Finding an English-speaking doctor in Tokyo is easier if you check the language support and the appointment rules before you go. Start with the kind of care you need and where you are.
In an emergency
Call 119 for an ambulance in a medical emergency. Say where you are and what has happened. Keep the full address of your apartment, with the building name and room number, saved on your phone. See the Tokyo Fire Department's guide to calling 119 (in Japanese).
For help finding a clinic
Tokyo's medical information service for foreign residents and visitors, known as Himawari, can find you a medical institution with language support and explain how the medical system works.
Call 03-5285-8181, every day from 9:00 to 20:00. The service is available in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Spanish. It is free; you pay only for the phone call. It gives information and cannot send an ambulance, so in an emergency call 119.
Check these details with the clinic
Ask whether an English-speaking doctor or an interpreter is available at the time you want to visit. Also confirm:
- whether you need an appointment
- whether the clinic treats your problem
- what time reception closes
- which identification and insurance documents to bring
- how you can pay
Many clinics stop accepting patients before their closing time. If you need a specialist, ask whether you need a referral letter.
Prepare before the appointment
Write down your symptoms, when they began, your allergies and the medicines you take. Bring the medicine packaging, or a list of names and doses.
Take your passport or other identification, your insurance documents and your travel insurer's contact details. Ask the clinic and your insurer how payment and reimbursement work. Most clinics expect you to pay on the day and claim the cost back later.
Before you leave the clinic
Ask where to collect your prescription and whether that pharmacy is open. If you do not understand when to take a medicine, ask for clear instructions. Keep the receipts and any paperwork your insurer needs.
Phone number and hours checked in October 2026.
Cover photo: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash
