Medical Reference

Health matters are often a worry when living abroad. Luckily Hiroshima has a lot of great medical facilities and reliable doctors if you are new to the city or newly bothered about a health problem.

The following facilities are places that are personally recommended by foreign residents who have been happy with treatment or hospitalization here. Of course there are many other great facilities in Hiroshima, so add your recommendations in the comments below if they don’t appear here.

If you don’t see the kind of facility or treatment that you are looking for, have a look at the official Hiroshima web reference for medical facilities (also available in Portuguese, Chinese & Korean). For emergency hospital services in Hiroshima, call the 24 hour English hotline which has a regularly updated recording of the open facilities in each ward (-ku) of Hiroshima: (free-dial) 0120-169-912.

General Hospitals

Tsuchiya General hospital (Tsuchiya Byoin) 土谷病院:  Main desk (free-dial)-0120-291-913 Tel: 082-245-9274 OBGYN tel: 082 -249 -0766

Located opposite Peace blvd from the Peace Memorial museum is a large general hospital, Tsuchiya. We have used this hospital for general check-ups, broken bones and various physical ailments for both ourselves and our children. We had our second child delivered by (horizontal) c-section here and I did prenatal check-ups for a few months here before the birth. We know three others who delivered naturally here and were happy with it. Additionally, we have also had a close friend hospitalized here for many months after a bad motorbike accident.

Open for business on weekdays, it is also one of the hospitals on rotation (call to check before going) for after-hours emergency services and a good, reliable resource for general medical needs. It is especially busy for walk-in appointments mid-day and often stops taking walk-in appointments in early afternoon, so get there as early as possible.

If you are expecting a child (congratulations!) and choose to have your prenatal check-ups and delivery at a general hospital, you may have to wait longer for appointments, but the fees are slightly lower than at private clinics. Another benefit of choosing to have your baby at a larger, general hospital is in case of complication for either you or your baby, you (or your newborn) will not have to transfer to a different hospital which sometimes happens with private clinics that do not also have full surgery facilities or NICU for infants in need of special care. Tsuchiya and Hiroshima university general hospitals also have private rooms available, sometimes have English speaking doctors and staff (most staff transfer around the country each year) and these two hospitals offer family friendly services and high quality of care. Kangaroo care (holding and nursing your newborn at delivery), couple inclusion (dad’s in the delivery and able to hold the baby after), encouragement of breastfeeding and keeping your baby with you in your room while you are hospitalized should be available at these two hospitals. Make sure you check availability with your doctor of all the services you deem important well before choosing which facility to have your baby in as they are NOT all equal. There are still some very old-fashioned ideas in place at some birthing hospitals in Hiroshima for example: insisting on a vertical c-section instead of horizontal, keeping babies separated from moms and family members, extremely strict about weight gain, not allowing any pain medication or drinking, eating during labor however long, etc… So make sure you ask all the questions and feel comfortable with your choice well before the baby is born to avoid any horrible experiences. Tsuchiya is a great hospital to have your baby at, but it is also popular, you can make a delivery reservation (around your due date) and see the birthing room and recovery room as well as NICU (on the same floor) including other facility pictures and details on this page.

Hiroshima’s University Hospital (Daigaku Byoin) 大学病院 Address: Kasumi 1-2-3 Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Post-code 734-8551 Tel: 082-257-5555

Located just through the tunnel past Hijiyama in the Danbara area, Hiro-dai General is a great medical resource for general, dental and emergency treatment as well as another good choice for a General hospital to have your baby in. However, pre-natal visits are done in a different building at the OBGYN where the waiting times are long, however it is another good choice if you are having a complicated pregnancy. University [General] Hospital  List of medical departments, services and hours for appointments (in English).

Funairi General Hospital 船入病院 Address: 14-11 Funairi-saiwai-cho,  Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi Tel: 082-232-6195

Funairi General is Hiroshima city’s only dedicated children emergency and after-hours treatment facility. It is also on rotation as one of the main emergency hospitals for adults. Although it is often busy on the weekends and after all the other clinics and hospitals have closed, it is great to have a dedicated emergency hospital for children in Hiroshima city. We have sat in the waiting room in the middle of the night, alongside many similarly worried families with sick kids, and gotten excellent treatment for our little ones. They do not usually have staff that speak English, so make sure to take a Japanese speaker with you if you need help.

Hiroshima City Hospital 広島市民病院 7-33 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken TEL : 082-221-2291 FAX : 082-223-5514

Hiroshima’s largest hospital and the only one with a Tully’s coffee shop on the ground floor. Located on the corner just below Hiroshima castle. This hospital is the only one in the city to have emergency after-hours care for adults (Funairi offers emergency care for children Junior high school age and younger). However, because it is the biggest it is also the busiest, so long waits are par for the course. Like all general government run hospitals, the doctors are on rotation, however the quality of care and expertise is said to be the best in the city. The facility is massive, so be prepared if you are trying to find a patients room, you will need a map and perhaps an escort to find it.

Internal medicine & Stomach problems 内科 (Naika)

Hakushima Clinic: Hakushima Clinic Website  Tel: 082-223-8455 Fax: 082-223-8548 Address: Hiroshima city, Naka-ku Higashi-Hakushima-machi 15- 2F (Located next to Q garden, in front of Hakushima tram stop)

The head doctor speaks English quite well and he believes in balancing Chinese herbal medicines with western medicine (if necessary) and acupuncture treatments. Treatments will not cost you an arm and a leg, in fact it is very reasonable if you have national insurance (you need to ask beforehand if using other types of insurance is accepted). Diagnostics consist of talking with the doctor about possible causes, looking at your eyes, tongue and checking for bloating and areas of discomfort. Urine and stool analysis are also done for further analysis. The doctor may also do a non-invasive ultra sound of the troubled area. The doctor believes that for many people the stomach is affected when many people get stressed and during the changing of seasons. He recommends acupuncture and massage treatment to help ease this physical stress. If you are keen, you should ask if you can have a acupuncture session as a part of your treatment- it’s amazing how sticking needles in your back really doesn’t hurt under a trained practitioner- and it really does help your muscles relax.

(Hatchobori) Mogami Internal Medicine Clinic Address: 〒730-0013 Hiroshima city, Naka-ku Hatchobori 6-20 Tel: 082-228-2732

Dr. Mogami (最上) is an internal medicine physician (内科) with an office in Hatchobori near the YMCA. He speaks very good English and is very easy to talk to. I would highly recommend him. (recommended by M. Porter)

OBGYN: Obstetrics and Gynecology (Lady Part Issues & Pregnancy Check-ups) 産婦人科 (San-Fujin-ka)

Rapport Clinic: Official website for Rapport [ja & en] *parking available

Owned and run by a female woman’s doctor who worked for many years in Koyo at the Shino Clinic, she now has moved into the city center. Although not a baby clinic, some pregnant clients also come here for check-ups, but no babies are delivered here. She speaks English very well and has a wonderfully calm bedside manner. Her clinic is very busy, so try to come early in the day or plan to check in and get a number then do errands and come back later for your appointment. The clinic is closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and Holidays, but is open later on Mondays and Thursdays.

Koh Ladies Clinic: Address: Hiroshima city, Naka-ku Fujimi-cho 12-17  Tel: 082-542-0770 Fax: 082-542-0780 *parking available

Open Monday to Saturday 9:00-1/3-6 Closed Thursday afternoons, Saturday open till 5pm, Closed Sundays and Holidayspl

Located a couple of blocks over from Jizo-dori in Fujimi-cho, next to Mario’s desserts/Mario California dining; Koh Ladies Clinic is a reliable place to get diagnosed or treatment for any type of womens plumbing problems. Although the staff do not speak English, Dr.Koh can speak a bit and is very good at listening and explaining any problems, causes and/or recommended treatment. Set up in the same way as Rapport, there are two types of examination rooms, one in the consult room and the other where the patient sits in an electronic chair and is given privacy behind a curtain while the exam is being done. You can always pull the curtain back if you prefer, but this is the typical Japanese gynocological exam style.

Katsuki Ladies Clinic & Baby Delivery facility: Tel: 082-272-5588 Address: Hiroshima-city, Nishi-ku Koi Toge-machi 2-14-24

Located close to Nishi-Hiroshima JR station, in a new and quite modern looking building (opened in July 2005). There are two obstetricians there – Dr. Katsuki (the owner) a female doctor, six midwives and a number of nurses and student-nurses. They have one LDR room, one classical delivery room (the one with the big table in the middle) and one tatami labour and delivery room. They allow family to be present during labour and at birth, even in case of C-sections (one family member is allowed in the operation room for C-sections, and several in the tatami room for normal free style births).
Expectant moms are asked to fill in a birth plan and are very supportive of breastfeeding – to the point of discouraging bottle-feeding. And of newborns sleeping with their mothers – literally!
For normal births, they encourage moms to do ‘Kangaroo Care’ – that is, place the babies on their chest or belly as soon as they are born, and to breastfeed them as soon as possible. Even aftere a C-section, was able to breastfeed my son in less than an hour after he was born and have him in my bed overnight. Although they are very supportive of foreigners, Japanese is required as neither the doctors or the midwives are fluent in English, and all the documents and booklets that they often give out are only in Japanese. (recommended by M. Fordyce)

Masaoka Baby Clinic: Address: 〒730-0852 Hiroshima city, Naka-ku, 4-6 Nekoya-cho Tel:082-291-3366 ‎

Located between Dobashi tram stop and the river (peace park) is the Masaoka baby hospital and ladies clinic. Once you walk in, it looks more like a hotel than a hospital with beautifully ornate decorations and furnishings. Doctor Masaoka also speaks English well and has a wonderful bedside manner. We have had many friends who have enjoyed their experience at Masaoka over the years.

The only problem with having your baby at one of these private clinics (instead of one of the general hospitals) is in the event of a complication with you or the baby, only one of you will be moved to a general hospital and be forced to stay apart until treatment is completed and they also provide a free eight month sleep schedule training. If you are having a complicated pregnancy in any way, you may want to choose one of the better general hospitals: Tsuchiya or University Hospital (listed in General hospitals) which have high quality of delivery services as well as NICU special care facilities for newborns on the same floor as the post-delivery recovery rooms for new mothers.

Pediatricians (Kids doctors) 

Donguri Clinic: Tel: 082-297-5656 Address: Hiroshima-shi, Nishi-ku Minami-Kanon 2-7-21 1F (1 minute walk from Minami-kanon 3-chome bus stop)

The Donguri clinic has a female doctor that speaks English and understands working mothers: online reservation system and special slots only for working mothers. There is also a “sick daycare clinic” for times when you can’t miss work but worry about your child. online reservation system. She understands the need not to always give out medicine if it is not necessary. There are seperate waiting rooms for sick children and children in for a vaccination, also a play area in the waiting room. (recommended by S.C Ushirogochi)

(Hesaka) Kagosaki Pediatrician (“Shonika”) かごさき小児科医院 Address: 732-0009 2-9-13, Hesaka Sennzoku, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima-city Tel: 082-229-3232

Originally went to Kagosaki clinic because my 6 month old had a high fever on a Saturday afternoon and I didn’t feel like waiting at Funairi emergency and all the other childrens doctors were already closed. The thing I really liked about him is that even though he did not speak English to me, he took the time to write down the information and words in English to make sure there were no misunderstandings. He was also very patient and took time to answer all of my questions thoroughly, he even offered to come in Sunday morning to do a follow up.

Dentists

Alpha Dental Clinic:  Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:30-13:00 & 14:30-18:30 Closed Sundays & Hols Tel/Fax: 082-962-1183  Address: Hiroshima city, Naka-ku Hatchobori 3-12 2F bld opposite YMCA (red brick side) URL: alphashika.com

Alpha clinic opened in 2010 and is conveniently located opposite the YMCA and the doctor and staff are very friendly and highly skilled in basic dentistry as well as specializes in Perio Implants.  They also offer esthetic treatments (dental beauty treatments like whitening) and other dental needs you may have. The main doctor graduated from Hiroshima and Osaka universities of dentistry and went on for further training in America at UCLA. This dental office is very new and modern, you will be shown computer generated images of your teeth and dental care options. You can use your Japanese national insurance and pay standard prices or choose to pay a bit more for esthetic options like porcelain filling covers that hide fillings, problems. The dental assistants here are very nice and also very good at making you feel relaxed and comfortable during a procedure. Kids welcome too.

Nobumoto Dental Hospital: Hours: Monday to Friday: 7-12:30 & 14:00-19:00 Saturdays: 9 am-12 noon Closed Sundays and Holidays Tel: 082-246-0600 Address: Hiroshima city, Naka-ku 9-25 Takara-machi URL: Nobumotoshika

In the city center, (near Fuji-Grand) Nobumoto-sensei (south of Chuo-dori) is good – explains very clearly in good English, does good work, knows his limits – then sends the patient of to the (non-English speaking) experts at the University Hospital. (recommended by J. Ronald)

Nobumoto is great with kids and adults and I like that he is one of the few dentists open early on weekdays and saturdays. If you have an emergency and show up early, they can fit you in. Dr.Nobumoto is very good and doesn’t recommend more than is necessary which is much appreciated. (recommended by  JJWalsh)

Okamoto Dentist:  Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 9 : 00 to 18 : 00 Thu, Sat 9 : 00 to 13: 00 Tel: 082-220-1811  Address: 4-18-2 Ushita-shinmachi Higashi-ku Hiroshima 732-0068

Located off route 37, just past Hijiyama university. Dr. OKAMOTO offers comprehensive dental treatments – Preventative care (Oral Hygiene, Periodontal Care), Root Canal Treatment、Cosmetic Dentistry, Tooth Color Restorations, Metal Free Restorations (Fillings, Inlays, Crowns, Bridges, and Laminate Veneer), Teeth & Gum Whitening, Smile Design, – Full Mouth Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. He speaks excellent English, doesn’t make you come back many times for a single treatment and is great with kids too. (recommended by S. Meiki)

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• 24 Hour Hiroshima Hospital Information in English (free-dial) 0120-169-912 : Great service, but quite difficult to understand & not easy to find necessary information you are looking for.
• Emergency Care Handbook for Foreigners in Hiroshima (PDF)
• If you are living in Hatsukaichi, here is a useful Hatsukaichi PDF guide to medical references and everything else you need to know.
• Hiroshima Prefecture Online Medical Listings and Resources in English, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese