Before You Leave Home ✈️
A little preparation goes a long way when it comes to health in Japan. Here's your complete checklist.
☑️ Travel Insurance
Get travel insurance that covers medical expenses. Japan's healthcare is excellent, but costs for foreign visitors without insurance can be significant.
- Emergency hospitalization: ¥50,000–¥500,000+ per day
- Ambulance call: Free, but hospital treatment is not
- Common travel insurance providers: World Nomads, AXA, your credit card's built-in coverage
Check that your policy covers:
- Emergency medical treatment
- Hospital admission
- Medical evacuation (repatriation)
- Prescription medicine costs
☑️ Medications to Pack
Bring an adequate supply of any regular prescription medications. Some medications are:
- Banned in Japan: Pseudoephedrine-based decongestants (common in Western cold medicine), codeine, stimulants like Adderall
- Restricted: Some allergy medicines, sleeping pills
Always:
- Carry medications in original packaging
- Bring a doctor's letter (in English and Japanese if possible)
- Check MHLW Japan for restricted substances
☑️ OTC Medications to Consider Bringing
| Situation | Bring from home | |-----------|-----------------| | Severe allergies | Your specific antihistamine | | Motion sickness | Scopolamine patches | | Chronic pain | Prescription NSAID | | Asthma | Inhaler + spare |
Japan has excellent OTC for: Fever, headache, cold, stomach issues, diarrhea, muscle pain — all available at drugstores.
☑️ Emergency Numbers in Japan
Save these before you arrive:
| Service | Number | |---------|--------| | Ambulance / Fire | 119 | | Police | 110 | | Japan Visitor Hotline | 050-3816-2787 (24/7, multilingual) | | Tourist Helpline | 0120-461-350 |
☑️ Hospital Options
For tourists in Tokyo, these hospitals have English-speaking staff:
- St. Luke's International Hospital (Tsukiji) — 24/7 English support
- Tokyo Midtown Medical Center (Roppongi) — English and multilingual
- International Clinic Tokyo (various locations)
☑️ Apps to Install
Before your trip, install:
- Pocket Med-Japan (you're already here!) 📱
- Google Translate with Japanese offline pack
- Your travel insurance's emergency app
☑️ Useful Japanese Phrases
| Situation | Japanese | Pronunciation | |-----------|----------|---------------| | I need a doctor | 医者が必要です | Isha ga hitsuyō desu | | I have pain here | ここが痛いです | Koko ga itai desu | | I am allergic to... | ～にアレルギーがあります | ~ni arerugī ga arimasu | | Call an ambulance | 救急車を呼んでください | Kyūkyūsha wo yonde kudasai |
Stay Healthy in Japan 🗾
Japan is one of the safest and cleanest countries to travel in. With a little preparation, you'll have a fantastic trip. If anything goes wrong, this app is here to help — use the AI Chat for advice or the Map to find the nearest hospital or drugstore.