useJapan 
Your home country and Japan may have different medical systems. To avoid hurry when you get sick, find out in advance how to go to a Japanese hospital. Read this article to learn about the Japanese medical system and the flow of hospital visits when you are sick or ill.
*Here, it is assumed that you are a resident of 3 months or more in Japan.
Contents
Basic knowledge before going to the hospital
When you get sick or ill, you can go to a Japanese hospital. To do so, let’s first know about the Japanese medical system.
In Japan, everyone is required to take out health insurance so that they can receive medical care with peace of mind. There are two types of health insurance.
if you have either insurance, 70% of the medical fee will be covered by insurance.
The first is medical insurance called Social insurance（社会保険 （しゃかいほけん）/ shakai-hoken) for people working at the company. In the weeks you started working, you will receive a card called a Health insurance card (健康保険証（けんこうほけんしょう） / kenko-hokensho) from the company.
When you get a job, you are obliged to join and the insurance premium is deducted from your salary.
The second is National medical insurance(国民健康保険（こくみんけんこうほけん） / kokumin-kenkohoken).
Those who are covered by the National health insurance are international students and those who work less than 20 hours a week.
You can apply for National health insurance at the city hall where you are registered as a resident. As with Social insurance, you will receive a Health insurance card after completing the enrollment procedure. You should go to a convenience store or a bank and pay the National health insurance premium yourself.
In Japan, there are medical institutions called hospitals and clinics. The hospital sees you when you have a serious illness. The clinic will see you if you have a cold or an injury that heals quickly. You can go to hospital even if you have a cold, but it may be a little expensive, so it is recommended that you go to a clinic if you have an illness or injury that will heal quickly.
Necessary items
Health insurance card
Residence card and passport
Medicine notebook
Cash
Flow of examination and prescription of medicine
- You can find the phone number for reservation on the hospital sign or the hospital website.
- Call the hospital and ask if an appointment is required for examination.
Example)
Hello, it’s ▲▲ hospital.
はい、▲▲病院（びょういん）です。
I would like to have a medical examination; do I need to make an appointment?
受診（じゅしん）したいのですが、予約（よやく）は必要（ひつよう）ですか？
Not required. Please come as it is. Or Is required.
いいえ、必要ありません。そのままお越（こ）しください。or 予約（よやく）が必要（ひつよう）です。
Please tell me the desired appointment date.
ご希望（きぼう）の日付（ひづけ）はありますか。
Can I make an appointment at MM / DD HH?
▲月（がつ）▲日（にち）の▲時（じ）は予約できますか。
We made an appointment. May I have your name and phone number?
予約をお取りしました。お名前（なまえ）とご連絡先（れんらくさき）を教（おし）えていただけますか。
I’m ▲▲. Phone number is 090-****-****
名前（なまえ）は▲▲です。 電話番号（でんわばんごう）は090-****-****です。
Thank you. Please be careful on your way here.
お気（き）を付（つ）けてご来院（らいいん）ください。
- Issue a Health insurance card.
Just in case, bring your passport and residence card. A reception staff may ask if this is your first visit to this dental clinic. - Receive the medical interview sheet and fill in the required items.
- After completing the medical interview sheet, hand it to the staff at the reception counter.
It is OK to show the original memo to be introduced later to the staff. - Wait in the waiting room until your turn comes.
- Enter the examination room when your name is called.
- Tell your symptoms as far as you can understand Japanese.
It is OK to show the original memo to be introduced later to the doctor. - A doctor can understand simple English words.
- Wait in the waiting room to pay the medical fee.
- When your name is called, go to the reception counter.
- In most hospitals and clinics only cash can be used to pay the medical fee.
- Receive a prescription to get medicine at the pharmacy.
- Leave the hospital and head for the pharmacy.
There is always a pharmacy near the hospital. - If you are going to a pharmacy for the first time in Japan tell the pharmacy staff that there is no medication notebook.
- When your name is called, go to the counter.
- You may get a lot of explanations about medicines, It’s okay if you can understand only the timing of taking the medicine.
- Pay the medicine fee at the pharmacy, not at the hospital.
Complete Guide to Buying Japaneses Medicine in Japan
Evaluation by the staff before getting a medical examination
Most hospitals have to write a medical interview sheet before the examination. The medical interview sheet is a document that tells your doctor about the symptoms of your sick or illness. The following is an example of the items to be filled in the medical interview sheet.
- Name
- Sex
- Age
- Address
- Phone number
- Where does it hurt? What kind of malfunction is it?
*The name of the body part and how to express the pain will be explained in another article. - When did it hurt?
- Are there any medicines you are taking?
- Do you have any allergies?
- Do you drink or smoke?
- Are you pregnant? etc.
However, it may be difficult to fill in these in Japanese or explain them to your doctor. So, I made a original memo so that your medical condition can be communicated to doctors and staff just by showing the screen of your smartphone. If you have difficulty speaking in Japanese, please show this form to the hospital staff.
You can also download and print the PDF.
Please copy the part below from here to the memo app on your smartphone.
日本語が少ししか話せないので、問診票を書いてきました。
●Name : Yoji Yoshimaru
●Sex : Male
●Age & Date of Birth : 36, 1984/7/22
●Address : Tokyo-to, Itabashi-ku…
●Phone number : 090-****-****
●Language:
Feel free to copy this memo on your smartphone.
Fee
Unless you have surgery or a major test, you will not need more than 10,000 yen for your first visit. If you still have to go to the hospital or clinic, ask your doctor, nurse, or reception staff how much you will need next time.
Credit cards are often not accepted except at large medical institutions such as national hospitals and university hospitals. We recommend that you have cash ready.
This blog is run with your donations. If this article helps you, I would be grateful if you could support this blog in the form of a cup of coffee.
Conclusion
Please be rest assured that doctors and nurses are all kind people. If you are worried about your unfamiliar living environment, or if you are worried about your illness or injury, you may want to tell it in Japanese because it is okay to take your time.
If this article helps you, leave a comment and follow us on Twitter. I would be happy if you could do it.
If you need anything, this online community may help your problems.
Introduction and usage of the online community “useJapan”
I hope that you will not get sick or injured in Japan, and that if you get sick or injured, you will get better soon.
