What to Do If You Get Sick While Studying Abroad in Japan

Getting sick is stressful enough at home. Getting sick while studying abroad in Japan can be even more intimidating when you don’t know where to find a doctor, aren’t sure how your insurance works, and don’t have the Japanese vocabulary to explain what’s wrong.

Fortunately, a little preparation—and knowing who to ask for help—can make the experience much easier.

First, Don’t Try to Figure Everything Out Alone

If you’re feeling seriously unwell, tell someone. For KCP students, that may mean contacting the appropriate KCP staff as well as your host family, dorm staff, roommate, or someone you trust. KCP’s orientation covers important policies and sources of assistance, so save those contacts before you actually need them. 

Part of studying abroad is becoming more independent, but independence doesn’t mean you have to navigate an unfamiliar medical system completely by yourself.

Finding Medical Care in Japan

For a routine illness or minor injury, you may be able to visit a local clinic rather than a large hospital. Clinics in Japan often specialize in particular types of care. For example, naika (内科) is internal medicine and a common starting point for general illnesses, while hifuka (皮膚科) is dermatology and ganka (眼科) is for eye problems.

You don’t need to memorize medical Japanese before coming to Japan. If you’re unsure where to go, ask KCP staff for guidance.

For a serious medical emergency, call 119 for an ambulance. This includes situations such as severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, chest pain, or a serious injury. 

What If You Don’t Speak Enough Japanese?

This is a very reasonable concern. You might be perfectly comfortable ordering food or navigating Tokyo and still have no idea how to explain a medical problem in Japanese. Even students with significant Japanese experience may not know medical terminology. 

Before visiting a clinic, use your phone to write down where it hurts, when the symptoms started, whether they’re getting worse, your temperature if you have a fever, medications you’re taking, and any allergies or medical conditions. Translation tools can also be useful for basic communication.

KCP staff aren’t medical professionals, but they can help students navigate an unfamiliar situation, which may include helping locate a clinic, communicating, or dealing with paperwork. 

How KCP Supported Students During Medical Visits

You’re certainly not the first international student to face a medical problem in Japan.

Former KCP student Catrin recalled needing hospital care and having a KCP staff member remain with her for more than eight hours to help translate and make sure she was okay. 

Former student Yacine similarly remembered receiving help communicating and completing paperwork during a clinic visit. When Lauren injured her wrist, she recalled KCP staff escorting her to a clinic and helping translate.  

These experiences illustrate one of the benefits of studying at a school with local support: when something unexpected happens, there are people you can turn to for guidance.

Know Your Health Insurance Before You Leave

Don’t wait until you’re sitting in a Tokyo clinic with a fever to figure out your insurance.

Before leaving the U.S., understand what your insurance covers in Japan, whether you’ll need to pay first and request reimbursement, what documents you’ll need, and who to contact for assistance. KCP’s student medical coverage is supplemental, so students need separate insurance while in Japan. 

Keep your insurance information accessible on your phone and consider giving a copy to your parent or emergency contact. After receiving medical care, save your receipts and paperwork in case they’re required for an insurance claim. 

 

Create a “Japan Emergency” Note on Your Phone

One of the most useful things you can do before leaving home takes about five minutes. Create a note on your phone containing your Japanese address, KCP and housing contacts, U.S. emergency contact, insurance company and policy information, medications, allergies, and important medical information.

Add 119 — Ambulance/Medical Emergency at the top.

Make the information available offline, and save your Japanese address in both English and Japanese. If you’re sick, injured, or stressed, having everything in one place is much easier than searching through emails for an insurance number or address.

Prepare Now, Then Enjoy Japan

Chances are you’ll never need most of this information. But knowing what to do if something goes wrong can make living abroad less intimidating.

Studying in Japan is partly about becoming more independent—learning to navigate Tokyo, communicate in another language, solve problems, and become comfortable living far from home. KCP encourages that independence, but as previous students’ experiences demonstrate, being independent doesn’t mean handling every difficult situation alone. 

Hopefully, the biggest problem you’ll have in Tokyo is figuring out which exit to use at Shinjuku Station.

But if you do get sick, you’ll know what to do.