MMoving to Japan

Medications in Japan

  • November 3, 2025

Hi everyone,

I’m planning on moving to Japan within the next year or so however I have epilepsy that’s controlled by medication. Is anyone aware of how I would go about being prescribed this while I’m living there?

Obviously this is one of the main reasons holding me back from moving there earlier as I’m worried that there’s no way to prescribe medication to foreigners and there’s not really any information out there about this topic.

Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙂

by alaya66

2 comments

  1. I don’t know anything about your specific medication, but being a foreigner doesn’t present a problem in getting a prescription. Many doctors take people as walk-ins. When I lived in Japan, I used to go to my cardiologist when it fit into my day, no appt needed–people show up, take a number, and see the doctor when their number is called. He’d issue my BP med prescription and then I’d go to a pharmacy and get it filled. Easy peasy. There are JP gov’t websites with details about what meds are legal in Japan. Good luck.

  2. I have a chronic illness and prior to relocating I reached out to several hospitals about continuing treatment; I suggest you do the same!

    They can tell you if the medication you’re on now is available in Japan or if you would need to change to one that is. Regardless of availability, you’ll need to do intake testing all over again with whichever provider you go with.

    I would suggest reaching out to see if continuing treatment is feasible for your situation. Once you have an arrival date and know where you will be living, find a provider and set up an appointment.

    Also have all your documentation, (health record, rx record) and a referral letter from your current provider. If it’s at all possible, bring extra medication as allowed in case getting everything set up here takes longer than expected.

    You are required to carry National Health Insurance or an employer equivalent and your portion of the costs is capped at 30%. You will need to pay the entire bill until your insurance coverage goes into effect, which can vary between NHI and employer plans.

    This was a pretty stressful process for me personally, but it is possible and definitely worth it if you are serious about living here.

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