Tokyo Clinics Where You Can Speak Your Language

When you are ill, being able to explain your symptoms in a familiar language helps. Tokyo has clinics with doctors who speak Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and other languages, as well as hospitals that use in-person or remote interpreters.

Before choosing a facility, check whether it can provide the care you need, in your language, at your intended visit time. This guide lists options across six language sections, including points to check if you use Taiwanese Mandarin. For care in English, see our English-speaking clinic guide.

Who to Contact Now

To find candidates yourself, follow the JNTO search steps below. For interpretation during a consultation, check AMDA’s current language schedule and reservation conditions. If you cannot make calls or use a Japanese booking screen, ask your accommodation staff or another person whether they can help you contact the facility. Before traveling to a suggested facility, call to confirm it can currently see you. If you cannot get an appointment, ask the information service for another candidate.

Three Ways to Find Care in Your Language

HIMAWARI: Ask About Facilities by Phone

Tokyo’s HIMAWARI medical information service for international patients provides information about medical facilities and Japan’s healthcare system. It does not provide medical consultations with a doctor.

• Phone: 03-5285-8181
• Hours: Daily 9:00–20:00, 365 days a year
• Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Spanish
• Cost: The information service is free; callers pay telephone charges

Give your location, symptoms and preferred language, and ask about possible facilities. Vietnamese, Nepali and Tagalog are not among this phone service’s languages, so use the search below or check AMDA’s language calendar as well.

AMDA International Medical Information Center: Request Information or Phone Interpretation

AMDA is a nonprofit providing international patients with information about medical facilities and the healthcare system. Its free consultation service runs Monday–Friday, 10:00–16:00, excluding public holidays and December 29–January 3. Call 03-6233-9266 or the toll-free number 0120-339-266.

Check the current calendar on that page for each language’s consultation dates. If your language is not listed or the dates do not suit you, ask the center when support may be available.

Medical interpretation by phone requires advance booking and the medical facility’s agreement. First ask your facility whether it can use phone interpretation, then give AMDA your appointment date, time and language to check whether an interpreter can be arranged. The general information service’s hours are not automatically the hours when interpretation can be provided.

JNTO: Search by Language, Area and Specialty

JNTO’s medical institution search has filters for area, language and medical specialty, plus an option to restrict results to JMIP-certified facilities.

1. Open “Search Medical institutions” and select “Tokyo” as the area.
2. Choose a language and specialty, then search. For Vietnamese, Nepali or Tagalog, use “Others” and check the results under “Medical departments & Languages” for VI (Vietnamese), NE (Nepali) or TL (Tagalog).
3. Open a candidate facility’s official website and check how to book. Contact the facility directly to confirm language support and whether it can see you at your intended time.

JMIP certification can help you look for facilities with systems for international patients. It does not mean an interpreter in your language is available at all times.

Booking and What to Bring

Three Things to Check Before Visiting

1. Explain your symptoms and preferred language. Say, “I would like care in [language]. I have had [symptoms] since [date],” and check whether the facility treats that condition.
2. Confirm the type of support and its availability. Ask whether the doctor speaks your language or uses an interpreter, and whether interpretation needs a separate booking or fee.
3. Check referrals, insurance and payment. Ask whether a first visit needs an appointment or referral, how Japanese public or travel insurance is handled, and how to pay on the day.

A doctor’s language support is separate from the language used at the booking desk. Ask which booking page, phone line or other contact method you can use, including if you have no Japanese phone number. Prepare a note: “Symptoms: ___; started on: ___; requested language: ___; requested date: ___; insurance: ___.”

Before leaving, use the facility’s official access page to check and save its address, building name, nearest station and entrance. Match the address against your booking reply so you do not go to a similarly named clinic or another branch.

Appointment and referral rules vary by hospital. For example, NTT Medical Center Tokyo lists a separate initial-visit fee of ¥7,700, including tax, for first visits without a referral. The same amount and conditions do not apply to every large hospital; check your chosen facility’s rules.

Prepare These Items

• A My Number health insurance card or Certificate of Qualification, if you have Japanese public insurance
• Identity documents requested by the facility, such as a passport or residence card
• Your medication notebook, or a list of current medicines and allergies
• Your insurance policy, policy number and insurer’s contact details if using travel insurance
• A referral letter, test results or other documents requested by the facility

If a Japanese medical questionnaire is difficult to complete, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s multilingual medical information and forms can help you prepare. If you are unsure which specialty to choose, see how to find a clinic in Tokyo.

Clinics and Hospitals by Language

These options are based on official information. The tables distinguish language-speaking doctors or staff, in-person interpreters, and remote or machine interpretation. Interpreter availability is separate from consultation hours and appointment-line hours.

Two hospitals appear in several tables and have these shared conditions:

• NCGM (National Center for Global Health and Medicine): In-person interpretation is available during weekday daytime hours when it can be arranged in advance. Its multilingual direct phone line operates weekdays from 8:30 to 16:00, with Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepali among its languages. The separate main number listed for nights and weekends handles calls in Japanese. Round-the-clock remote interpretation does not mean round-the-clock multilingual appointment booking.
• Institute of Science Tokyo Hospital: First visits require an appointment and a referral. The hospital offers machine and remote interpretation and has English- and Chinese-speaking staff. There is no patient charge for this interpretation; that does not make the medical care free. Follow the official page’s route for your insurance status and ability to communicate in Japanese.

Korean (한국어)

For help finding a facility in Korean, use HIMAWARI above, daily 9:00–20:00. Okubo Hospital’s website translation instructions, including Korean, do not guarantee Korean interpretation inside the hospital.

Chinese / Mandarin (简体中文)

To find a facility, you can use HIMAWARI’s Chinese service, daily 9:00–20:00, or check AMDA’s current Chinese consultation dates.

Taiwanese Mandarin (繁體中文)

A listing for Chinese support alone does not establish whether the provider can accommodate Taiwanese Mandarin expressions or your preferred way of communicating. Say that you use Taiwanese Mandarin when booking, and check whether you will be able to communicate with the doctor or interpreter.

Ogikubo International Clinic, previously listed here, closed on September 30, 2026. It is no longer included as an option for care.

Vietnamese (tiếng Việt)

Sakura Clinic also states that it cannot see patients with fever or cold-like symptoms. Even on days with interpretation, your symptoms may mean you need another facility, so check before attending. For other options, use JNTO’s language search or AMDA’s current calendar.

Nepali (नेपाली)

Sakura Clinic’s English page says Nepali support is available “Everyday,” while its Nepali page lists Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Do not assume either version is the latest; use the contact details on the official page to confirm your intended date. Also note its restriction on seeing patients with fever or cold-like symptoms.

Tagalog

For other areas or specialties, use “Others” in JNTO’s search and check the results for TL (Tagalog). If asking AMDA for help, check its current Filipino consultation dates and confirm that you can consult in Tagalog.

Asking a Medical Facility to Arrange Interpretation

Check Each Metropolitan Hospital’s Own Information

Using an External Phone or Remote Interpreter

mediPhone provides medical interpretation by phone and video to medical facilities and other organizations. Ask your facility whether it uses the service, whether your language can be arranged at the required time, and whether there is a charge to the patient.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s remote interpretation service for less commonly supported languages requires the medical facility to register in advance. Ask medical staff to check the current official information or contact the operator about eligible languages, service conditions, fees and booking procedures.

In an Emergency

Call 119 if You Need an Ambulance

Call 119 when you need an ambulance. The Tokyo Fire Department’s 119 guidance lists interpretation in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.

1. Say that you need an ambulance. “Kyūkyū” means emergency medical assistance, but saying that word alone does not complete the call.
2. Answer questions about your location and the patient’s condition. If you do not know the address, describe the building or nearby landmarks.
3. If speaking Japanese is difficult, state the language you need. Ask someone nearby or staff at your accommodation to help if you cannot explain the situation yourself.

Call #7119 if You Are Unsure Whether an Ambulance Is Needed

The Tokyo Fire Department’s Emergency Consultation Center advises on whether to call an ambulance or seek immediate medical care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call #7119, or the regular number 03-3212-2323. See the current telephone guidance. If communicating is difficult, ask someone nearby to help with the call.

If You Need Interpretation at the Receiving Facility

Tokyo’s emergency interpretation service for medical facilities is for Tokyo facilities treating international emergency patients when language barriers hinder care.

• English and Chinese: 24 hours a day
• Korean, Thai, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Nepali and Tagalog: weekdays 17:00–20:00; weekends and public holidays 9:00–20:00
• December 29–January 3 follows the public-holiday schedule

Patients cannot request the service directly. Facilities normally need to register, although an unregistered facility can use it in an emergency and register afterward. Tell staff your language and ask them to check whether interpretation can be arranged under the service’s conditions.

Medical Information While Traveling

JNTO’s Japan Visitor Hotline provides information for illnesses, accidents and other problems during travel in English, Chinese and Korean, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 050-3816-2787. If you need an ambulance, call 119 directly rather than going through this information service.

Checking Insurance and Costs

If You Have Japanese Public Insurance

If you are eligible for your employer’s health insurance, check the enrollment procedure with your employer. National Health Insurance generally covers foreign nationals with a period of stay exceeding three months, excluding people covered by employer insurance, short-term visitors and other ineligible groups. Certain residence statuses and evidence of an expected longer stay can create exceptions for periods of three months or less, so check your municipality’s eligibility rules. See our health insurance and pension guide for the procedures.

If your employer is still processing enrollment or your documents have not arrived, check your status with your employer or insurer, then ask the facility how to verify eligibility and handle payment that day. If you pay upfront, ask the facility and insurer about any adjustment or claim procedure and required documents, and retain receipts and itemized statements. A later reimbursement amount or approval cannot be guaranteed for every case.

Your share of covered medical costs depends on age, income and other conditions. From the start of compulsory schooling through age 69, the standard share is 30%. That does not necessarily apply to treatment outside insurance coverage or separate fees. Even without travel insurance, Japanese public insurance can be used for care it covers.

Even with public insurance, ask separately about your covered-care copay, additional interpretation or non-referral fees, and pharmacy payments. With travel insurance, confirm advance contact with the insurer, direct-billing approval or your upfront amount, documents to retain, and claim deadlines. Use this note with reception, and separately record questions for your insurer.

Expected consultation/tests: ___ / Additional charges: ___ / Pharmacy payment: ___ / Amount to pay upfront today: ___ / Payment method: ___ / Required documents and claim deadline: ___

If You Have No Applicable Coverage

If you will pay the costs yourself, ask the facility about these items rather than relying on a single estimated price for an internal medicine visit:

• Expected consultation, test, procedure and medicine costs
• Additional fees for interpretation, visits to your accommodation, appointments, attending without a referral or medical documents
• What the estimate includes, how further tests may change it, and accepted payment methods

For example, NCGM’s outpatient guidance for people without Japanese public insurance states that it charges ¥30 per medical fee point. This is that hospital’s calculation method, not a quote for the total visit or other facilities. The page asks patients with sudden illness or injury to contact the hospital before arrival, on weekdays from 8:30 to 16:00. Planned treatment and other purposes follow a different route, so explain your symptoms and reason for visiting to confirm the procedure.

If You Want Cashless Care Through Travel Insurance

Tell your insurer which facility you intend to use and what care you need. Check whether the treatment is covered and direct billing is possible. The facility must also accept the arrangement and receive a payment guarantee. For example, Tokyo Station International Clinic and NCGM require the insurer’s guarantee before the visit for direct billing. You may have to pay yourself if it does not arrive in time.

If paying first and claiming later, ask the insurer which receipts, itemized bills or medical certificates it needs, in which language, and by what deadline. An English medical certificate is not necessarily required under every policy. Checking the facility’s payment methods and document fees in advance also helps you prepare.

Sources

• HIMAWARI
• AMDA activities
• JNTO medical-care guidance
• NCGM International Clinical Center
• Tokyo Fire Department 119 guidance
• National Health Insurance eligibility