! (30 sec.)

Emergency contact information

Fire Department

When there is a fire or traffic accident. When someone is seriously sick or injured.

119

Police Department

When there is a traffic accident. When a crime (robbery, assault, etc.) has been committed.

110

Japan Visitor Hotline

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) operates a 24/7 multilingual call center service "Japan Visitor Hotline".
If you are a foreign visitor to Japan and are in need of assistance, please contact us.

Scope of support
Support in the event of emergencies such as illness, disaster, etc., and general tourism information (current COVID-19 matters, introductions to medical institutions where consultations can be done in foreign languages, etc.)
Languages
English, Chinese, Korean
Support provided
Direct inquiries from visitors to Japan (as a general rule, we do not provide three-way interpretation or make reservations on behalf of visitors to Japan)
TEL
050-3816-2787 (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

Contact information for embassies

Ministry of Foreign Affairs links：『Foreign Missions in Japan』（English）

https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/protocol/index.html