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In Case of Illness

If you are unwell and visit a hospital or clinic for treatment, be sure to take your health insurance card with you.

Office hours for most medical care providers in Japan are limited to weekdays and Saturday mornings. Designated hospitals provide medical treatments at night and on Sundays and national holidays. Many Japanese medical care providers do not require appointments (although dental clinics usually do).

Lists of emergency hospitals, hospitals with foreign language speaking staff, and a medical handbook are available on the website of the Kyoto City International Foundation (External Link) in Japanese, Chinese, English, Korean, and Spanish.

Medical Interpreter Dispatch System

A free medical interpreter dispatch system for non-Japanese speakers who live in Kyoto is available at the following four hospitals. Please contact one of the Interpreter Request Counters at participating hospitals in person at least five days prior to the scheduled treatment. Check the list below for specific day/hour available.
In general, the medical interpreter cannot conduct interpreting over the phone.

  • Kyoto City Hospital (External Link)*
    Address: 1-2 Higashitakada-cho, Mibu Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
    Phone: 075-311-5311
    Available Languages：English, Chinese, Korean
    Days/Hours：Tue,. Wed., Fri. 9:00-11:30
    (Chinese available on Friday only)
  • Ijinkai Takeda Hospital (External Link) 
    Address: 28-1 Moriminami-cho, Ishida, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
    Phone: 075-572-6331
    Available Languages：English, Chinese, Korean
    Days/Hours：Tue., Fri., Sat.　9:00-12:00 
  • Koseikai Takeda Hospital (External Link)
    Address: 841-5 Higashishiokoji-cho, Nishinotoin Higashi-iru, Shiokoji-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
    Phone: 075-361-1351
    Available Languages：English, Chinese, Korean
    Days/Hours：Tue., Fri., Sat　9:00-12:00 
  • Kyoto Katsura Hospital (External Link)
    Address: 17 Hirao-cho, Yamada, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto
    Phone: 075-391-5811
    Available Languages：English, Chinese, Korean
    Days/Hours：Tue., Wed., Fri.　9:00-11:30

*Computerized multilingual medical support (in Japanese, Chinese, English, Korean and Portuguese) is also available at the reception desks of Kyoto City Hospital and Kyoto University Hospital. By means of a questionnaire, the system helps users receive appropriate medical treatment and also provides directions to medical facilities and assistance with reception procedures.