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日Chapter 05 · Daily life

Hospitals & medical care

Find a doctor, prepare for the visit, and the phrases you'll need

Verified by Keigo · September 5, 2026Source: www.himawari.metro.tokyo.lg.jp ↗

Sick child? Call first

Advice · evenings & weekends

#8000Pediatric advice line (小児救急) — a nurse/doctor, evenings, nights & weekends

Not sure?

#7119Emergency advice (救急安心センター) — "should we call an ambulance?", adults too (where available)

Life-threatening

119Ambulance — life-threatening signs: trouble breathing, a seizure over 5 min, unresponsive

Usually not an emergency

A high fever alone, if the child is drinking and responsive.

Seek care

  • Fever under 3 months old
  • Seizure over 5 min
  • Hard breathing
  • Limpness
  • Stiff neck

Keep records in the 母子健康手帳 (Maternal & Child Health Handbook — free at city hall, multilingual versions exist). Routine vaccinations (定期予防接種) are free and come with 予診票 forms.

Open a situation to hear and copy every phrase.

A hospital stay is capped

The most you pay in a month

¥36,900 – ¥270,300New ceilings since 1 August 2026

The High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit (高額療養費) refunds anything you pay above your monthly ceiling, and there is now a yearly ceiling too.

Ask the hospital for a 限度額適用認定証 before you are admitted, so you only pay the capped amount at the counter.

See the ceilings by income bracket

Monthly ceiling by annual income · under 70

Exempt from residence tax¥36,900
Up to about ¥3.7M¥61,500
About ¥3.7M – ¥7.7M¥85,800+1%
About ¥7.7M – ¥11.6M¥179,100+1%
About ¥11.6M and above¥270,300+1%

+1% of the medical cost above the threshold.

Find hospitals & clinics in Where to go

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English-Speaking Hospitals & Healthcare in Japan

Find medical care in Japan as a foreigner: English-speaking hospitals, health insurance and how the system works.

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A hospital stay is capped: the High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit (高額療養費) refunds anything you pay above a monthly ceiling, and since August 2026 there is a yearly ceiling too. Ask the hospital for a 限度額適用認定証 before you are admitted so you pay the capped amount at the counter instead of claiming it back.

A high fever alone is usually not an emergency if the child is drinking and responsive. Seek care for: fever under 3 months old, a seizure over 5 minutes, hard breathing, limpness, or a stiff neck. Keep records in the 母子健康手帳 (Maternal & Child Health Handbook — free at city hall, multilingual versions exist). Routine vaccinations (定期予防接種) are free and come with 予診票 forms.