Recommended Apps
Free apps to help you navigate healthcare in Japan — symptom checking, translation, disaster alerts, and medication records.
Ubie (ユビー)
Symptom CheckeriOS · Android · Free
AI-powered symptom checker available in English and Japanese. Answer a few questions and get a list of possible conditions and recommended departments to visit. Widely used across Japan.
Tips
Available in English — no Japanese required
Shows which clinic type to visit (内科, 外科, etc.)
Can be shown to the doctor as a symptom summary
VoiceTra (ボイストラ)
Medical TranslationiOS · Android · Free
Free voice translation app developed by NICT (Japan's national research institute), specifically designed for medical consultations. Supports 31 languages. Speak naturally and it translates in real time.
Tips
Designed specifically for medical consultations
Works offline for some languages
Can show translated text to the doctor's screen
Safety Tips
Disaster AlertsiOS · Android · Free
Official Japan Tourism Agency disaster alert app. Receive earthquake, tsunami, and severe weather warnings in your language the moment they are issued. Supports 14 languages including English, Chinese, Korean, and more.
Tips
Install before an emergency — not during
Enable push notifications for real-time alerts
Shows evacuation site maps for your area
Okusuri Techo Apps
Medication RecordiOS · Android · Free
Japan uses a "medication notebook" (お薬手帳) system — a record of all your prescriptions. Several free apps digitize this. Popular options include EPARKお薬手帳 and Musubi. Pharmacists can scan your app instead of a paper booklet.
Tips
Show your app at every pharmacy visit instead of a paper booklet
Helps doctors check for drug interactions
Useful if you visit multiple clinics
Pashakarute (パシャカルテ)
Medical RecordsiOS · Android · Free
Photograph and store your medical records, test results, and prescriptions. Japan does not have a unified digital medical record system — this app fills that gap. Useful when seeing multiple doctors.
Tips
Photograph lab results right at the clinic
Share records with new doctors easily
Helps track changes in test values over time
A note on translation apps
General translation apps like Google Translate and DeepL also work well in hospitals. However, medical terms can occasionally be mistranslated. VoiceTra is specifically tuned for clinical settings, which may make it more reliable in the exam room.