Can I filter this site for English-speaking doctors?

No. The government open data behind these listings does not include a field for supported languages. The Ministry's own Iryo Joho Net search does let you filter by language, but that field is not present in the downloadable dataset.

How do I find an English-speaking doctor in Japan?

Prefectural and city medical information centres publish lists of facilities with language support, embassies usually maintain their own lists, large hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo often have international departments, and the Japan National Tourism Organization publishes a medical institution guide.

Can I manage a clinic visit without English?

Usually yes. Written communication works well: a short written description of your symptoms, a translation app and your medicine notebook cover most routine visits. Some hospitals and local governments also provide telephone medical interpretation — the word to ask for is 通訳 (tsuuyaku).

Finding an English-speaking doctor in Japan

This is the most common question foreign residents and visitors ask, and it is the one this site cannot answer directly. The government open data behind these listings does not include a field for languages spoken.

The public-facing Iryo Joho Net search on the Ministry's own website does let you filter by supported language. That field is simply not present in the downloadable dataset this site is built from. We would rather say so than guess.

What does work

Prefectural and city medical information centres publish lists of facilities that accept foreign patients. Search your prefecture name plus 外国人医療機関.
Your embassy usually maintains a list of English-speaking doctors.
Large hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo often have international patient departments.
The Japan National Tourism Organization publishes a medical institution guide for visitors.

You may not need English as much as you think

Written communication works well. A short written description of your symptoms, a translation app, and your medicine notebook cover most routine visits. Many clinics also keep multilingual questionnaires produced by the Ministry of Health.

Interpretation by phone

Some hospitals and local governments provide telephone medical interpretation. Ask at reception — the phrase is 通訳 (tsuuyaku, interpreter).

Find facilities near you

Browse by prefecture. Facility names are shown in English where the official romanised name is registered, which is the case for about 90% of facilities.

Frequently asked questions

Can I filter this site for English-speaking doctors?: No. The government open data behind these listings does not include a field for supported languages. The Ministry's own Iryo Joho Net search does let you filter by language, but that field is not present in the downloadable dataset.
How do I find an English-speaking doctor in Japan?: Prefectural and city medical information centres publish lists of facilities with language support, embassies usually maintain their own lists, large hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo often have international departments, and the Japan National Tourism Organization publishes a medical institution guide.
Can I manage a clinic visit without English?: Usually yes. Written communication works well: a short written description of your symptoms, a translation app and your medicine notebook cover most routine visits. Some hospitals and local governments also provide telephone medical interpretation — the word to ask for is 通訳 (tsuuyaku).