Mental Health Services in Japan: How to Find Care in English

Types of mental health services in Japan

Clinic signs, websites and search tools in Japan use Japanese department names. Knowing the three main terms makes it much easier to search and to read what a clinic offers.

This guide does not tell you which type of provider is right for you. If you are unsure where to start, your local public health centre (保健所) or your prefecture's mental health and welfare centre (精神保健福祉センター) can talk through your options. The MHLW lists these local consultation windows on its consultation page (Japanese). Most of these services work in Japanese, so ask about language support when you contact them.

How to find English-speaking mental health services in Japan

There is no single list of English-speaking psychiatrists or counsellors, but several official tools let you filter by language. Use more than one, then contact the clinic to confirm.

• JNTO medical institution searchThe Japan National Tourism Organization's guide for when you are feeling ill includes a search by area, language and department. "Psychiatry" is one of the departments you can choose. It is written for visitors but useful for residents too.
• 医療情報ネット (Navii)The MHLW and prefectural governments run 医療情報ネット, a nationwide search of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. Its detailed search includes a foreign-language option. The site is in Japanese, so a browser translation tool helps.
• MedicTranslate's regional clinic listsOur foreign-friendly clinics page has regional lists of clinics and hospitals used to seeing international patients. Check each clinic's departments, as not every listed clinic offers mental health care.
• Non-governmental servicesSome non-profits support the international community. TELL, for example, offers counselling and a lifeline service. Check their website for current details.

For more general tips on searching, see our guide on how to find an English-speaking doctor or clinic in Japan.

Booking tips

• Expect to book ahead. Many psychiatry and psychosomatic clinics work by appointment, and first-visit slots can be limited. Contact several clinics if the first one is full.
• Ask about language before you book. "English available" can mean a fully English consultation or only basic help at reception. Ask which applies, and whether you may bring an interpreter.
• Ask about fees. Check whether the clinic accepts Japanese public health insurance, and whether any counselling is charged separately.
• Check whether a referral letter is needed. Large hospitals often expect a referral letter (紹介状) from a clinic. Our guide to referral letters explains why.
• Use email or web forms if phone calls are hard. Some clinics accept bookings online. If not, a friend, colleague or interpreter can call for you.

What to expect at a first visit

Every clinic works a little differently, but first visits in Japan usually follow a similar pattern.

• Reception and registrationShow your health insurance details and fill in a registration form. Arrive early, as first visits involve paperwork.
• QuestionnaireMost clinics ask you to fill in a questionnaire (問診票, monshinhyō) before you see the doctor. It is normally in Japanese, so ask whether an English version exists or bring an interpreter.
• ConsultationA first consultation is often longer than later visits. You can usually bring a written summary of what you want to say, plus any past records.
• PaymentYou usually pay at reception after the visit. Keep the receipt.

What to bring

• Your health insurance details, or your passport and travel insurance details if you are visiting.
• Any past medical records or doctor's letters, with a translation if they are not in Japanese.
• A list of the medicines you currently take, and your medicine notebook (お薬手帳) if you have one.
• A short note of the questions you want to ask.

Our checklist on what to bring to a doctor, clinic or hospital in Japan has more detail. If you take medicine from home, read how to bring medication to Japan and bringing antidepressants to Japan before you travel.

Insurance and costs

If you are enrolled in Japanese public health insurance, it covers medical treatment at clinics and hospitals, including psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, and you pay a share of the cost. Counselling offered outside a medical setting, such as at a private counselling room, is often self-pay. Fees vary, so ask before you book.

Visitors without Japanese public health insurance pay the full cost, so check what your travel insurance covers. Our guide on medical costs without Japanese insurance explains more.

Workplace stress resources

If work stress is the concern, the MHLW runs こころの耳 (Kokoro no Mimi), a mental health portal for workers, their families and employers. It offers free, anonymous consultation by phone, social media and email, information on Japan's workplace stress check system (ストレスチェック制度), self-care courses and a short workplace stress self-check. The site is in Japanese.

Your employer may also offer its own support. Your HR team can tell you what is available.

How an interpreter or translated documents can help

In mental health care, the details of what you say matter. Working through a language barrier can make it harder to explain your situation and to understand what the doctor tells you.

• A medical interpreter can join your appointment so you can speak in your own language. This reduces the risk of misunderstanding during booking, the questionnaire and the consultation.
• Translated records, such as past doctor's letters or treatment summaries, help a Japanese doctor read your history without relying on you to explain it from memory.
• A translated medicine list helps the clinic and pharmacy see exactly what you have been prescribed abroad.

See our guide to medical records translation in Japan for what to translate, and medical interpreter costs in Japan for how interpreting is priced.