English-speaking doctors in Tokyo: how to find one

How do you find an English-speaking doctor in Tokyo?

Phone HIMAWARI, search NAVII by language, or read Tokyo's list of institutions that accept foreign patients. All three are run by government bodies, and none of them gives you a name to trust on its own: each tells you where to look, and you still phone the clinic.

Tokyo collects these on one site, Tokyo Medical Information Site for Foreign Tourists and Residents.

What does being on Tokyo's list of foreign-patient institutions mean?

To be on Tokyo's list, an institution must have reported that it can accept foreign patients and have given a phone number that can be answered in a foreign language. It must also have treated at least 270 foreign patients (hospitals) or 60 (clinics) in the last 6 months (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in Japanese).

The list does not say which language each clinic offers, so a place on it does not promise a doctor who speaks English. The Excel files on Tokyo's page give names, addresses, phone numbers and web addresses; we found no language column. That is why you phone first. Tokyo also publishes a list of JMIP-certified hospitals. JMIP is a certification, set up by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and run by the Japan Medical Education Foundation, for medical institutions equipped to treat foreign residents and visitors safely (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in Japanese). Both lists are on the same Tokyo page.

What do you bring to a clinic in Tokyo?

Bring your health insurance card, an ID such as a passport or residence card, cash, the medications and supplements you take, and a referral letter if you go to a large hospital (Tokyo Metropolitan Government).

• Phone ahead. Some institutions take patients without an appointment, others require one or put those with one first, and hours vary by weekday, so call or check before you go.
• Many medical institutions in Japan do not accept credit cards or electronic payments (Tokyo Metropolitan Government).
• At reception you are given a medical questionnaire about your current condition, past illnesses or injuries and allergies. The Kanagawa International Foundation publishes a questionnaire to fill in beforehand in 23 languages, including English: the English questionnaire (foundation page).
• A prescription is valid for 4 days; after that you need a new one, which may mean seeing the doctor again.

What does health insurance pay at a clinic?

With your health insurance card you pay 30% of medical or prescription costs (the share differs for young children and the elderly). Without your card you pay 100% at the counter; if you complete the procedures later you can be reimbursed the excess (Tokyo Metropolitan Government). Foreigners who stay in Japan for more than 3 months must enroll in health insurance. The enrollment deadline is in the first 14 days in Japan checklist. For what the premium costs in your ward, see the National Health Insurance calculator.

Health insurance does not cover pregnancy and childbirth, health checkups, vaccinations, cosmetic dental treatment, a private hospital room, injuries from traffic accidents or injuries from work accidents (Tokyo Metropolitan Government). If your medical expenses in one month pass a set amount, you can apply to be reimbursed the excess.

What if the clinic has no one who speaks English?

AMDA International Medical Information Center interprets by phone or video between you and the medical institution. AMDA provides the remote medical interpreting free of charge (AMDA). AMDA's phone interpreters work in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino and Vietnamese (AMDA, in Japanese). AMDA says the interpreter language available depends on the day of the week, so book a hospital visit for a day it covers your language, and check with the hospital that it accepts phone interpreting (AMDA). The weekday schedule is on AMDA's site as an image, which we could not read.

Tokyo Multilingual Consultation Navi is a different service. It gives advice on any problem in daily life, and more specific consultation points if you need them. The line is 0120-142-142, toll free, 10:00 to 16:00 Monday to Friday except public holidays. It answers in English among 14 languages (Tokyo Metropolitan Government). The page describes it as a line for daily-life problems, not a medical line, so use it to ask where to turn.

What do you do in a medical emergency?

Call 119. When a foreign resident calls 119, three-way interpretation is available in English, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Portuguese and Spanish (Tokyo Metropolitan Government).