Generally, medicine is top rate, however, Japan does have a nationalized health system. That means you may have long waits and not much time with the doctor when you have a cold. And the hospitals are often a bit dreary (but aren't they always when you're sick?) But don't worry, for an emergency, you should be fine.  

No shots are required or really even recommended, but if you are in doubt, you should call the nearest Japanese consulate or talk to your local doctor just to be certain. 

We would recommend having your teeth checked and getting whatever dental work you may need done before you come to Japan. While it is very cheap to have the work done in Japan, Japanese dentists are incredibly slow and tend to bill out as much as possible. There have been cases of a single cavity taking 12 visits to be filled (one to check, one to clean, one to empty and then yes, the patient spent several days with an unfilled hole, then one to make a temporary filling, then a permanent filling, then a filing and cleaning and then a few others whose purpose was not really clear except perhaps to run up the bill to the national plan...)

Last updated on 10月 16, 2009 by Joe Libby