Characteristics of medical care in Japan

International Patients Guide

JAPAN Hospital Search (japanhospitalsearch.org) is a portal site where international patients can access information on medical travel to Japan in order to receive Japanese medical services.
This site is managed and operated by Medical Excellence JAPAN (MEJ).

Medical Excellence JAPAN (MEJ)

MEJ is a nonprofit company that is positioned as a core organization in the globalization of Japanese medical services, which is a political measure of Japanese government, and supports medical institutions and medical-related companies, which are aiming the development of global business, from various aspects in coordination with relevant ministries and agencies. Specifically, MEJ promotes outbound operations to export Japanese excellent medical services, and inbound operations to invite international patients to hospitals in Japan for providing high-quality and safe medical services.

Japan International Hospitals (JIH)

Japan International Hospitals (JIH) system is an initiative to provide the information useful to international patients who are living in various countries, on hospitals in Japan where they may receive medical services, and information on travel assistances to help them. It is not easy for them to seek the information on hospitals in Japan that provide appropriate medical services according to their symptoms, conditions, and diseases. To solve these problems, the Japanese government published the guidelines for developing an environment where international patients can receive medical services in Japan. The guidelines prescribe the requirements to be met by hospitals that actively accept international patients. The guidelines also prescribe the requirements to accredit medical travel assistance companies that provide high-quality and comprehensive services to international patients.
As a certification body prescribed in the guidelines, MEJ established the criteria for assessing a hospital from aspects of not only the quality and safety of medical services, but also system and efforts of hospital to accept international patients, and then recommends the hospital that has met the criteria. MEJ also provides the list of recommended hospitals and information of each hospital on medical care, health check-ups, and medical examinations to be provided to international patients.
Each hospital has many clinical services and departments. However, not all clinical services and departments accept international patients. This website provides the function to find hospitals which have clinical services and departments to accept international patients with specified diseases. Furthermore, an overview of the selected hospital and the details of its clinical services and departments will be shown.

Japanese Medical Services

Japanese medical care supporting healthy lives and longevities of peoples has the significant features.

  • Comprehensive medical care with team-based practice by experienced, multi-disciplinary professionals
  • Patient-centered, minimally invasive treatments using advanced medical devices
  • Hospitality with compassionate and attentive correspondence

Furthermore, preventive measures and early detection of diseases contribute to the long life expectancy of Japanese people.

Team-based Medical Care

Team-based medical care practiced by experienced, multi-disciplinary professionals is an important factor of comprehensive medical care. In the treatments of international patients, specialists lead team-based medical care. Specialists have sufficient professional knowledge and experiences in their specific field and their levels of expertise have been certified by academic organizations. Furthermore, they provide specialized medical care based on clinical practice guidelines. In addition, doctors of related clinical services and department, nurses, and other professionals share information on international patients and provide appropriate team-based medical care.

Payment of Medical Expenses

Japanese peoples are covered by Japanese health insurance system. The public system is operated with premiums and taxes paid by Japanese peoples and industries. The insured patients are responsible for 10% to 30% of medical expenses and receive relatively inexpensive medical treatments. On the other hand, Japanese health insurance system does not cover non-Japanese patients coming to Japan as they have not paid the premiums. They are required to pay full amount of medical expenses and additional fees such as interpretation and document fees.
The recommended JIH hospitals will provide international patients with the rough estimates of treatments and approximate expenses based on their information. After agreeing on the rough estimates, please make first appointments of your desired hospital. However, after starting treatments in the hospital, there could be changes in treatments and the expenses. Accordingly, the hospitals will explain the changes to the patients.

Medical Travel Assistance

For medical travel to Japan, medical travel assistance companies (medical coordinators, travel agencies) are able to help international patients. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan provides information on medical coordinators and travel agencies as registered guarantors for the visa scheme in the following website.

List of medical coordinators:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/medical_stay2.htmlEnglish, Japanese

List of travel agencies:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/medical_stay3.htmlEnglish, Japanese

Even if international patients can obtain information on hospitals in Japan and their medical services from their website, it is not easy to choose appropriate hospitals. If they consult medical travel assistance companies, appropriate hospitals will be introduced, and the rough estimates of treatments and approximate expenses will be obtained. After agreeing on the rough estimates, the companies will start the preparation for their medical travels to Japan including visa applications for medical stays, booking travel tickets and hotels, and arrangements for transportations and interpreters for them and their accompanying families.
However, the contents and qualities of services provided by each company are different. MEJ established the criteria for assessing a medical travel assistance company from aspects of content, quality and business performance based on the requirements prescribed by the guidelines, and then accredits the company that has met the criteria. MEJ recommends our Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Company (AMTAC), which provide high-quality and comprehensive assistance services including logistic support up to return home. The recommended JIH hospitals collaborate with medical travel assistance companies to accept international patients smoothly. However, there are hospitals that directly receive inquiries from international patients. Each hospital may show medical travel assistance companies that are working together.

Inquiries

MEJ does not conduct medical treatment or healthcare consultation. MEJ also does not introduce medical institutions.
Your inquiry about medical travels to Japan will be responded to by Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Companies (AMTAC).
For inquiries to AMTAC, please click “INQUIRY” and enter your inquiries. You will receive our reply ordinarily within five business days.

Inquiry