Guide · Health and safety
Do you need travel insurance for Japan? How healthcare works for visitors
Yes, get medical cover. Japan’s health ministry and JNTO both strongly recommend that visitors carry private medical insurance, because visitors pay the full cost of treatment and unpaid bills can affect future entry to Japan. Choose a policy with enough medical cover, ideally cashless treatment (the insurer pays the hospital), medical evacuation, and winter sports if you ski. If you get sick: 119 for an ambulance, #7119 for advice where it is offered, and JNTO’s Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, 24 hours in English.
Sources: the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, JNTO and the Japan Tourism Agency, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, listed at the end · checked 24 October 2026
Do you need it?
The government’s wording is unusually direct. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: “If you become injured or fall ill while traveling in Japan and require medical treatment, medical expenses can be very costly. Failure to pay medical fees may result in stricter immigration procedures for future visits to Japan… we strongly recommend enrolling in private health insurance with sufficient coverage.” JNTO adds that since 2021, foreigners with unpaid medical bills in Japan may be restricted or refused entry, and cites a Japan Tourism Agency survey in which one in twenty travellers fell ill or was injured while abroad.
Check first whether you are already covered: JNTO notes that some credit cards include travel insurance, so ask your card provider what it pays and how. Travel insurance is also a separate product from your health insurance at home (JNTO), so check what each one pays in Japan.
How healthcare works for visitors
- You are not in the public system. Japanese residents pay part of the bill through public health insurance; visitors pay the full amount after treatment (Tokyo Metropolitan Government). With no insurance, JNTO warns, you may be charged the full amount.
- Uninsured visitors pay as private patients. Since 31 March 2026 the health ministry lets hospitals run by social medical corporations, which otherwise charge everyone the standard insured rate, charge uninsured visitors up to three times that rate.
- Bring cash. JNTO: credit cards are accepted only at major hospitals, and clinics generally take cash only. Medicine is paid for separately at the pharmacy. Ask for an estimate of the cost at reception. Where to get yen: cash, ATMs and cards.
- You choose the clinic, by department (internal medicine, orthopaedics and so on). In an ambulance, you don’t: the crew takes you to the nearest suitable hospital (JNTO, U.S. Embassy).
- Pregnancy: JNTO notes that travel insurance does not cover perinatal care, which can be expensive.
What treatment can cost
JNTO and the Japan Tourism Agency publish two real cases from Tokio Marine International Assistance:
| What happened | Treatment | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with a bicycle: collapsed lung and broken ribs | Surgery, 19 days in hospital, a doctor escort and a business-class flight home to the US | ¥7.5 million |
| Heart attack | Surgery, 45 days in hospital, a doctor escort and a business-class flight home to Singapore | ¥10 million |
Examples quoted by JNTO; they include the flight home. Your bill depends on the hospital and the treatment. We don’t quote prices for a single visit, which vary by hospital.
What a policy should cover
JNTO’s checklist, with what each point means in Japan:
| Check | Why it matters in Japan |
|---|---|
| Medical cover, enough of it | You pay the full bill. The policies the Japan Tourism Agency points visitors to after arrival offer up to ¥10 million; the two cases above reached ¥7.5 and ¥10 million. |
| Cashless service | The insurer pays the hospital directly, so you don’t pay up front at a clinic that takes cash only. Conditions vary by insurer; check them before you go. |
| Medical evacuation and the flight home | Both JNTO cases include a flight home with a doctor. Some policies also cover your return flights or getting from home to the airport; others won’t. |
| A 24-hour assistance line with interpretation | Only a limited number of hospitals work in other languages (JNTO). A good insurer finds a hospital, interprets and arranges payment. Save its number in your phone. |
| Pre-existing conditions | JNTO: a chronic illness affects your cover. Declare it. |
| Your activities | JNTO: some dangerous activities may not be covered. Check skiing and snowboarding, especially off-piste, and diving. |
| Liability to others | Cover if you injure someone or damage property, for example on a rented bicycle. |
| Cancellation and delay | Optional extra: typhoons (mainly July to October) and heavy snow can stop trains and flights. When they are most likely: best time to visit Japan. |
Buy it with the rest of your bookings, so it starts on the day you leave home: what to book before your trip. What the rest of the trip costs: daily budget for Japan.
Forgot? Buying after you arrive
The Japan Tourism Agency’s safety site for visitors, on JNTO’s website, links to private medical insurance that you can buy online after you enter Japan. JNTO lists cover of up to ¥10 million, interpretation, hospital referral and arranging cashless payment. The purchase page cannot be opened before you are in Japan. It is a medical policy, not cancellation cover.
If you get sick or hurt
- An emergency: call 119. Say “kyūkyū desu” (救急です, a medical emergency), then where you are. The call is free. The Tokyo Fire Department has English-speaking dispatchers (U.S. Embassy), and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency publishes an ambulance guide in 16 languages. Have your passport, cash and any medicines ready.
- Not sure? Call #7119 where it runs, for advice on whether you need an ambulance or which hospital to go to (see the numbers below), or call your insurer’s assistance line.
- Find a clinic that speaks your language: JNTO’s medical institution search filters by area, language, department and accepted cards, and its Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787) can point you to one. In Tokyo, the city’s Himawari line (03-5285-8181) does the same from 9:00 to 20:00.
- Minor problem: a pharmacy or drugstore. JNTO has an English search for over-the-counter medicines, and some medicines can only be sold while a pharmacist is on duty.
- Keep every receipt and the medical certificate for your claim.
Show, don’t explain. Our medical cards include “Please call an ambulance”, “Is there a doctor who speaks English?”, “It hurts here” and “I am taking this medicine”, in polite Japanese with furigana. They work offline.
Numbers to save
| Who | Number | Hours and languages |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulance and fire | 119 | 24 hours, free |
| Police | 110 | 24 hours, free |
| Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO) | 050-3816-2787 +81-50-3816-2787 from abroad | 24 hours, 365 days; English, Chinese, Korean. Emergencies, illness, disasters and tourist information |
| #7119, Tokyo | #7119 or 03-3212-2323 (23 wards) | 24 hours; Japanese only |
| #7119, Osaka Prefecture | #7119 or 06-6582-7119 | 24 hours; English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish |
| #7119, Kyoto Prefecture | #7119 or 0570-00-7119 | 24 hours; Japanese only |
| #7119, Sapporo area | #7119 or 011-272-7119 | 24 hours; English and 20 other languages through an interpreter |
| Himawari, Tokyo Metropolitan Government | 03-5285-8181 | 9:00–20:00 daily; English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Spanish. Hospitals that speak your language, how the system works |
#7119 areas, hours and languages from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (area list and its July 2025 table); 42 areas run it, and some other areas use a different number. Himawari from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government: the service is free, you pay for the call.
Skiing and winter sports
Read the activities list before a ski trip. Niseko’s resort rules charge a minimum of ¥100,000 for a search and rescue in the backcountry, require gates to enter it and ban ducking the ropes; check that your policy covers both the sport and rescue costs. Resorts, access and snow delays: Japan in winter.
Travelling with children? The #8000 children’s medical line and what else changes: Japan with kids. Bringing your own medicine: what to pack for Japan.
Quick answers
Do I need travel insurance to visit Japan?
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and JNTO strongly recommend private medical insurance with sufficient cover. Visitors are not covered by Japan’s public health insurance, so you pay the full cost of treatment, and unpaid medical bills can lead to stricter immigration checks or refusal of entry on a later visit.
How much does a hospital cost in Japan without insurance?
It depends on the treatment and the hospital. JNTO quotes two real cases: a bicycle collision with surgery, 19 days in hospital and a flight home cost ¥7.5 million; a heart attack with surgery, 45 days in hospital and a flight home cost ¥10 million.
Is an ambulance free in Japan?
Calling 119 is free, and fire-department ambulances do not charge for the ride to hospital (U.S. Embassy in Japan). You do pay for the treatment you get there, and you cannot choose which hospital you are taken to.
What is #7119 in Japan?
A phone line for advice when you are not sure whether to call an ambulance or go to hospital, staffed by doctors, nurses and paramedics. It runs 24 hours in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but in Tokyo and Kyoto only in Japanese; Osaka’s line also takes English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish (Fire and Disaster Management Agency, July 2025).
Can I buy travel insurance after arriving in Japan?
Yes. The Japan Tourism Agency’s safety site for visitors links to medical insurance you can buy online after you enter Japan, with cover of up to ¥10 million, interpretation, hospital referral and cashless payment. The page only opens once you are in Japan.
Does travel insurance cover skiing in Japan?
Only if your policy says so. JNTO warns that some dangerous activities may not be covered, so check winter sports, and off-piste or backcountry skiing separately. Niseko charges a minimum of ¥100,000 for a backcountry search and rescue.
Sources
Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: For international visitors: we strongly recommend private health insurance for medical treatment during your stay
Government ministry. - JNTO: Travel insurance in Japan: what to check, cashless service, unpaid bills
National tourism organisation. - JNTO (Japan Tourism Agency safety site): Travel insurance you can buy after entering Japan, with example treatment costs
National tourism organisation. - JNTO (Japan Tourism Agency safety site): Guide for when you feel ill: medical institution search, how hospitals work, payment
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Japan Visitor Hotline: 24 hours, English, Chinese and Korean
National tourism organisation. - Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT): Information on illnesses, injuries and disasters for visitors
Government agency. - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Upper limit on fees for uninsured visitors at social medical corporations: up to three times the insured rate, from 31 March 2026 (Japanese)
Government ministry. - Fire and Disaster Management Agency: Guide for ambulance services for foreign visitors, in 16 languages (Japanese index)
Government agency. - Shinjuku City: Emergencies and disasters guide: 119 and 110 are free, 24 hours (PDF)
Local government. - U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan: Calling for help: 119, ambulances and what you pay
Foreign government mission. - Fire and Disaster Management Agency: #7119 emergency consultation: areas, numbers and hours (Japanese)
Government agency. - Fire and Disaster Management Agency: #7119 by area: hours and foreign-language support, as of July 2025 (PDF, Japanese)
Government agency. - Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Tokyo medical information site for foreign tourists and residents
Local government. - Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Medical information service for foreign patients (Himawari): languages, hours, number (Japanese)
Local government. - Niseko United: The Niseko Rules: backcountry gates and a minimum ¥100,000 rescue charge
Official site of the Niseko resorts.
General information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Policies differ; read yours. In an emergency, call 119. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any insurer, hospital or government body.