Hi guys!
Since when I was in my early 20s, I was curious about Japan, and want to live in Japan for a year. I’ve gathered a lot of information about Japan, but couldn’t find good info about Japanese mental health. From what I know, it’s poor. Although the medical health costs are less pricey than US, I heard that therapy is not covered by insurance. This issue is identical to South Korea, and I had to pay for the therapist on my own, which is fine by me when I get to Japan. For my Bipolar 1 disorder, I take Japanese anti-psychotics, so it might also not be an issue. The medications that I take in Korea works out pretty great, and I believe they’re available in Japan also. (The anti-psychotic is called Blonanserin). I have other mood stabilizers (Lorezapam, Eskalith), and I’m pretty sure they are available in Japan also. But I don’t want to be overconfident, and I need to research more. South Korea and Japan might have a stark difference… I would appreciate if I receive some advice.
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This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**I’m an American foreigner living in South Korea for 7 years and considering moving to Japan. I am curious about the mental health services in Japan.**
Hi guys!
Since when I was in my early 20s, I was curious about Japan, and want to live in Japan for a year. I’ve gathered a lot of information about Japan, but couldn’t find good info about Japanese mental health. From what I know, it’s poor. Although the medical health costs are less pricey than US, I heard that therapy is not covered by insurance. This issue is identical to South Korea, and I had to pay for the therapist on my own. For my Bipolar 1 disorder, I take Japanese anti-psychotics, so it might not be an issue. The medications that I take in Korea works out pretty great, and I believe they’re available in Japan also. (The anti-psychotic is called Blonanserin). I have other mood stabilizers (Lorezapam, Eskalith), and I’m pretty sure they are available in Japan also. But I don’t want to be overconfident, and I need to research more. South Korea and Japan might have a stark difference…
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Non-Mod commentary:
Usually this would be the point where I would issue a fairly harsh “You need to reconsider moving to Japan” speech because of the state of mental health care.
But…
You’ve been surviving in Korea, so it won’t be as much of a shock just how bad things are. Don’t get me wrong, Japan is *definitely* worse than Korea in regards to mental health care, but it’s not as large of a difference as between Japan and most western nations.
The biggest challenge is going to be finding an English-speaking therapist and an English speaking doctors to prescribe your medication. English penetration in Korea is significantly higher than it is in Japan. While it’s not necessarily *easy* to find an English speaking medical professional in Korea you can usually manage it without too much effort, particularly in the Seoul area. In Japan finding English speaking doctors is a hell of a challenge, particularly when you’re looking for a mental health specialist.
I can only speak for Tokyo— I have a psychiatrist in Tokyo where I get my meds and I do counseling with a therapist via telemedicine. There are some resources available here at least, although outside of Tokyo I couldn’t tell you any solid info. Your mileage may vary.