By Julia Kuchle (Former Nanyo B RA)

Healthcare

Information on healthcare, mental health, and reproductive health

Emergency Numbers

• Dial 119 for fire, ambulance, or rescue services.
• Dial 110 for police services.

Healthcare in Ehime

Finding Clinics and Hospitals

• Ehime Medical Information Network (えひめ医療情報ネット) has an english search option available. You can search by area, time, language, and specialty group. Pharmacy and midwifery searches available as well.
• Japan Healthcare Info provides services for non-japanese patients navigating healthcare in Japan. A consultation is 1500 yen.

Getting Treatment

• Many places are walk in, but call ahead!
• The language barrier will be difficult and something we all have to face. Try to get help and don’t let the problem grow!
• Here is a Multilingual Medical Questionnaire to help explain your problem (but having someone with you to help communicate will make things much easier).
• Again, Japan Healthcare Info can help. Along with finding a doctor, they can make appointments, translate, answer questions, and more. You can read up on healthcare in Japan yourself on their site as well. They also have lists of helpful health related expressions in japanese.
• Matsuyama International Center ( まつやま国際交流センター ) is a volunteer support system for foreign residents and can help with doctor visits. It is not limited to just doctor visits, offering assistance and translation in other areas (bank, town hall, driving center, etc).
  • For privacy, their otasukeman service is available. 
• Contact your local international center for help.
• Ask your supervisor, friends, or CIR for help.

Insurance

• We have National Health Insurance 健康保険 (kenkou hoken).
• Always carry your health insurance card because you never know what could happen.
• After your first visit to a clinic, you should receive a 診察券 (shinsatsuken). Bring this with you to your following visits.
• 70% of medical expenses are covered (medical exams, emergency treatment, surgery, medicine, medicinal supplies, etc). It is often cheaper to visit a clinic for any medications (cold, headache) than to buy them yourself at a drugstore!
• Clinics often only take cash, so have money on you.
• Ask for a 診断書 (shindansho) at the doctor’s if you want to take a sick day.

JET Accident Insurance

• Provided for JETs by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance.
• Provides coverage for treatment for illness and injuries that occur during travel (abroad or in your home country).
• 2020 Accident Insurance Policy guide is available on the JET website. 
• Keep your receipts.

The Flu (インフルエンザ)

• If you have symptoms DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL. Go to a clinic
• Flu shots are widely available, possibly even at your school (talk to your school nurse).
• Flu shots are around 3,000 to 5,000 yen.
• Wear a mask (be considerate of those around you).
• Masks come in different sizes with a variety of types (for glasses, allergies, dry air, hot weather, ect).
• Don’t cough or sneeze openly, and turn away when blowing your nose.
• Wash your hands often (and especially if you work with younger children!).
• Get lots of vitamin C (you live in Ehime, land of the oranges).
• Buy sanitizer and use often

Heatstroke (熱中症 necchuushou)

• Be cautious of signs of heatstroke in students and yourself!
• Symptoms:

1. Throbbing headache
2. Dizziness and light-headed
3. Lack of sweat despite heat   
4. Red and dry skin       
5. Muscle cramps
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. Rapid heartbeat
8. Confusion or disorientation
9. Shallow breathing
   

• Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, barley tea, or sports drink! Stay away from sugary or caffeinated drinks.
• Take 塩分 (shiobun) candies/drops

Mental Health

Helplines

• Tokyo English Life Line (TELL)
  • PHONE: 03-5774-0992 (Daily, 9:00 to 23:00*)
  • Chat also available (Friday-Sunday, 22:30 to 2am*)

*Due to COVID-19, phone and chat services have been affected. Check here or on their social media for accurate hours.

• Variety of information and resources available for counseling, abuse, mental issues, emergencies, events, pregnancy, health, and more. These can be accessed on their site.
• AJET Peer Support Group
  • Phone: 050-5534-5566 (Daily, 20:00 to 7:00)
  • Skype contact is available. Username: “AJETPSG” (Daily, 20:00 to 7:00)
• The Samaritans
  • American (New York) 24 hour suicide hotline 
    • PHONE: 1-212-673-3000 
  • UK 24 hour suicide hotline 
    • PHONE: 44-8457 90 90 90

Therapy and Counseling Resources

• International Mental Health Professionals Japan (IMHPJ)
• TELL Counseling
• JET Online Counseling Service (7 free sessions of professional counseling through skype)
• There is no national license system in Japan, so be careful. Look into your counselors, therapists, and psychologists. The above resources are safe.

Psychiatry/Getting Medication

• TELL and Tokyo Mental Health have English service and can prescribe medication (consultations can be expensive). You can google around for other english psychiatric care in Japan as well. Again, be careful. There are some bad apples (like doctors who have lost their license abroad then came to Japan).
• You could ask your local clinic or hospital about medications or for a nearby  心療内科 (shinryou naika) to visit. Likely nothing will be in English so consider help from a friend or service. These places are covered by Japanese Health Insurance.

Mental Health Tips:

• Practice self-compassion (be kind, patient, and understanding of yourself)
• Self-care (what do you need? Have you slept, ate, or showered?)
• Get plenty of sleep
• Eat well, stay hydrated
• Stay active and exercise (try walking 30 minutes a day!)
• Keep a sense of humor
• Meditate (notice your thoughts and let them go, be mindful, stay present)
• Go to the onsen
• Help someone else
• Make a gratitude list
• Journalling
• Listen to music
• Find and do hobbies you enjoy
• Talk to others and stay connected
• Get therapy
• Less drugs (alcohol, caffeine)
• Ask for help
• Have a mantra (“It’s not that deep”, “Everything will be okay”)
• Positive self-affirmations
• Smile
• Stretch or do yoga
• Remember mistakes are okay
• Go outside
• Take things one step at a time
• Take a break from social media
• Make something (draw, cook, write a poem)

And the list goes on! What has worked for you?

Reproductive Health

STD/STI testing

• Regarding HIV/AIDS:
  • AIDS Hotline 24/7, multilingual, free 0120-46-1995 
  • Japan HIV Center Hotline English available Sat 12-3 03-5259-0256
  • Free anonymous HIV testing available at Public Health Centers, like the one in Matsuyama! (also with Syphilis/Hepatitis A & B tests)
• Regarding all STDS:
  • STD testing at home kits for sale on Amazon (different packages available, ranging from 3000 to 15000 yen). 
  • STD testing is also available at gynecologists, but not covered by the National Health Insurance. Usually you have to have symptoms in order to get a specific exam (such as itching to get a chlamydia test) but if you ask for a test, you often can get one. 

Gynecologists 

• Many people have not had pleasant experiences with gynos in Japan. I recommend checking Google for reviews. A good one in Matsuyama is Mariko’s Ladies Clinic (the gyno speaks a fair amount of English). 
• You can get an annual pap smear to be subsidized with an application from your BOE if you’re over the age of 30.

Emergency contraception 

• In Japan, emergency contraception is not available over the counter. You must go to the doctor & get a prescription. Research online or call the clinic beforehand to see which doctors carry them, because not all do.
• It can be expensive, ranging anywhere from 3,000-20,000 yen.
• If you do an online consultation on sumaluna.com (all in Japanese), a pill can be mailed to you.

Abortions

• In Japan, the abortion pill is illegal therefore unavailable at clinics. Only surgical abortions are performed, which are very safe. They are very expensive, and the cost will depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy. Costs range from 100,000-300,000. If you are less than 10 weeks pregnant, through the organization Women on the Web, you can receive an abortion pill in the mail anonymously for around 100 USD. More information can be found on their website. 

Birth control

• It is not covered by the National Health Insurance but is affordable. The pill brands may differ from brands in your country. The most common forms of BC are pills and IUDS- other forms like patches, arm implants and shots are very rare. The cost of an IUDS depends on the clinic, so call ahead for estimates! 

Condoms

• The most popular form of birth control. You can buy condoms at any convenience store or pharmacy, but also on Amazon. At the store, they will be beside other intimate items like lubricant. The most popular brands are Okamoto & Sagami.

Menstrual Matters

• Pads and tampons are available at pharmacies. There is more variety of pads than tampons. Japanese tampons are not very good/weak (okay for light days). Menstrual cups like Diva Cup are available online.
• Menstrual leave is available! It is unpaid and not really used by Japanese coworkers, but check your contract for further details.

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