About JHI
Japan Healthcare Info. (JHI) is a social entrepreneur organization founded in 2010. Our healthcare professional staff are dedicated to providing service in order to enhance well-being of international community in Japan.
JHI is a selected member of the most renowned non-profit Japanese social entrepreneur training organization and awarded Japanese government grant in 2010.
Japanese Clinics
Facts about Japanese Clinics
If you feel sick, local clinics are the first place to visit. They provide patients with primary care.
Japanese clinics are divided into specialized departments, such as internal medicine or dermatology, and there is no General Practitioner available. Patients must decide which department to visit, according to which part of the body they have symptoms with.
Apart from dentists and ob/gyn clinic, many clinics do not require appointments. They have walk-in, first- come-first-served system.
Most Clinics are open on weekdays. Opening hours are usually from9:00am to 6:00pm. Keep in mind that there is a lunch break for one or two hours between morning and afternoon consultations.
Many clinics are open on Saturday mornings, but closed in the afternoon. On Sundays and Public holidays, most clinics are closed all day.
It is strongly recommended to call or check their website to see if they are open before you go. In particular, small clinics or hospitals tend to have irregular hours/holidays.
Almost all clinics join Japanese Health Insurance and charge 30 per cent of total fee to patients.
To give you an idea of how much they charge, say you had a runny nose and saw an ENT specialist, the first visit would be around 3,000 yen with Japanese Insurance. The second visit would be less than 1,000 yen. The first visit is more expensive because they charge the first visit fee.
Clinics that accept credit cards are very limited. Prepare some cash.
4 things you should do before visiting Japanese clinics and hospitals
- Check the opening day and time of the clinic/hospital you want to visit via phone. Even if most clinics/hospitals have email address, they do not reply promptly by email.
- Check if the clinic/hospital you want to visit require patients to make an appointment beforehand. Many clinics, apart from dental and ob/gyn clinics, appointments are not required. On the other hand, many hospitals do require appointments arranged beforehand.
- Prepare a Health Insurance Card and a clinic/hospital card if you have one. If you forget to bring your Health Insurance Card, often you need to pay the full amount of cost of care at the cashier. It can be very expensive, so make sure to bring the card with you.
- Prepare some cash. Not many clinics/hospitals accept credit cards in Japan. If you are not sure how much to bring, you can call the clinic/hospital you wish to visit and ask how much you may need. If you are visiting a big hospital, usually an ATM is located in the hospital.
★Health Insurance Card (保険証 ほけんしょう hokensyo) It certifies that you are covered by health insurance. You can use the card at most clinics or hospitals inJapan.
★clinic/hospital card(診察券 しんさつけん shinsatsuken) This is the card issued by individual clinics/hospitals. Can only be used in the hospital/clinic it was issued.
If you have a private health insurance or a travel insurance, it is wise to contact the insurer customer center first and ask them what you need to take to hospital/clinic. Often you need to make a full payment at the clinics/hospitals and get reimbursement from your insurer later. To do so, insurers require a medical certificate.