An English speaking private doctor in Tokyo, including hotel visits

Seeing a doctor in English at a clinic

Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic charges ¥17,600 for a GP consultation and ¥3,300 for a medical certificate or a referral letter, with tests, procedures and medicines charged on top. A long or complex consultation can cost more, and the clinic is outside Japanese national health insurance [1]. It also sees children, runs annual check-ups and gives vaccinations, which suits a family living in Tokyo [1].

When the clinic is closed, its out of hours line puts you through to one of its doctors on every day of the year, for a consultation in person or remotely at ¥27,500. Its laboratory and radiology are closed at those times, so blood tests and imaging are not available out of hours. The line runs from 5.30pm to 9pm on weekdays, from 12.30pm to 9pm on Saturdays and from 9am to 9pm on Sundays and public holidays [2].

Clinic TEN Shibuya sees travellers who fall ill in Japan for one fixed fee of ¥55,000 including tax, which covers the consultation, a prescription, a medical certificate and basic tests. Medicines are paid for at the pharmacy, the doctor consults in English while the reception staff do not, and waits can run to 1 to 2 hours because traveller visits sit between regular appointments [3]. A cancellation up to three hours before the visit costs 50% of the fee, and a later cancellation or a missed visit costs the full fee [3].

A doctor at your hotel

GLOBE Clinic Shinjuku sends a doctor to hotels in Tokyo for guests too unwell to go out. In the Shinjuku area a consultation with a prescription costs ¥110,000, or ¥150,000 with a drip and a medical certificate. Elsewhere in Tokyo the same visits cost ¥160,000 and ¥200,000, tax included [4].

The clinic consults in English, Chinese and Japanese and decides each visit on the symptoms, the place and the time of day. A doctor who finds a problem that needs a hospital will direct you to an emergency department or to 119 [4].

A hotel visit suits a fever, a stomach upset or a sprain that keeps you in your room. Have your passport ready, because the doctor checks your identity before the consultation, and ask for the receipt and any forms your travel insurer needs. Requests are taken at any hour by phone, through its website or on WhatsApp [5].

Finding a doctor who speaks your language

The Japan National Tourism Organization runs a search of medical institutions that you can filter by area, language and department. It also runs the Japan Visitor Hotline, open every hour of the day in English, Chinese and Korean, which can point you to a clinic that consults in your language [6]. The search marks the hospitals and clinics each prefecture has chosen to treat foreign patients, and those certified under JMIP, a third party scheme that assesses how Japanese medical institutions care for patients from abroad [6].

Check how you will pay before you go. The tourism organization notes that clinics generally take cash and that cards are accepted mainly at major hospitals [6]. Clinic TEN Shibuya is the opposite and takes cards and electronic payment only [3].

Insurance and paying the bill

Buy travel insurance before you fly. The figures the tourism organization quotes from an insurer include ¥10,000,000 for a heart attack with surgery, a 45 day hospital stay and a flight home, and it warns that visitors who leave medical bills unpaid may be refused entry to Japan in future [6].

Some clinics bill your insurer directly. Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic does this for insurers including Bupa International, Cigna International and International SOS Japan, when the insurer sends a guarantee covering every fee with nothing for you to pay [1]. Elsewhere, expect to pay on the day and claim afterwards with the clinic's receipt.

Five questions to ask before you go

A short call or message settles most of these before you leave your hotel.

• Will the doctor consult in English, and will the reception staff?
• What does the fee include, and what is charged on top?
• Can I pay by card, or do I need cash?
• Will you bill my insurer directly, or give me the forms to claim?
• Can you give me a certificate in English for my insurer or airline?

Appointments in Tokyo

Our private GP appointment in Tokyo costs from ¥60,500. Anyone can request an appointment in Tokyo now.