Blog
Practical guides for travelers who get sick in Japan, medically reviewed by our founding physician.
I Got Sick While Traveling in Japan — What Are Your Options?
Fever in a hotel room at 8pm, in a country where you don't speak the language. Here's how to tell an emergency from something that can wait, and which of your options actually fits your situation.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How to Get a Medical Certificate or Sick Note in Japan
A missed flight, a claim to file, or an employer asking for proof — illness abroad usually generates paperwork. Here's which document does what, and how to get one in English without visiting a clinic.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Can I Continue My Home Medication in Japan?
Most regular medications can be continued during a trip to Japan, but usually under a Japanese prescription and sometimes as an equivalent rather than the exact brand you take at home. Here's how that works.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How to Get a Prescription Refill in Japan as a Tourist
A prescription written outside Japan can't be dispensed at a Japanese pharmacy. Here's how travelers get a refill through an online consultation, what to have ready, and what a doctor can't refill.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
My Child Is Sick While Traveling in Japan: How to See a Doctor
A child running a fever in a hotel room in a country you don't know is its own kind of stress. Here's what needs urgent care, and what can be handled from your room.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Emergency Contraception in Japan: A Guide for Travelers
Emergency contraception works better the sooner it's taken, and finding it in an unfamiliar country costs time you don't have. Here's the fastest route as a visitor.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How to Claim Travel Insurance for a Doctor Visit in Japan
You pay upfront for medical care in Japan and claim it back afterward. Here's the paperwork insurers generally ask for, when to call them, and how to avoid a second round of requests.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How Much Does Seeing a Doctor in Japan Cost Without Insurance?
Without Japanese public insurance you pay the whole bill. Here's what actually drives the number, why nobody will quote you in advance, and how to avoid the surprise.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How Japanese Pharmacies Work: A Visitor's Guide
Japan separates the clinic from the pharmacy, and the drugstore from the dispensing pharmacy. Here's which is which, how long your prescription is good for, and what you'll pay.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Can You Buy Antibiotics Over the Counter in Japan?
Antibiotics are prescription-only in Japan. No pharmacy will sell them without one, however clearly you describe your symptoms. Here's what to do instead.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Can You Buy Tylenol or Advil in Japan? An OTC Guide
You won't find a Tylenol box in a Japanese drugstore, but you will find acetaminophen. Shop by active ingredient rather than brand, and most of what you'd take at home has an equivalent here.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Sprains and Minor Injuries in Japan: Do You Need an X-ray?
Stairs, curbs and 20,000 steps a day produce a lot of twisted ankles. Here's the first aid, the signs that mean go in person, and where online care genuinely can't help.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Flu or COVID While Visiting Japan: Testing and Treatment
Test kits are sold at Japanese pharmacies, and the practical response is the same either way: rest, fluids, keep away from people, and get assessed if it turns severe.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Hay Fever in Japan: Surviving Cedar Pollen Season as a Visitor
Cedar and cypress pollen make spring in Japan miserable for a lot of visitors — including people who've never had hay fever at home. Here's how to get through it.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) While Traveling in Japan
A red, sticky, itchy eye on a trip is usually conjunctivitis, and usually settles. Here's how the three types differ, and the symptoms that mean go to an eye doctor today.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Skin Rash, Hives, or Insect Bites in Japan: A Traveler's Guide
A Japanese summer produces heat rash and mosquito bites in quantity. Here's what you can treat from a drugstore, and the signs that mean see someone today.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Headache or Migraine While Traveling in Japan
Long flights, short nights, dehydration and 20,000 steps a day: travel is a headache trigger stack. Here's what helps, and the symptoms that mean stop and get help now.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Ear Pain While Traveling in Japan: What to Do
Most ear pain on a trip comes from one of three places: cabin pressure, water, or a cold. Here's how to tell them apart and when to stop waiting it out.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Sore Throat or Tonsillitis in Japan: What Travelers Should Do
A sore throat on a trip is usually viral and passes in a few days. Here's what suggests otherwise, what a Japanese drugstore can do for you, and when to be assessed.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Food Poisoning and Diarrhea While Traveling in Japan
Most travel stomach upsets settle in a day or two with fluids and rest. Here's what to buy at a Japanese convenience store, and the signs that mean you should stop waiting it out.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Cold or Fever While Traveling in Japan: What to Do
Most colds on a trip pass with rest, fluids, and something from a drugstore. Here's how to tell when yours is one of those, and what to do when it isn't.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How to Get a Prescription in Japan as a Tourist
Tourists in Japan can get a prescription through an English-language video consultation and pick up medication at a nearby pharmacy. Here's how the process works, what it costs, and what a doctor can't prescribe online.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
UTI Treatment in Japan for Travelers
Getting a UTI while traveling is stressful, especially in a country where you don't speak the language. Here's when an online consultation is a reasonable first step, and when you should go to a clinic or hospital in person.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Telemedicine in Japan for Visitors: How It Works
Telemedicine is established practice in Japan, and a first visit can be done online. Here's how the system works, how it compares internationally, and what it means if you're a visitor without access to Japan's public insurance.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
English-Speaking Doctors in Japan: A Guide for Visitors
Outside major cities, English-friendly clinics can be limited, and "English available" can mean very different things depending on the facility. Here's how to find reliable care, and what to check before you go.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Home-Visit Doctors in Japan: What Travelers Should Know
House calls are a familiar option in some countries, but they're rare in Japan and mostly reserved for elderly or terminally ill patients. Here's why, and what that means for a traveler who gets sick at their hotel.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
Japan's Medical System vs. Other Countries: A Visitor's Guide
Japan's healthcare is built around universal public insurance, free choice of specialist, and short wait times — a different shape from the US, UK, France, or Germany. Here's how it compares, and what it means if you're visiting without access to that system.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →
How to Get a Medical Certificate Online in Japan
A medical certificate is often the missing piece of a travel insurance claim. Here's what one actually documents, how it differs from a receipt, and how to get one in English after an online consultation in Japan.
Medically reviewed by Yoshiki Ishizuka, M.D.
Read more →