Which clinic should I go to?
Japanese clinics are highly specialised, and the sign outside is usually kanji only. Here is which door to walk through — and what to say once you are inside.
How the system works
- Go to a small local clinic first. Big hospitals expect a referral letter; without one they add a first-visit fee (from about ¥7,000) on top of your bill.
- Not sure which specialty? Internal medicine (内科) is the general door — they will treat you or point you to the right one.
- Bring your passport, a payment method, and your insurance details. Cash is safest; many clinics do not take foreign cards.
The opening-hours trap
Most clinics close for lunch (roughly 12:00–15:00) and shut on Sundays, holidays and often Wednesday or Saturday afternoons. Outside those hours, look for 救急外来 (emergency outpatient) or call #7119 for advice.
Match your symptom to the sign
- 内科nai-kaInternal medicine Start here if unsure
Go here for: Fever, cold, flu, cough, stomach ache, diarrhoea, food poisoning, headache, feeling generally unwell.
When in doubt, go here. Internal medicine is the general door in Japan — they treat you or send you to the right specialist.
Show this at reception熱と体のだるさがあります。診ていただけますか？ - 整形外科seikei-gekaOrthopedics
Go here for: Bones, joints, muscles: sprained ankle, suspected fracture, back or neck pain, knee pain, fall injuries.
Careful: this is NOT cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic clinics are 美容整形 (biyō-seikei) — a different thing entirely.
Show this at reception転んで足首をひねりました。骨折していないか診ていただけますか？ - 外科ge-kaSurgery / wounds
Go here for: Cuts that may need stitches, deep wounds, abscesses, injuries to soft tissue.
Show this at reception切り傷が深いです。縫合が必要か診ていただけますか？ - 皮膚科hifu-kaDermatology
Go here for: Rash, hives, itching, insect bites, athlete's foot, minor burns, sunburn, skin infections.
Show this at reception発疹が出てかゆみがあります。診ていただけますか？ - 耳鼻咽喉科jibi-inkō-kaENT (ear, nose, throat)
Go here for: Sore throat, ear pain, blocked ear (including after a flight), sinus problems, nosebleed, hay fever, spinning dizziness.
The longest sign on the street, and a very common need for travelers — colds often land here rather than internal medicine.
Show this at receptionのどがとても痛いです。診ていただけますか？ - 眼科gan-kaOphthalmology (eyes)
Go here for: Eye pain, red eye, something in the eye, sudden vision change, contact lens trouble.
Show this at reception目が痛くて赤くなっています。診ていただけますか？ - 歯科shi-kaDentistry
Go here for: Toothache, lost filling or crown, broken tooth, swollen gum.
Show this at reception歯がとても痛いです。今日診ていただけますか？ - 小児科shōni-kaPediatrics (children)
Go here for: Any illness in children (roughly up to 15). Take a sick child here rather than to adult internal medicine.
Show this at reception子どもの具合が悪いです。診ていただけますか？ - 婦人科fujin-kaGynecology
Go here for: Period problems, pelvic pain, pregnancy concerns, emergency contraception.
Show this at reception婦人科の相談をしたいです。診ていただけますか？ - 泌尿器科hinyōki-kaUrology
Go here for: Painful or frequent urination (urinary tract infection), blood in urine, kidney stone pain.
Show this at reception排尿のときに痛みがあります。診ていただけますか？ - 心療内科shinryō-naikaMental health
Go here for: Panic attacks, severe anxiety, insomnia, running out of psychiatric medication while traveling.
心療内科 tends to be the gentler door; 精神科 (seishin-ka) is psychiatry proper. Both are normal clinics — no stigma in going.
Show this at reception強い不安と眠れない状態が続いています。相談できますか？ - 救急外来kyūkyū-gairaiEmergency room
Go here for: Nights, weekends, holidays — or anything that can't wait. For life-threatening problems call 119 instead of traveling there yourself.
Show this at reception救急外来で診ていただけますか？とても具合が悪いです。