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Sensoji, Asakusa

If you feel unwell

Start with the first of these five.

Start hereMost of it a drugstore can fix

Most of it a drugstore can fix. Here are the five places, and which one you need.

If it isGo toRoughly
A cold, a headache, an upset stomach, a blister, sunburn, travel sickness A drugstore (yakkyoku). Point at where it hurts¥500–2,000
Something a doctor should see, but it can wait until morning A clinic. Ask your hotel to find one with English and to telephone ahead ¥3,000–10,000
A child is unwell in the evening or at night Call #8000. A nurse answersFree to ask
Chest pain, difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding, a bad fall, someone not waking up Call 119 now. The crew will take you to the hospital that can treat it The ambulance is free
The one thing to remember

An ambulance in Japan costs you nothing. No bill arrives for the ride. If it looks serious, call 119 — do not weigh up the cost, and do not try to get yourself there.

In TokyoHospitals and pharmacies

What is confirmed

Everywhere
119 ambulance and fire · 110 police — both work anywhere in Japan, and the ambulance is free
#8000
A child unwell at night. Works in every prefecture — if it is closed, call 119

What to do until then

1
Ask your hotel front desk. They do this regularly and will telephone for you
2
119 if it is serious — the crew will take you somewhere that can treat you, so the desk will pick one for you
3
Your embassy keeps a list of English-speaking doctors

Making the callWhat to say, and what to take

If you telephone 119

  • Say this first Kyuukyuusha o onegai shimasu — please send an ambulance
  • Then Eigo o onegai shimasu — English, please
  • Where you are A hotel, station, shop or car park name. That is enough
  • If words run out Hand the phone to anyone nearby. People take it
  • Then Stay where you are and keep the line free

Take these with you

Passport
Or a photograph of it on your phone
Insurance
Your certificate number. Keep every receipt for the claim
Medication
The boxes of anything you take, so they can read the contents
Allergies
Written in English on paper. Show it rather than explain it
Payment
A card and cash — hospitals here usually expect payment on the day

Where to go next

Photo: Sensoji, Asakusa by くろふね (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits and licences
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