Health system and hospitals in Japan

Have you ever wondered what hospitals are like in Japan? How does the Japanese healthcare system work? In this article, we will briefly talk about the incredible public hospitals in Japan and how the healthcare system works in Japan.

Unlike Brazil, public hospitals in Japan are not free, and they are harder to find than private clinics and hospitals. Even though the Japanese healthcare system is not free, it has a significant advantage for being efficient and quick.

Japan’s Healthcare System

In Japan, healthcare is expensive; it is not like in Brazil where there is the SUS and free services. Not that this is a problem; instead of paying taxes to support a precarious system, Japan kind of requires all Japanese people to pay for health insurance.

This health insurance is known as kokumin kenkou hoken [国民健康保険] and covers about 70% of all medical expenses of any amount, and also allows the chance to be reimbursed for high expenses in a hospital.

Exactly, the insurance only covers 70%. In addition to paying monthly taxes to the public health system, Japanese citizens pay 30% of their medical bills, which are strictly regulated by the state to ensure they never become unaffordable.

There is also insurance that prevents medical costs from exceeding 80,100 yen per month. If a person has an injury or illness and is unable to work and receive their salary, they receive 60% of their lost salary for up to a year and a half.

Types of Health Insurance in Japan

Generally, health insurances are charged per family, covering any medical treatment except aesthetic treatments or some dental treatments like braces. If you do not have one, you need to register at your local city hall office.

There is not just one health insurance in Japan; people can choose different types of health insurance. International visitors who do not have health insurance need to rely on private networks that supplement public coverage.

Social Health Insurance (SHI) – Insurance intended for people working in companies. Both you and your employer contribute equally to the SHI, with each paying about 5% of your salary.

National Health Insurance (NHI) – Intended for students, freelancers, and people working for small companies. Your contribution is based on your annual income and may cost a little more than what SHI would cost.

Nursing Insurance – If you are between 40 and 65 years old, 1.65% of your earnings go to nursing insurance.

Private health insurance – Like the public health insurance in Japan, it covers the costs of practically anything. Private health insurances are rare, but there are some that cover the 30% of medical expenses you need to pay.

We recommend reading about Shakai Hoken, a social insurance that encompasses health insurance, retirement, accidents, and even funeral insurance. The insurance also pays for other hospital needs, such as orthopedic and physiotherapy products.

Medical Problems in Japan

No healthcare system is perfect. Some doctors request unnecessary tests and prolong hospital stays to receive more money. Other doctors ignore complexities and specializations and disregard the patient’s word.

Japanese doctors love to prescribe medications or recommend unnecessary follow-ups.

This results in many medical errors in Japan’s healthcare system. To try to remedy the situation, there is even a study on how to change the medical training system in Japan, mainly the absence of practical classes in the courses.

If you are having a consultation and do not like the doctor’s diagnosis, you can seek the opinion of other doctors. It is highly recommended to always carry your health card, extra cash, and the phone number of an interpreter if needed.

This is another problem; many hospitals do not accept cards and only accept cash, but you can resort to some alternatives if you do not have money at the moment and are in the hospital for emergency reasons. Some have ATM machines.

Although hospital costs are considered cheap in Japan, many Brazilians and tourists disagree with this point. Even covering 30% of expenses, a consultation can cost up to 10,000 yen.

Despite the intense criticism of the Japanese healthcare system, research shows that it is at levels above the American healthcare system with lower spending, lower prices, lower mortality, and better service.

What Are Hospitals Like in Japan?

It is estimated that there are over 8,500 hospitals in Japan. If you need any medication, there are more than 53,000 pharmacies spread throughout Japan. Some hospitals require reservations, while others make a reservation at the moment you arrive at the location.

There is no general practitioner system in Japan. Instead, people go directly to a specialist operating in a clinic. There are many different specialists available, so it is worth doing your research.

Patients are free to choose which hospitals and doctors they want to go to, and cannot be denied coverage. Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit organizations. For-profit organizations are prohibited from operating hospitals.

Hospitals in Japan often have the best facilities and equipment, and you are quickly well attended to; even in large and crowded hospitals, you have the option to book your appointment, which is punctual.

Some offer shops, newsstands, convenience stores, vending machines, post offices, and many other utilities. A hospital in Japan is like an advanced shopping mall. The video below will give you a glimpse of what a public hospital in Japan is like.

If you are a foreigner in Japan and are looking for a recommended hospital for you, we recommend checking a list on this site.

Brazil’s Health vs. Japan’s Health

Many Brazilians living in Japan question the country’s healthcare system and miss the SUS. I know some people who had to return to Brazil to get certain treatments for a more affordable price, but the opposite also happens.

Many criticize the SUS for its low quality, delays, and lack of treatments. For some, having the SUS is the same as having nothing. Despite this, because it is a free service, we cannot complain about the SUS.

Many things can be easily and quickly resolved in Brazil’s public hospitals. A simple consultation or hospitalization in Japan can drain a large part of your salary, even with the 70% covered by the government.

The great sadness is the simple fact that the taxes we pay to support the public health network are used incorrectly and stolen by the corrupt government. Taxes in Brazil are also expensive compared to salary and cost of living.

In Japan, despite a large percentage of our monthly salary being used for health insurance and other taxes, the earnings provide a cost and lifestyle that is significantly superior to Brazil. That is why we do not complain about paying for healthcare in Japan.

There are complaints about medical errors and problems in hospitals both in Japan and Brazil. Bad professionals exist everywhere, whether public or private. That is why I advise against criticizing the public healthcare system in Japan or Brazil.

Medical Vocabulary in Japanese

To complement, we will leave a list of important words in case you need to see a doctor. You will also find other words in our article about dentistry, illnesses, and pharmacies.

Medical Term	Kanji	Romaji
accident	事故	jiko
ambulance	救急車	kyuukyuusha
heart attack	狭心症	kyoushinshou
medical bill	医療費	iryouhi
dentist	歯科医師	shikaishi
stroke	脳卒中	nousocchuu
emergency	非常	hijou
pharmacy	薬局	yakkyoku
hospital	病院	byouin
doctor	医師	ishi
broken bone	壊れた骨	kowareta hone
prescription	処方	shohou

Videos of Hospitals in Japan

To conclude the article, we will leave some videos from Caipira in Japan and You in Japan that show a bit of the public hospitals in Japan and their great charm and quality. I hope you enjoyed the article, thank you for the comments.