How to handle a sudden illness in Japan?

135    2025-05-15

1. Call the emergency number

 119 (Fire Department): Suitable for life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, severe trauma, respiratory distress, etc. Ambulances are free and provide 24-hour response, but cannot specify hospitals.

 #7119 (Medical Consultation Hotline): Used for non emergency but medical needs (Japanese only). Nurses will recommend the nearest hospital or provide medication advice based on symptoms.

 Japan Travel Hotline (050-3816-2787): Provides multilingual support in Chinese, English, Korean, and other languages, and can assist in contacting medical institutions or translation services.

Contact the embassy of your country in Japan for major emergency situations (such as coma or critical condition). You can contact the embassy of your country for assistance by providing passport information and medical information.


2. Choose a medical institution

(1)  Clinics are suitable for common illnesses such as colds, fever, and minor injuries. Advance appointments are required, and some offer night consultations (20:00-23:00) at a lower cost (approximately 3000-10000 yen).

(2)  Comprehensive hospitals (hospitals) that handle complex diseases or require precise examinations require clinic referral forms. Large hospitals such as the University of Tokyo Affiliated Hospital and Osaka Comprehensive Medical Center accept foreign patients, but it is necessary to confirm whether they provide foreign language services.

(3)  The emergency center is open 24 hours a day and does not require an appointment. It is suitable for non fatal but timely treatment of illnesses such as high fever and acute abdominal pain.


3. Costs and Insurance

(1)  The self funded amount is about 5000-20000 yen for outpatient visits, 10000-50000 yen per day for hospitalization, and emergency expenses may reach up to 100000 yen.

(2)  Cash is the main payment method (small clinics usually only accept cash), while large hospitals support international credit cards (Visa/Mastercard).

(3)  It is necessary to purchase travel insurance that covers overseas medical care (such as AIG, Allianz), and confirm whether it includes "direct payment services" and ICU fees (approximately 300000 yen per day for Japanese ICU)

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