Japanese Phrases for a Doctor, Clinic, or Pharmacy Visit

Getting sick abroad is stressful, and trying to explain a symptom in a language you do not speak makes it worse. Japan's tourism authorities have built tools for exactly this situation. This guide pulls together the symptom phrases from the Japan National Tourism Organization's (JNTO) Tourist's Language Handbook and the practical steps from the Japan Tourism Agency's "Guide for when you are feeling ill." It explains words and procedures only; it is not medical advice.

First, the numbers

JNTO lists these:

Need	Number
Fire or ambulance	119
Police	110
Japan Visitor Hotline (24 hours, 365 days)	050-3816-2787, or +81-50-3816-2787 from overseas

The Visitor Hotline handles accidents, illness, and natural disasters, plus general tourist information, in English, Chinese, and Korean. The illness guide adds that it can introduce medical institutions where you can consult in a foreign language, though as a rule it does not provide three-way interpretation or make bookings for you.

If you need an ambulance and cannot call yourself, the guide suggests showing this sentence to someone nearby:

• 救急車を呼んでください。 [kyuukyuusha o yonde kudasai] "Please call an ambulance."

Saying where you want to go

• 私は＿＿に行きたいです。 [watashi wa ＿＿ ni ikitai desu] The handbook's pattern for "I want to see a ＿＿."
• 近くに病院はありますか。 [chikaku ni byouin wa arimasu ka] "Is there a hospital nearby?" For a pharmacy, use 薬局 [yakkyoku].

The illness guide matches symptoms to departments, which helps you choose the right word:

Symptom	Department
Fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose	内科 [naika] Internal medicine
Eczema or hives	皮膚科 [hifuka] Dermatology
Ears, nose, or throat	耳鼻咽喉科 [jibiinkouka] Otorhinolaryngology
Toothache	歯科 [shika] Dentistry
Children's illnesses	小児科 [shounika] Pediatrics
Not sure	General diagnosis and treatment

The Japanese names here are from the handbook's department list, which also includes 眼科 [ganka], ophthalmology, for eye problems.

Describing your symptoms

All of these come straight from the handbook, which prints romanized readings so you can say them aloud:

• 熱があります。 [netsu ga arimasu] "I have a fever."
• 頭が痛いです。 [atama ga itai desu] "I have a headache."
• おなかが痛いです。 [onaka ga itai desu] "I have a stomach ache."
• 喉が痛いです。 [nodo ga itai desu] "I have a sore throat."
• 咳が出ます。 [seki ga demasu] "I have a cough."
• 吐き気がします。 [hakike ga shimasu] "I feel sick," in the sense of nausea.
• 下痢をしています。 [geri o shiteimasu] "I have diarrhea."
• めまいがします。 [memai ga shimasu] "I feel dizzy."
• 食欲がありません。 [shokuyoku ga arimasen] "I don't have an appetite."

Notice the shape. Many symptoms follow "thing + が + verb," and you can swap the body part in 〜が痛いです [~ ga itai desu], "~ hurts." The handbook's body-part list includes 肩 [kata] "shoulder," ひざ [hiza] "knee," and 腰 for the lower back.

For an allergy to medicine, the handbook gives:

• （抗生物質／アスピリン）にアレルギーがあります。 [(kouseibusshitsu / asupirin) ni arerugii ga arimasu] "I am allergic to (antibiotics / aspirin)."

What the doctor and pharmacist may say

The handbook also prints the other side of the conversation, which is just as useful:

• 今何か治療を受けていますか。 The handbook's English: "Are you on any medication?"
• 最近何か手術を受けましたか。 "Have you had any operations lately?"
• 少なくとも（＿）日間は安静にしていてください。 "Please try to rest for at least (＿) days."

At the pharmacy, dosage instructions follow a set pattern:

• この薬は1日＿回、（食前／食後／食間／就寝前）に各＿錠服用してください。 "This medicine should be taken ＿ times a day (before meals / after meals / between meals / before sleep). Take only ＿ tablet(s) at a time."

The four timing words are worth recognizing on their own: 食前 [shokuzen] before meals, 食後 [shokugo] after meals, 食間 [shokkan] between meals, and 就寝前 [shuushinmae] before sleep.

How a visit works, and how to pay

The illness guide lays out the steps: reception, filling out a medical sheet, examination and a prescription, payment, and then buying the medicine at a pharmacy. It also offers printable sheets for your personal details and for pointing to symptoms.

Payment details matter:

• Credit cards are only accepted at major hospitals. The guide says clinics generally accept cash only.
• Medicine is paid for separately at the pharmacy, though some institutions dispense it in-house.
• Ask for a cost estimate at reception, the guide advises, since systems differ by country.
• In an ambulance, you cannot choose the hospital.

For minor problems that do not need a doctor, the guide points to pharmacies and drugstores, and notes that some medicines cannot be bought when the pharmacist is not present.

Key takeaways

• Call 119 for an ambulance or fire, 110 for police, and 050-3816-2787 for the 24-hour Japan Visitor Hotline.
• 救急車を呼んでください asks someone to call an ambulance for you.
• Most symptoms fit simple patterns such as 熱があります or 〜が痛いです.
• Learn 食前, 食後, 食間, and 就寝前 to read dosage timing.
• Carry cash: clinics generally do not take cards, and medicine is paid for separately.