For foreign women who become pregnant and decide to have their babies in Japan, the country offers a range of free and subsidized services. But it is important that the pregnant woman has a health insurance policy – Kenko Hoken, which can be a public one, issued by the municipality where she is registered or by the company where she works.
Most medical consultations, examinations and check ups are free, so don’t be afraid to use them. For more information, consult your doctor or the health section of your municipality.
The medical examinations and check ups for babies and children, where information about the stage of development is collected, are important, because they will give you the means to detect any kind of disease or abnormality in your child, so that it can be treated. So always go to the consultations. If you don’t understand Japanese, look for help, translators, or consult your local municipality. Some cities like Yokohama have volunteers who can help you with translations.
There are also paid services (health check-ups for pregnant women, postpartum care activities, etc.), but even for these services there is help from the local municipality or health insurance to reduce the amount to be charged or to reimburse the expenses incurred. Check with your hospital and municipality. If you are insured by a company, talk to the person in charge of health insurance at the company or talk to the company’s insurance association, Hoken Kumiai.
