Japanese hospitals and clinics-what are they like?

*Hospitals*

Japanese Hospitals can offer medical treatments for both outpatients and inpatients. Hospitals are run by medical universities, municipals and some are private owned. Reasons for Japanese people to visit hospitals are often they are referred by local clinics, conveniently located or just because they want to receive care from well-equipped facility.

Many big and highly specialized hospitals require patients to prepare a referral letter and make appointments before they visit. In fact, you can visit most hospitals without a referral letter but they charge extra fee in those cases. The price range of charge is from 2,000 yen to 5,000 yen. Many hospitals do not require first consultation appointments. Patients usually make their visits between 9:00 to 11:00am. Sat, Sun and Public Holidays are closed.

Hospitals are called Byouin in Japanese.

*Clinics*

If you feel sick, local clinics are the first place to visit. They provide patients with primary care. There are various kinds of clinics in Japan, such as clinics that are run by only one doctor, or even clinics that accept inpatient admissions. Clinics are called kurinikku (which means clinic) or iin (which means doctor’s office) in Japanese.

Please note that clinics are also commonly referred to as byouinn, which means hospital in Japanese. Japanese distinguish clinic and hospital, by referring to hospitals as Ooki Byouin (big hospital).

Generally speaking, if you feel ill, first you visit a local clinic. Then if the doctor decides that you need a specialized treatment you will be referred to a hospital.

Most Clinics are open weekdays. Keep in mind that there is a lunch break for one or two hours between morning and afternoon consultations. Many clinics are open on Saturday mornings, but closed in the afternoon. On Sundays and Public holidays most clinics are closed all day. Consultation hours of big hospitals vary and are different depending on treatment departments, so make sure you check if they are open before you make a visit.

It is strongly recommended to call or check their website to see if they are open before you go. In particular, small clinics or hospitals tend to have irregular hours/holidays.

Japanese clinics are divided into specialized departments, such as internal medicine or dermatology, and there is no General Practitioner available. Patients must decide which department to visit according to which part of the body they have symptoms with. If you don’t know which department to go you can send email and ask me. It is of free of charge.