Yodoyabashi Medical Clinics

Unfortunately this clinic charges extra fees to those that do not speak Japanese fluently. On the day I arrived at the clinic the staff were very polite and helpful. I explained to them that is was my first time there an that I would like to see a doctor or make an appointment. The receptionist then gave me a a sheet of paper explaining that there is a mandatory 10,000 yen monthly fee for foreigners, allowing them speak in and fill out paperwork in the language of their choosing. They didn't try to hide it, they were very upfront. Firstly, I believe that it is morally wrong to impose these sort of restrictions on people based on their skin color and language abilities. Regardless I said Japanese was okay and I would communicate that way. They didn't want to do that (Based on the website and reviews I am now reading, the doctor speaks English well but how could I be sure his English is better than my Japanese without ever speaking to him). Well I didn't want to pay 10,000 yen every month to see the doctor so I said I would come back with another person who could speak Japanese and English well to translate. They refused. This entire conversation took place in Japanese. In summary I would recommend another clinic that doesn't charge fees because you are a foreigner. P.S. It seems the owner of the clinic is commenting and saying that he only charges this fee to people with Japanese insurance, but that is a ridiculous defence. That just means he is purposefully targeting the people in and around his community. I fail to see how that is better.

Excellent clinic! The reception staff were extremely thorough about how their system works, including payments and insurance. Yes there was a charge for English service, but as a foreigner living in Osaka, a good English speaking doctor is hard to find, so I didn’t mind. The staff behind the reception counter spoke excellent English. The doctor himself was amazing! He had an excellent bedside matter, spoke perfect English, was thorough and took his time listening to me and explaining everything in detail. I’m really glad I found this clinic and would highly recommend it.

Reasonable price compared to other hospitals/clinics for foreigners. Also the quality of the medical technique is terrific. Explicit interpretation, kind and warm-hearted staffs. I think it’s difficult to find such a hospital that can deal with us, foreigners, in Japan like here. If I have something in the future, I would definitely swing by this hospital again.

The staff and the doctor were highly professional and attentive. Speaking English to the staff member assigned to foreign patients and speaking to the doctor was easy there was no problem at all communicating with them. Facilities were clean, modern and despite being very busy (he had 8-9 other patients in the waiting room) spacious enough to fit everyone with no issues. Billing was efficient and reasonable (it’s highly regulated in Japan - so any claims of over-billing by anyone else is likely to be fraudulent). Very satisfied with this clinic and I would recommend it to anyone who needs an English speaking doctor in Osaka.

One star is explained below. The doctor was great. He asked if I could speak Japanese (I can only speak a little) and offered English, which he was very proficient in. Also pretty personable in his delivery of treatment. The nurse was nice, though my tattoo disproprotionately shocked her for medical staff. I'm not judging her cultural upbringing. It was just funny. The issue was the younger looking staff member with the boy band haircut. When I arrived, I told the other English speaking reception staff I absolutely must leave by 12pm to get to work. After a somewhat lengthy wait (which is totally ok), I saw the doctor and I was waiting to pay. I said I need to leave soon to get to work otherwise I will be fined 30,000 yen ($300) from my monthly salary. They said to take a seat. It got to the point where I had to leave to be on time, which I said to the staff member that asked me to wait. The boy band hair staff member interjected and said if I left they would call the police, said no one else complains about waiting, and that I should have said something before. I simply said I did say something when I arrived and sat down because what else could I do with a threat like that (all over a bill of less than 2,000 yen/$20). This shows a disgusting amount of privilege and lack of empathy. I'm sure this guy has never worked for a company with such strict rules in his life, and to show zero understanding of other people's situations is a disgrace. He was also very rude to suggest I hadn't said something earlier rather than try to offer a quick solution. He could have said, "we'll keep hold of your insurance and resident cards until tomorrow and you can pay then", as to get replacements would cost me far in excess of the exceptionally reasonable fee, so obviously I would come back, pay and get my cards back. This guy should get some training in customer service because if I acted like that at my job I would be fired. Edit: the place has replied saying I was trying to leave without paying. This is factually untrue. I was trying to leave to get my train and didn't know how much it would cost because they wouldn't just say the number. If I knew it would be less than 2,000 yen I would have left them 3,000 yen and come back for the change and my insurance card the next day.