Skip to main content
MumExpat

Health

Children's health in Tokyo

Japan's health system is one of the best in the world, and one of the simplest for a mother: a neighbourhood paediatrician available without appointment, compulsory insurance covering 70% of care, and a card issued by the ward that makes children's care free up to 18. The difficulty is the language. Here is how it works, with verified addresses and the official list of French-speaking practitioners.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How the Japanese system works

Compulsory insurance, public or employer-based, that reimburses at source: you only pay your share at the counter. No assigned family doctor, neighbourhood clinics everywhere, and big hospitals reserved for referred cases.

Good to know

  • Anyone residing in Japan for more than three months must be insured: through employee insurance if one parent is salaried (premium split half and half with the employer, partner and children attached), otherwise through National Health Insurance (Kokumin kenko hoken), taken out at the ward office and based on household income and size. Source
  • With the insurance card, or the My Number card that replaces it, you only pay 30% of the cost of care and medicines at the doctor's or pharmacy counter; a monthly cap, which varies with age and income, lets you recover anything above it. Source
  • For children, the remaining share drops to 20% before elementary school, and Tokyo's wards cover it entirely: with the children's medical certificate (iryosho) issued by the ward office, consultations, hospital stays and reimbursable medicines cost nothing until the 31 March following the eighteenth birthday. Source
  • You first see a neighbourhood clinic (kurinikku), most often without appointment: paediatrics (shonika) is a community specialty, with a paediatrician a few streets from home. Large hospitals are reserved for referred cases: without a doctor's letter, they charge a non-reimbursed surcharge. Source
  • The French state does not cover your health, hospital or repatriation costs in Japan. Many families top up Japanese insurance with the Caisse des Français de l'étranger or private cover, especially to consult at international clinics that do not accept Japanese insurance. Source

Go further

Finding a paediatrician and baby check-ups

No compulsory registration with a doctor: you choose your neighbourhood paediatrician and keep going back. The mother and child health handbook, the boshi kenko techo, is the document that will follow you everywhere, from pregnancy to school vaccinations.

Good to know

  • The mother and child health handbook (boshi kenko techo) is issued by the ward office on declaration of pregnancy; some cities offer a foreign-language version. It records the pregnancy, the birth, growth, check-ups and vaccines: bring it to every consultation. Source
  • Toddler health check-ups are free and scheduled by the ward office: at 3 to 4 months, 6 to 7 months, 9 to 10 months and 18 months at the ward's approved clinics, then at 3 years at the public health centre (hokenjo), with a dental check. The first check-up, at one month, is usually done at the maternity hospital. Source
  • At every visit, bring the health insurance card or My Number card, the ward's children's medical certificate, the boshi techo handbook, the medicine notebook (okusuri techo) and cash: small clinics often take cash only. Source
  • If you arrive with a child, your French health record counts: ask the paediatrician to copy its vaccines into the boshi techo, which the ward office also issues to families arriving with a little one, so that the Japanese schedule picks up where the French one left off.
  • To find an English-speaking paediatrician, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Himawari service answers by phone (03-5285-8181, daily 9:00 to 20:00, in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Spanish) and its website lets you search clinics and pharmacies by area and language. Source

Go further

Emergencies and children's hospitals

Three numbers to remember: 119 for the ambulance, which is free, #7119 when you hesitate to call it, #8000 for a paediatric nurse at night. Round-the-clock children's emergency departments exist, but not in every hospital: find yours before you need it.

Good to know

  • 119 calls the ambulance (and fire brigade) 24/7, free of charge, from any phone; the operator first asks whether it is a fire or a medical emergency, then the address, symptoms and age. In Tokyo, an interpretation service in English and several languages is available during the call. Source
  • #7119 is the Tokyo Fire Department's emergency consultation centre, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: doctors, nurses and former paramedics tell you whether to call an ambulance, go to hospital now or wait until morning, and point to open facilities. The service is in Japanese; from a landline, dial 03-3212-2323. Source
  • #8000 is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's paediatric line: nurses, backed by paediatricians when needed, advise parents of a sick or injured child outside clinic hours, Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 8:00 the next morning, and around the clock on weekends, public holidays and over the New Year. From a landline or IP phone: 03-5285-8898. Source
  • Emergency departments triage by severity, not arrival order: expect one to three hours' wait in the evening for a minor case. They only dispense a day or two of treatment and send you back to your paediatrician; without a referral letter, big hospitals charge a non-reimbursed surcharge. Bring the insurance card, the children's certificate and the boshi techo. Source

Addresses

  • National Center for Child Health and Development (Seiiku), Setagaya

    Emergency

    2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535

    Japan's largest children's hospital, in the west of the city: emergency centre open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, walk-in without calling, with paediatric emergency doctors and triage on arrival; surcharge without a referral letter. English pages for patients living in Japan.

    Website Source

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, Fuchu

    Emergency

    2-8-29 Musashidai, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8561

    The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's children's hospital, in the western suburbs: paediatric emergency department 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for any severity, systematic triage, an adult must accompany the child; call ahead if measles is suspected. English website.

    Website Source

  • Aiiku Hospital, Shibaura

    Emergency

    1-16-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0023

    The central mother and child hospital, near Tamachi: paediatric emergencies 24 hours a day, paediatric and neonatal intensive care, outpatient paediatrics, check-ups and vaccines. The reference address for families in Minato and Hiroo; English website.

    Website Source

  • Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, Hiroo

    Hospital

    4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8935

    Hiroo's large general hospital, ten minutes from the embassy: walk-in emergency department, with critical cases taken 24 hours a day, a paediatrics department and a top-level perinatal centre. Out-of-hours surcharge for non-urgent cases; English pages.

    Website Source

  • St. Luke's International Hospital, Tsukiji

    Hospital

    9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560

    Tokyo's historic hospital for foreigners, east of the centre: emergency department open 24 hours a day with English-speaking staff, paediatrics and maternity, surcharge at a first visit without referral. The reflex of families who want to be understood in English.

    Website Source

Go further

French-speaking doctors, dentists and therapists

The French embassy in Japan publishes a list of medical and allied health practitioners, updated in September 2026, covering Tokyo and the country's main cities. It is provided for information only, without engaging the administration's responsibility, and the choice of practitioner is free. We list the Tokyo practitioners most useful to families; French is more common among GPs, dentists and therapists than among paediatricians, who are almost all English-speaking.

Good to know

  • The official list covers GPs, a paediatrician, dentists and orthodontists, gynaecologists, dermatologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, physios, osteopaths and sophrologists in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sendai, with the languages spoken; it is the only public source checked by the French administration. Source
  • Most of these practitioners accept Japanese health insurance; the international clinics of Minato, such as the Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic, do not and are paid through private insurance. For a consultation at a university hospital, a doctor's referral letter is needed, otherwise a surcharge is charged. Source
  • The expat directory of lepetitjournal.com Tokyo and the AFJ guide (GPs, dentists, gynaecology, paediatrics, hospitals) complement the list with partner or self-listed professionals; for an English-speaking neighbourhood paediatrician, go through the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Himawari service. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Michiko Suwa

    Paediatrician

    Shibuya-ku

    Paediatrician, the only one on the embassy's list in Tokyo; consultations in English and Japanese, English website.

    Languages spoken : EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Ivor Cammack

    General practitioner

    Shiba-Koen (Minato-ku)

    French-speaking general practitioner, Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic, an international clinic with an on-call doctor; does not take Japanese insurance.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Kaori Mochizuki

    General practitioner

    Shinagawa-ku

    French-speaking general practitioner, Mochizuki Medical Clinic.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa

    General practitioner

    Hachioji (ouest de Tokyo)

    French-speaking general practitioner, Clinique Yamakawa, medical adviser to the French embassy.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Source

  • Dr Naoko Koyama

    Dentist

    Minato-ku

    French-speaking dentist, Fillion Cabinet Dentaire (treatment and orthodontics).

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Yasutomo Sakakibara

    Dentist

    Minato-ku

    French-speaking dentist, Sakakibara Dental Clinic.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Kazuyuki Nago

    Dentist

    Shibuya-ku

    French-speaking dentist, Nago Dental Clinic, French-language website.

    Languages spoken : FR, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Tomohiro Inaba

    Dentist

    Yasui Bldg. 1F, 335 Yamabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku

    Dentist, Inaba Dental Office, consultations in English; AFJ partner.

    Languages spoken : EN, JA

    Source

  • Dr Nagisa Kuyama

    Psychologist

    Toranomon (Minato-ku)

    French-speaking psychiatrist, Toranomon Hospital, which has French-language pages.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Tsuyoshi Akiyama

    Psychologist

    Rokubancho (Shinjuku-ku)

    French-speaking psychiatrist, Rokubancho Mental Clinic; Japanese-language website.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Anne-Sophie Mpacko

    Psychologist

    Shibuya-ku

    Clinical psychologist for children, adolescents and the perinatal period, Centre Paramedi; the French-speaking specialist for little ones and new mothers.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Alexis Dazy

    Psychologist

    Jingumae (Shibuya-ku)

    Clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, consultations in French.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Website Source

  • Ana Maloyan-Kishida

    Psychologist

    Shinagawa-ku

    Clinical psychologist, consultations in French and English.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Alice Kibe-Crenn

    Psychologist

    Tokyo

    Clinical psychologist and sophrologist, consultations in French.

    Languages spoken : FR

    Website Source

  • Daniel Fillit

    Shibuya-ku

    French-speaking physiotherapist, Centre Paramedi, the French-speaking allied health practice in Shibuya.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

Go further

Pregnancy and maternity units

In Japan, pregnancy begins at the ward office, which issues the boshi techo handbook and the prenatal check-up vouchers. You choose your maternity unit early, as places are booked from the first weeks, and you register there yourself. Insurance pays a lump sum for the birth, which is not considered an illness.

Good to know

  • As soon as the pregnancy is confirmed, file a pregnancy notification at the ward office: you receive the mother and child health handbook and vouchers that reduce the cost of prenatal check-ups at Tokyo's approved facilities. Source
  • As childbirth is not reimbursed like treatment, health insurance pays a lump-sum childbirth allowance of 500,000 yen per child, most often paid directly to the maternity unit; some wards, such as Minato, top up the difference up to a cap. Source
  • Statutory maternity leave starts 6 weeks before the due date (14 for a multiple pregnancy), at the employee's request, and bans all work for the 8 weeks following the birth; parental leave can then last until the child's first birthday, two years in some cases, and fathers have four weeks within the eight weeks after the birth. Source
  • After the birth, register the child at the ward office within 14 days, apply for their residence status at the immigration bureau, and have the record transcribed at the consulate, which handles civil status by post after a first contact. Epidurals remain rare in Japanese maternity units: if you want one, choose a hospital that offers it day and night. Source

Addresses

  • Aiiku Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    1-16-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0023

    Central Tokyo's reference perinatal centre: LDR rooms (labour, delivery and recovery in one room), epidural available 24 hours a day with anaesthetists on site, neonatal intensive care, midwives for breastfeeding and an international unit for consultations in English.

    Website Source

  • St. Luke's International Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560

    The maternity unit most used to foreign patients, with English-speaking staff, in Tokyo's historic hospital for foreigners; English pages on childbirth and a surcharge at a first visit without referral.

    Website Source

  • Seibo Hospital, Shinjuku

    Maternity

    2-5-1 Nakaochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8521

    Mejiro's international Catholic hospital, founded by nuns: maternity by appointment, paediatrics with the one-month check-up, care 'regardless of nationality, faith or wealth'; English pages.

    Website Source

  • Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, centre périnatal

    Maternity

    4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8935

    Hiroo's perinatal and paediatric centre, designated a 'super' perinatal centre for high-risk pregnancies, within the large general hospital of the French families' neighbourhood; first visit by referral.

    Website Source

  • Dr Seiya Orito, gynécologue

    Chiyoda-ku

    French-speaking obstetrician-gynaecologist on the embassy's list, Orito Clinic, French-language website: pregnancy follow-up and consultations in French, alongside the chosen maternity unit.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, JA

    Website Source

  • Dr Hideki Sakamoto, gynécologue

    Shibaura (Minato-ku)

    Gynaecologist on the embassy's list, international unit of the Aiiku Clinic: consultations in English and Spanish, gateway to the Aiiku Hospital maternity unit.

    Languages spoken : EN, JA, ES

    Website Source

Go further

Pharmacies and medicines

Two worlds coexist: drugstores open late, where you find over-the-counter medicines, nappies and formula, and dispensing pharmacies (chozai yakkyoku) that fill prescriptions, often next to the clinic. Doliprane does not exist: look for acetaminophen.

Good to know

  • The doctor hands you a prescription to be filled at a dispensing pharmacy, usually next to the clinic; it is only valid for 4 days, after which a new consultation is needed. Children's medicines are most often dispensed as powder to dilute, dosed by weight, rather than syrup. Source
  • The medicine notebook (okusuri techo), given free at the pharmacy, records every treatment for each family member: bring it to every consultation and pharmacy, it prevents interactions and serves as a memory when you cannot read the labels. Source
  • For minor ailments, drugstores (Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Welcia, Sundrug) sell fever reducers, antiseptics and saline solution without prescription, with a pharmacist to consult; Japanese doses are often lower than in France. Equivalents: acetaminophen for paracetamol, ibuprofen, 'shokuensui' for saline solution. Source
  • At night, duty pharmacies are rare: hospital emergency departments themselves dispense one to a few days of treatment, and #7119 or the Himawari website list pharmacies still open. Station drugstores close late but do not stock prescription medicines. Source
  • To bring treatment from France, Japan's health ministry regulates the import of medicines for personal use: beyond a small quantity, an import confirmation certificate (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) is required, and some molecules common in France are banned in Japan. The simplest is to have the treatment renewed by a doctor in Japan. Source

Go further

Vaccines: how the schedule differs from France

The Japanese schedule is as complete as the French one, but cut differently: nothing is compulsory, everything is done at the neighbourhood paediatrician with vouchers sent by the ward office, and four vaccines surprise French parents: BCG for all, chickenpox, Japanese encephalitis, and the absence of mumps and meningococcus from the free programme.

Good to know

  • No vaccine is compulsory in Japan; so-called 'routine' vaccines (category A) are recommended by law and free when given within the set period, 'voluntary' vaccines are paid by parents, sometimes subsidised by the ward. In France, eleven vaccinations are compulsory for young children. Source
  • Baby: at 2 months, hepatitis B, rotavirus (oral), pneumococcal and the pentavalent vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib), repeated at 3 and 4 months; then BCG, a single dose at around 5 months, routine in Japan whereas it is reserved for at-risk babies in France. Source
  • At 1 year: measles-rubella (MR) and chickenpox, both routine, on the same day if you wish; the second MR dose is given the year before elementary school, the second chickenpox dose a few months after the first. Mumps is not in the free programme: the vaccine, voluntary, is given at 1 year and before school. Source
  • The Japanese encephalitis vaccine, unknown to the French schedule, is routine: possible from 6 months, it is usually given at 3 years (two doses then a booster), with a fourth dose at around 9 to 12. A diphtheria-tetanus (DT) booster is scheduled at 11, and HPV is offered free to girls from the sixth grade, to boys on a voluntary basis. Source
  • Meningococcal vaccine, compulsory in France, is only voluntary in Japan (from age 2, advised before a stay abroad or in boarding school); flu is given every autumn, at a cost, with a nasal spray possible from age 2. If you arrive from France, the paediatrician adjusts the schedule from your health record. Source
  • Everything is done at the neighbourhood paediatrician, not at school or the health centre: the ward office sends notices, a questionnaire and free vaccination vouchers to use at the ward's approved clinics, which record each dose in the boshi techo. Source

Go further

These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Tokyo will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France au Japon, liste de notoriété médicale et paramédicale
  2. 2 Portail interculturel de Tokyo, assurance santé
  3. 3 Portail interculturel de Tokyo, maladie soudaine et urgences
  4. 4 Arrondissement de Minato, aide médicale pour les enfants
  5. 5 Préfecture de Tokyo, consultation pédiatrique #8000
  6. 6 National Center for Child Health and Development, centre d'urgences
  7. 7 KNOW-VPD, calendrier vaccinal japonais en anglais
  8. 8 Agence des services d'immigration, guide pratique pour vivre et travailler au Japon

Get updates to the Tokyo guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Tokyo guide changes, never more than once a week.

Other sections of the Tokyo guide

Report a change

A place has closed, a number has changed, something is no longer right? Please tell us: we check and fix the Tokyo guide.

What is going on?