Practical guides 08

Medical care and pharmacies

Decide whether the situation is urgent, find an appropriate facility and prepare information for staff.

Source facts checked23 August 2026

Full article quality audit3 September 2026

READ THIS BEFORE YOU NEED IT

Useful before the trip—and in the moment.

For International visitors preparing for or travelling in Japan

Before you go

Read this before the issue becomes urgent. Save the key address, rule or phrase so it still works when your connection or attention is limited.

In Japan

Use only the first action and the section matching your situation. Current official instructions take priority over this general guide.

Picture this

At 19:30, a fever is rising and the nearby illuminated sign belongs to a drugstore, not a clinic. First decide whether this is urgent, then choose the kind of medical help before travelling there.

Call 119 for a serious illness or injury. For non-emergency care, search by region, language and medical department, then contact the facility before travelling there.

Do this first

Call 119 when there is immediate danger or a severe condition.
For non-emergency care, identify the symptom and required department.
Contact the facility to confirm hours, language support and acceptance.
Bring identification, insurance details, medicine names and allergy information.

What to expect in Japan

Not every clinic accepts walk-in patients or offers interpretation at all times.
Payment and travel-insurance reimbursement procedures vary.
A drugstore is not a replacement for emergency or diagnostic care.

Show this in Japanese

体調が悪いです。英語で対応できる医療機関を探しています。

I feel unwell and need a medical facility that can help in English.

04 · A REAL TRAVEL MOMENT

Choose the kind of help before choosing the place

A fever begins in the evening. A drugstore is open nearby, but you are unsure whether you need medicine, a clinic or urgent care. First decide whether there is immediate danger; then identify the symptom, department, language need and whether the facility can accept you before travelling there.

Japan’s neighbourhood clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and drugstores have different roles. Understanding that difference is more useful than finding the nearest medical-looking sign. Preparing medicine names and allergy information also gives staff a clearer starting point.

05 · MAKE THE DECISION USEFUL

Clinic, hospital, pharmacy or drugstore?

Choose by the help you need, not by the nearest medical-looking sign. JNTO’s official guide separates immediate emergency care, care that needs a doctor and self-care that may be discussed with a pharmacist or registered sales clerk.

Immediate danger

Call 119 for an ambulance or fire response. Do not delay urgent care to compare clinics, prices or language services.

You need a doctor

Search by region, language and department, then contact the clinic or hospital before travelling there when possible. Opening hours and acceptance must be confirmed directly.

You do not need a doctor

A pharmacy or drugstore may offer over-the-counter medicine. Ask a pharmacist or registered sales clerk; some medicines cannot be sold when the pharmacist is absent.

After a consultation

A prescription may be filled and paid for separately at a community pharmacy, unless the medical institution dispenses it in-house. Keep the prescription, medicine explanation and receipts together.

Take this practical check into a real journey.

After the immediate check, use the long-form journey guide to connect time, movement, the route home and what to do when the plan changes.

When staff and traveler cannot understand each otherReduce the conversation to one task, show the evidence that matters and use situation-specific Japanese for stations, restaurants, hotels and shops.