Getting Sick in Japan as a Tourist: Hospitals, Clinics, Costs and What to Do

Last checked: October 2026 · Part of our Japan Travel Insurance & Health series

Nobody plans to see a doctor on vacation, but a fever in Osaka, a sprained ankle on a Kyoto hiking trail or a bad reaction to something you ate happens to plenty of travelers. The good news: Japan has excellent, efficient medical care, and you can usually be seen the same day. The catch: as a tourist you are outside Japan’s public health insurance, the system runs mostly in Japanese, and you pay at the counter. Here is how to find the right place, what it costs, what to bring and the phrases that help.

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Emergency: how to call an ambulance in Japan

Dial 119 from any phone for an ambulance or the fire department, and 110 for the police. Operators in big cities can usually connect an interpreter. Say “kyūkyū desu” (it’s a medical emergency), then give your location: the name of your hotel, a nearby station or a building name works well. Ambulances in Japan are free to call in most areas, although a few local governments and hospitals have started charging patients whose cases turn out not to be urgent. Save 119 for real emergencies.

Clinic or hospital? Where to go for what

Japan has two main tiers. Small clinics (called kurinikku or iin) handle everyday problems and are everywhere, often on the upper floors of buildings near stations. Large hospitals are meant for serious cases and referrals: university and big regional hospitals add a special charge, currently at least ¥7,000, for first visits without a referral letter, except in emergencies. For a cold, a stomach bug, a small cut or a sprain, start at a clinic.

What a doctor visit costs a tourist

Japanese residents usually pay about 30% of the bill because they are in the public health insurance system. As a visitor you pay the full price, and hospitals can set their own rates for uninsured patients, so two hospitals may charge quite different amounts for the same treatment. A short clinic visit with medicine is usually affordable. Admission, surgery, intensive care or an air ambulance home can cost many times more, and larger hospitals may ask for a deposit before admitting you.

1. Show your passport at receptionYou will fill in a short form about your symptoms. Many clinics have English or picture-based versions.
2. Tell them you have no Japanese insuranceSay “hoken wa arimasen”. If you have travel insurance, show the policy and the assistance number.
3. Pay at the counter after the visitCards are common at hospitals; small clinics may prefer cash.
4. Ask for the documents your insurer needsAn itemized receipt (ryōshūsho) and a medical certificate (shindansho). Certificates often cost extra and may take a few days.

Pharmacies, drugstores and bringing your own medicine

Drugstores are on almost every shopping street and sell cold medicine, painkillers, stomach remedies, bandages and sunscreen without a prescription. Many Japanese over-the-counter medicines come in different strengths or with different ingredients from US brands, so show the pharmacist what you normally take. Prescription medicine is filled at a pharmacy (薬局, yakkyoku) with a prescription from a Japanese doctor; US prescriptions are not accepted.

Useful phrases at the clinic

Summer heat: avoid heatstroke

Japanese summers are hot and very humid, and heatstroke sends people to the hospital every year. Drink water and electrolyte drinks (sports drinks are sold in every vending machine), rest in air-conditioned shops and stations, and plan temple visits and long walks for early morning or evening. On very hot days, the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of the Environment issue heatstroke alerts.

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