Types of hospitals
In Japan, hospitals are classified into two categories according to the number of beds. These institutions include clinics and hospitals. If your symptoms are mild, you will probably find it most convenient to visit a neighborhood clinic. If necessary, the doctor at the clinic may later refer you to a specialist. If you visit a large hospital without a letter of referral (it costs about 2,000yen to get it), you will be charged an extra fee (1,000yen to 3,000yen) on the first visit.
Regardless of the size of hospital, you may find that the medical examination is rather brief compared to what you may be used to in your home country. Generally, doctors in Japan do not allot much time to talk with the patient during the examination. Also, large hospitals and university hospitals are often very crowded, and you may need to wait half a day or even a full day for treatment.

Appointments and payment of medical fees
Japanese medical institutions, except for dental clinics, do not normally work on an appointment system. The order of treatment is first-come, first-served, determined by the order of submission of one's medical consultation ticket (shinsatsu-ken, which is issued by the medical institution) to the hospital. You will receive treatment more quickly if you go and submit your ticket early in the day. Present your Health Insurance Certificate Kenko Hoken-sho (for your initial examination and your first examination of the month) as well as your medical consultation ticket. If you do not have a Health Insurance Certificate, your medical fee may be considerably high.

 If you wish to see a particular doctor of a large hospital or an university hospital, be sure to note which days of the week that doctor is on duty. Payment should usually be made in cash. Each medical institution differs in its method of reception, appointments, and payment, so you should note the particular procedures at each hospital.

If you do not have Japanese public health insurance, you have to pay medical fees in full and generally before you leave the hospital. If you have overseas travel insurance, please confirm what procedures and documents you need to prepare for your insurance company, because some Japanese medical institutions do not provide medical certificates in foreign languages.
Japanese public health insurance also covers dental treatment, however its coverage is restricted; special treatment is rarely covered by insurance so it can be quite costly. If you live in Japan for more than a year and the amount charged by the medical institutions exceeds a certain limit, you can receive a tax refund after you submit your tax return.