Can Foreign Residents Apply For Private Health Insurance in Japan?

Whether you’re living in Japan for a few months or the rest of your life, there may come a time when you realize that natto isn’t actually a magic health potion, and consuming it every day won’t necessarily keep you out of the hospital. As much as we’d all rather avoid thinking about it, the unfortunate truth is that you might find yourself sick or injured in Japan. That means, before any unfortunate situations come about, you’ll want to make sure you’re properly insured.

For fresh arrivals in Japan, it can be hard to learn a new language and figure out all the small details of establishing a new life, especially when it comes to things like health insurance. It might take a while, but many foreign residents eventually realize that Japan’s health insurance system (while impressive) can’t always protect you from all the financial pains that come with getting sick. Even if you’re enrolled in Japan’s National Health Insurance (NHI for short, or “Kokumin Kenko Hoken” in Japanese), you still pay 30% of most treatment costs. Whether you trip on the uneven gravel and break your arm while enjoying a walk in a beautiful old Shinto shrine, throw your back out dancing at the neighborhood festival, or you just find yourself desperately attempting to keep the seasonal allergies at bay during cedar pollen season, around 30% of the costs are on you.

All the extra fees of a hospital stay can also get expensive, and your income might take a hit if you need to take time off work—a major headache for freelance English instructors, language students, contract workers, or other self-employed foreign residents. (Entrepreneurs looking to turn that beautiful old akiya into a tourist-magnet bed and breakfast, we’re looking at you. Are you prepared for what could happen if you fall off that ladder and have to take a break from the renovation process?)

Not to mention the difficulties that come from being in a new country, away from the environment you’re used to. If you don’t have family around to take care of you, that costs money too. And, on top of it all, filling out medical paperwork in Japanese and navigating the system on your own (all while stressed and ill) is nobody’s idea of a good time.

As foreign residents living in Japan long-term, many of us on the Japankuru team found ourselves wondering what options were out there, and if it made any sense to sign up for extra health insurance. So we set about delving into the details of private medical insurance, and got a good look at what the application process is actually like for a foreign resident in Japan.

Did you know there’s one insurance company that offers services specifically for foreign residents in Japan? Nanairo Life offers proper English-language support, so you actually know what you’re signing up for. Here’s what stood out about the experience: the highlights, the points of confusion, and everything we discovered along the way.

Getting Started: Researching Japan’s Public Health Insurance & Private Medical Insurance

Our first step was to get a good look at what kind of insurance we had, what was missing, and what else we were looking for when it came to health and medical coverage. National Health Insurance (or employer-provided alternatives) is mandatory for residents staying longer than three months, and it acts as your ticket to the Japanese healthcare system. It generally covers basics like doctor visits, hospital treatment, and prescription medication, but at the same time, we realized there were still financial concerns remaining.

What happens if we suddenly find ourselves ill? What if we end up in the hospital and find the long stay draining our bank accounts? Some of the Japankuru editors have heard horror stories from friends, like contract English teachers left at a loss over their next step after sudden illness kept them away from their usual tutoring sessions. But it turns out private insurance companies like Nanairo Life take over where public health insurance is lacking, bridging those gaps. It’s not a replacement, it’s a backup plan.

Read More About Japan’s National Health Insurance vs Private Medical Insurance

How Does Private Medical Insurance Work in Japan?

For a concrete look at why private health insurance in Japan was starting to seem like a good idea, let’s take a look at what Nanairo Life can actually provide. According to the English-language website designed for foreign residents, their plans are designed to help with hospitalization expenses and general income disruption from illness, but also offer lump-sum payouts when a number of different serious illnesses are diagnosed, and even provide support for cancer treatment or long recovery periods. Refreshingly, all of the cash benefits of this kind of private medical insurance go directly to the policyholder, not the hospital, a distinction that matters a lot in practice.

That one American friend who worked hard for years to join an animation team at a Japanese production company, only to have things fall apart when the carpal tunnel got serious and kept them away from the studio? We wonder, what if they had been able to receive some kind of support from their insurance?

Rather than just taking on a portion of your medical bill, like NHI, with private medical insurance you might get daily infusions of cash during your time in the hospital, or big payments that you can use wherever you really need the money—rent, groceries, transportation, or supporting your family. We all know that foreigners don’t usually have relatives or extended support networks in Japan, so that extra financial security and flexibility certainly feels a little reassuring.

Comparing Insurance Plans in Japan: The Surprise of Foreigner-Friendly Information

Did you notice how much information we were able to find on the Nanairo Life website? A lot of Japanese insurance websites can feel intimidating, even if your everyday Japanese is pretty good, with dense text and complicated terminology that can be hard to thoroughly understand in any language. But Nanairo’s English site was particularly easy to navigate. Not only did they have information explaining plans and policies in English, but Nanairo Life also offers online applications in English, and access to customer service with English-language support—from the time of your application for as long as you stay covered.

Nanairo Life clearly puts in the effort as a private Japanese insurance company that offers support for foreign residents. For the many foreign residents showing up in Japan each spring to start the new school year or a brand-new job, that thoughtful support can be a big help.

What Medical Insurance Does Nanairo Life Offer?

One thing we appreciated was that the plans themselves were relatively straightforward at Nanairo Life. Instead of dozens of impossible-to-compare options, the company markets a small handful of focused plans, with customization options when needed. On the Japankuru team (and probably for most foreign residents looking at supplemental insurance), these were the two that stood out:

Nanairo Medical Ishizue is for ages 0~85, and those 18+ can apply online. From the perspective of most of the Japankuru team, this made the most sense, as it includes hospitalization¹ and outpatient care², and lump-sum payments³ for certain major diseases.

_{¹ When the hospitalization lump-sum benefit rider is added.
² When the outpatient lump-sum benefit rider (2022) is added.
³ When the three major diseases lump-sum benefit rider (2024) is added.}

Nanairo Medical Super Wide makes sense if pre-existing conditions are a bigger concern. It’s available for a wide range of applicants aged 20-85, but most importantly, it only requires a grand total of two health questions to apply!

If you want to find out more about Nanairo’s insurance plans, you can find all the details on the official Nanairo Life website.

One Big Benefit of Private Medical Insurance in Japan: Premium Stability

The decision to apply for private health insurance will look different for everybody, but once we’d made a choice, we realized that the sooner we enrolled, the better. Nanairo Life makes a big point of offering fixed monthly premiums, which will stay the same for life.

Enrolling younger tends to mean cheaper premiums, so many locals sign up relatively early in life—because they want to lock in lower long-term rates. Of course, many foreigners plan to leave Japan someday. But if you’re thinking seriously about settling down here—getting married, having kids in a Japanese hospital—it’s more economical to enroll early.

The Application Process: Into the Weeds of Signing Up for Insurance in Japan

Of course, signing up for private medical insurance in Japan isn’t as easy as signing up for a streaming service, but it’s not particularly difficult, either. When signing up with Nanairo Life, you can either start by booking a consultation (in English), or jump right in by checking premiums using the online simulation page (again, in English)—in many cases, you can continue directly into applying online.

Actually starting the application process, you might need to provide details about your life and your status in Japan, so it’s good to have details and documents ready at hand. That might mean age and visa/residency details, previous treatments and hospitalizations, or current medications. In some cases, additional medical questionnaires or follow-up checks may be included. Of course, these are also available in English.

If you’re worried about pre-existing conditions becoming an issue, you might want to look into applying for Nanairo Medical Super Wide—an insurance policy that’s easy to join even with pre-existing conditions or a history of medical issues.

▶︎ Whatever plan you apply for, it goes without saying, but you’ll want to be extremely honest during the application. Japanese insurers take disclosure seriously, and inaccurate medical information could affect future claims. If you’re worried about your medical history or pre-existing conditions being a barrier, you can check out the Nanairo Medical Super Wide plan.

Living With Private Medical Insurance in Japan: Cutting Down on Hospitalization Anxiety

We consulted with the English-speaking staff, submitted our applications, and before long, we were notified that the contract had been finalized, offering a feeling of relief that was a great reminder of why it was worth bothering in the first place. Japan’s public health insurance is relatively comprehensive, but hospitalization can still leave you with a big bill, not to mention the indirect costs of missed work or even childcare, not to mention private hospital rooms and other conveniences.

Fortunately, everyone on the Japankuru team has managed to escape serious injury thus far. But sometimes we find ourselves shooting video footage on mountainsides with rough footing. Snapping pictures in muddy rural rice fields. Or spending long days sweating through enough of Japan’s intense summer heat and humidity to have us worrying about heat stroke. Japan is known for its cleanliness and safety, but that doesn’t mean living here is entirely without risk. Sometimes, that means our families back home worry about us.

^{*Yep, this is all us behind the scenes!}

The practical reality of medical insurance from a private insurance company starts to make sense when you take a close look at how Japanese healthcare costs work. For foreigners without strong local support networks, it’s a logical choice. Even for those of us who have lived in Japan for years, and managed to embed ourselves into our local communities—even if this kind of extra financial support never becomes necessary, the additional cushion can be a load off our minds.

English-Language Support: Overcoming the Language Barrier

In Japan, it’s particularly great to have help in your own language. Nanairo Life can’t break down every language barrier for you, but they clearly try. Beyond the English webpage, Nanairo Life also provides access to an English support line offering health-related advice for policyholders, and they can help you find a hospital or clinic with English-speaking staff as well.

The company can’t wave a wand and make English-speakers appear, but Nanairo Life policyholders do get lots of help navigating the system.

Is Adding Private Medical Insurance Really That Rare in Japan?

You might assume that universal healthcare means nobody pays for private insurance in Japan, but it turns out, having a supplemental medical insurance plan is pretty common among Japanese locals of all kinds! Japan’s system is designed to keep healthcare affordable, but private insurers have found a niche cutting down on the financial consequences of falling ill.

Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Looking Into Additional Health Insurance in Japan?

For foreigners in Japan for more than a few months, public health insurance (NHI or employer-provided insurance) is still essential, providing excellent access to healthcare at relatively manageable costs. But after going through the process with Nanairo Life, it’s easier to understand why many residents choose both public healthcare and private medical insurance coverage.

The experience felt more accessible than expected, and less intimidating than we feared. Even though some of us on the Japankuru team have been in Japan for multiple decades, it’s still a relief to find services that actually cater to the needs of foreign residents! Applications can be detailed at times, but English-language support helps! If you’re planning to build a life in Japan, supplemental insurance can start to look less like an added expense and more like another part of settling down responsibly. Because living abroad means building your own safety net, and for many foreigners in Japan, private insurance can be part of that equation.

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