I have been pretty healthy most of my time here in Japan. However, recently I seem to have caught a bug and thought it might be a good idea to consult a doctor here in Japan. Also a good idea to have one for emergencies and routine medical necessities.
Japan’s medical system is provided through the Universal Health Care System. One of the first things that I did when arriving in Japan was to enroll in its National Health Insurance (NHI). Simple registration done at the same time I recorded my Residency here in Japan.
Finding a Doctor proved to be not as difficult as I thought. A search on the internet resulted in several options, however key to my situation was to find a doctor that spoke english and one that would accept my NHI. I was able to find a doctor with a very high rating and happened to be close by.
My initial correspondence was through email contact directly to the doctor and was able to make an appointment very easily. My doctor is trained in Great Britain so spoke very good English. A simple scan of My Number Card and all my information was provided for my appointment registration. I was given an examination for my symptom and provided with a prescription for two medications that I took to the Pharmacy next door and received my prescriptions. My Doctor’s Visit cost me about 800yen and my two prescriptions cost about 400yen.
All better now and will be going back soon for my annual physical!