AFTER-HOURS HEALTHCARE GUIDES
Practical answers for
care after hours.
Clear guidance on finding care, costs and support services at night, on weekends and holidays.
26 guides
01
Basics
01Getting sick in Japan after hours: what actually happensMost clinics in Japan close by 18:00. Only 1,965 facilities nationwide stay open past 22:00. How the system works and who to call.→02Hospital or clinic in Japan? Choosing the right one saves moneyGoing straight to a large hospital without a referral means an extra fee. How the two-tier system works.→03Japanese pharmacies explained: prescriptions, drugstores and the four-day ruleA drugstore and a dispensing pharmacy are not the same thing. What to look for, and why your prescription expires in four days.→04How Japanese clinic hours actually work (and why Wednesday afternoon is closed)Split shifts, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and reception closing before the clinic does.→05What to bring to a Japanese clinicA short checklist, plus what happens if you have no insurance card.→
02
Timing
01Seeing a doctor on a Sunday in Japan: 6,744 places nationwideSunday opening is rare. Where the 6,744 facilities that do open are, and what the alternative is.→02Getting medicine at night in JapanOnly 356 pharmacies nationwide stay open past 22:00. What is available late, and what is not.→03Clinics that open before 08:00 in Japan4,705 facilities nationwide start before 08:00. Useful if you cannot take time off, or if you need fasting bloodwork.→04Toothache in Japan at night: emergency rooms will not treat itDental care sits outside Japan's emergency system. Only 302 dental clinics nationwide are open past 22:00.→
03
By department
01Eye clinics in Japan close early — but 962 open on SundaysOnly 67 eye clinics nationwide are open past 20:00 on a weekday, against 962 on Sundays. What to do about an eye problem after hours.→02Why “open late” in Japan usually means dialysisOf the 1,307 medical facilities open past 22:00, 468 are dialysis units. Late opening does not mean walk-in care.→03Pediatrics on a Sunday in Japan: 1,249 facilities1,249 facilities nationwide see pediatric patients on Sundays and 760 past 20:00. Worth knowing before you need it.→04Looking for a skin clinic on a Sunday? Most of them are cosmetic1,019 dermatology and 1,231 cosmetic dermatology facilities open on Sundays. Telling insured care from private care.→05Evening appointments for mental health care: 368 clinics368 facilities run psychosomatic medicine past 20:00 and 425 run psychiatry. Keeping up regular appointments around work.→
04
Seasons
01Healthcare in Japan over New Year: only 102 facilities open on 1 JanuaryJapan shuts down over New Year more completely than at any other time. The day-by-day numbers, and how to prepare.→02Golden Week and Obon: when Japan's clinics closeTwo more periods when routine healthcare thins out, and how they differ from New Year.→03Public holidays in Japan and what closesSixteen public holidays a year, and 10,885 healthcare facilities open on them.→
05
Emergencies
01119, #7119 and #8000: which number to call in JapanThree numbers cover emergencies, advice, and children. Knowing which is which saves time when it matters.→02Calling an ambulance in Japan: what actually happens119 is free, but the process has steps worth knowing before you need it.→03Children's healthcare in Japan after hoursPaediatric coverage outside weekday hours is thin. #8000, subsidies for residents, and what to check before you set out.→
06
Practical
01Finding an English-speaking doctor in JapanThe open data does not record language support. Here is what does work, and why this site cannot filter by language.→02What a clinic visit costs in Japan without insuranceHow the pricing works, what changes after hours, and how to avoid surprises.→03Japanese words you will see at a clinic receptionA short vocabulary list for signage and forms, so you know where to stand and what to hand over.→04Why so few clinics in Japan open at nightOf 203,905 facilities nationwide, 37,177 open outside normal hours. The structural reasons behind that.→05Where this data comes fromJapanese government open data, updated twice a year. What it contains, what it does not, and how we handle uncertainty.→06How to use this sitePrefecture, then category, then filters. Plus what the conditions actually mean.→