Healthcare in Japan

The Japanese healthcare system is available to foreign residents who register for it. This can be done at your local municipal office once you have your “gaijin” card. A few points worth noting are that your premiums are based on your annual income (therefore in your first year in Japan you will be paying much less than in your second year) and that you will still be liable for around 30% of your medical costs.

The medical system in Japan is one of the best in the world, and you needn’t worry about it from a health perspective, but it might make more sense for you to take out private international medical insurance. This will also greatly depend on your employer as different employment categories have different rules regarding healthcare. If you have private insurance you will be required to pay your bills up-front and be reimbursed by your insurance scheme.
 

Many doctors might be nervous about treating a non-Japanese patient, particularly if you don’t speak Japanese. There are medical services in Tokyo which will direct you to your nearest English-speaking doctor / dentist (see the Tokyo guide). In other cities you might need to take a Japanese friend or colleague with you to act as interpreter and to reassure the doctor.