If You Become Ill on a Holiday or at Night

The Fire Department and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government provide information on medical institutions that operate in evenings and on holidays and emergency facilities. Shinjuku City offers information over the phone about medical institutions where you can receive medical treatment on holidays, as well as consultation for emergency patients.

●Information on Medical Institutions with Services in Foreign Languages
Inquiries: Himawari (Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center)
Tel: 03-5285-8181
URL: www.himawari.metro.tokyo.jp/
Information on medical institutions with staff who speak English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Spanish is available.
Hours: Daily (includes Sat., Sun., and national holidays), 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

●Information on Medical Institutions with Services in Japanese
Tel: 03-5272-0303
Hours: Daily (includes Sat., Sun., and national holidays); available on a 24-hour basis

●Emergency Telephone Consultation Center in Tokyo Fire Department
Tel: #7119 (from cell phones, PHS’s, and touch-tone lines)
03-3212-2323 (from pulse dial lines)
Help is available on a 24-hour basis and covers such areas as determining the level of emergency, ascertaining the need for examination, providing advice on emergency first aid procedures, and giving information on medical facilities.

●Emergency Telephone Information on Holidays
Inquiries: Shinjuku City Medical Association Residents’ Health Center
Tel: 03-3208-2223
On Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and December 29 through January 3 doctors and nurses offer consultation concerning doctors, dentists and hospitals, and about first aid for emergency patients.
If you have a bad toothache, call to get information on the dentist on duty.
Hours: Saturdays, 5 to 10 p.m.; Sundays, national holidays and December 29 through January 3, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Note: Consultation services with a doctor or nurse are available until 5 p.m.

●Medical Treatment on Holidays
Inquiries: Shinjuku City Medical Association Residents’ Health Center
Address: 7-26-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3208-2223
For emergency internal medicine and pediatric cases on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and December 29 through January 3, doctors offer examinations. This is a healthcare service provided by health insurance and is charged. Please bring your health insurance card, etc. Be sure to call first to make a reservation before you go.
Hours: Saturdays, 5 to 10 p.m.; Sundays, national holidays and December 29 through January 3, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Notes:
1. Reception is accepted until 9:30 p.m. for both.
2. Only internal medicine is available after 5 p.m.

●Nighttime Medical Treatment for Children
Inquiries: Shinjuku Nighttime Children’s Treatment Room
Address: Inside Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-6228-0713
Pediatric medical services for children are also offered at night. If your child becomes ill, please bring your health insurance card, medical certificate for infants/toddlers, and/or children’s medical certificate. Please call before you go if possible.
Eligibility: Children fifteen years of age or younger
Hours: Weekdays, 7 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, and December 29 through January 3, 6 to 10 p.m.
Note: Reception is until 9:30 p.m.

Hospitals

Japanese medical institutions are roughly divided into two types: private clinics owned and operated by doctors and general hospitals. Clinics are usually located in neighborhoods, thus you can comfortably consult about your family’s health condition. However, they are usually limited in the types of medical treatment they offer. General hospitals provide medical treatment in a greater number of fields and are equipped with more extensive facilities and manpower. However, because of the large number of patients, there is usually a long waiting list. Doctors also do not have as much time to spend with each patient, reducing the opportunity to have extensive consultations.
As medical institutions differ in their area of specialization and features, it is recommended that you check the medical institutions in your neighborhood before a problem arises.

General Hospitals in Shinjuku City

○National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Center Hospital
Address: 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3202-7181

○Okubo Hospital
Address: 2-44-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-5273-7711

○Keio University Hospital
Address: 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3353-1211

○Japan Community Healthcare Organization Tokyo Yamate Medical Center
Address: 3-22-1 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3364-0251

○Seibo Hospital
Address: 2-5-1 Naka-Ochiai, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3951-1111

○Tokyo Medical University Hospital
Address: 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3342-6111

○Japan Community Healthcare Organization Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center
Address: 5-1 Tsukudo-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3269-8111

○Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital
Address: 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3353-8111

Health Insurance and Medical Costs

In Japan, everyone is required to join either the Workers’ Health Insurance Program or the National Health Insurance (NHI) Program. While the former is designed for company employees and members of organizations, NHI is for local residents, including foreign residents who are going to live in Japan for more than three months.
Under the health insurance programs, the policyholder and his/her dependent(s) pay 10% to 30% of the total cost of medical treatment.
However, when medical costs become very expensive or you receive treatment for a rare disease, special tax breaks or medical expense deduction are available.

Receiving Outpatient Treatment

When you are examined or receive treatment at a hospital for the first time, you must register your name with the receptionist. Usually out-patient registration is open all morning, but at some locations it is open for only a short time or may require an appointment. Therefore, please check the registration system in advance. When you use your health insurance to receive medical treatment, you will be required by medical institutions designated by the insurance program (most are) to submit your health insurance certificate when you register. Otherwise, you will have to pay the entire cost of the medical treatment. However, when you don’t have your certificate, for example when you are traveling or in times of emergency, you can apply to the insurance program for reimbursement of the covered expenses at a later date.
When you receive continued treatment at the same institution, you will be required to present your medical insurance certificate at the first visit of each month.

Useful Japanese Expressions at a Hospital

◆Parts of the Body

◆Medical Departments
Internal medicine/Naika/内科
Pediatrics/Shonika/小児科
Psychiatry/Seishinka/精神科
Neurology/Shinkeika/神経科
External Medicine,Surgery/Geka/外科
Orthopedic Surgery/Seikei Geka/整形外科
Plastic Surgery/Keisei Geka/形成外科
Brain Surgery/Noshinkei Geka/脳神経外科
Obstetrics,Gynecology/Sanfujinka/産婦人科
Ophthalmology/Ganka/眼科
Otorhinolaryngology/Jibiinkoka/耳鼻咽喉科
Dermatology/Hifuka/皮膚科
Urology/Hinyokika/泌尿器科
Dentistry/Shika/歯科

◆General Words
Reception/Uketsuke/受付
First-Time Visit/Shoshin/初診
Outpatient/Gairai/外来
Health Insurance Card/Hokensho/保険証
Patient’s Card/Shinsatsu-ken/診察券
Waiting Room/Machiai-shitsu/待合室
Prescription/Shohosen/処方箋
Pharmacy/Yakkyoku/薬局
Doctor/Ishi/医師
Nurse/Kangoshi/看護師

◆Describing Symptoms in Japanese

●Common Symptoms
I feel sick./Mune ga mukamuka suru.
I have chest pains./Mune ga kurushii.
I have a headache./Zutsu ga suru.
I feel tired./Karada ga darui.
I have a fever./Netsu ga aru.
I don’t feel well./Kimochi ga warui.
My back hurts./Koshi ga itai.
I have no appetite./Shokuyoku ga nai.
I feel anemic./Hinketsu gimi desu.

●Digestive Organ-Related
My stomach hurts./Onaka ga itai.
I feel nauseated./Hakike ga suru.
I have diarrhea./Geri wo shiteiru.

●Respiratory Organ-Related and Ear-Nose-and-Throat-Related
I have a sore throat./Nodo ga itai.
I have asthma./Zensoku desu.
My nosebleed won’t stop./Hanaji ga tomaranai.
I have an earache./Mimi ga itai.
My ears are ringing./Mimi-nari ga suru.

●External Medicine-Related
I have a sprain./Nenza shita.
I sprained my finger./Tsukiyubi shita.
I have a broken bone./Kossetsu shita.
I have a swelling that won’t go away. /Hare ga hikanai.

●Pediatrics-Related and Obstetrics/Gynecology-Related
The child has convulsions./Hikitsuke wo okoshite iru.
The child is whining./Muzukatte iru.
My menstrual period is irregular./Seiri ga fujun desu.
I have severe morning sickness./Tsuwari ga hidoi.

●Dentistry-Related
My gums are bleeding./Haguki kara chi ga deru.
My tooth hurts./Ha ga itai.
My tooth feels loose./Ha ga uita youna kanji desu.
My filling came off./Ha no tsumemono ga toreta.
My teeth hurt when I eat something cold./Tsumetai mono ga shimiru.

April 1, 2023