Medical and Welfare Services
Medical and Welfare Services
Clinics/Hospitals
Receiving medical care at a clinic/hospital
- Present your health insurance card at the reception desk and wait until your name is called. Waiting times may be long in crowded clinics/hospitals.
- After examination and treatment, pay your bill at the cashier and collect any prescription issued.
- Take the prescription to a pharmacy to buy the prescribed medication.
- Living and Work Guidebook for Foreigners: Medical Services（Immigration Services Agency of Japan)
- Guide for using medical institutions (National Tourism Organization, JNTO)
- Documents useful when visiting a doctor in different languages (AMDA International Medical Information Center)
- Multilingual Medical Questionnairein different languages (International Community Hearty Konandai and the Kanagawa International Foundation)
Finding a clinic/hospital
Sapporo Medical Communication Hotline 011-211-2121
What services does it provide?
- A telephone operator helps you find hospitals in Sapporo. (Available 24 hours a day)
- A telephone operator makes an appointment at a hospital in Sapporo for you.
*Appointments and inquiries to the hospital can be made during the hours the hospital is open.
- Phone interpretation can be offered when talking to doctors or other medical staff at a hospital. (21 languages)
- Volunteer interpreters (only for English and Chinese) can accompany you to the hospital.
*You need to apply for this service several days before going to the hospital.
*English interpreters: NPO SEMI Sapporo
Chinese interpreters: Sapporo Chinese Medical Interpreters Group
- Free-of-charge services.
* Telephone charges will be at your own expense.
* There is a fee for those who live outside of Hokkaido to request a volunteer interpreter.
Click here to check the details.
Languages
- Inquiries to a hospital／phone interpretation
21 languages
（English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Myanmar, Khmer, Mongolian, Sinhalese, Hindi, and Bengali）
- Volunteer interpreters: only for English and Chinese
English interpreters: NPO SEMI Sapporo
Chinese interpreters: Sapporo Chinese Medical Interpreters Group
Sapporo Medical Communication Hotline (City of Sapporo)
Emergency Medical Consultation Center Sapporo TEL:＃7119 or 011-272-7119
You can call this number in the event of sudden illness or injury to determine whether it is best to visit a clinic/hospital or call an ambulance.
Hokkaido Emergency Medical Treatment Information Center
This website provides information regarding clinics and hospitals (accessible via computer and mobile phone).
Medical Institution Information Map (Sapporo Medical Association)
This website provides information regarding open clinics and hospitals.
Medical Institution Information Map (Sapporo Medical Association),Japanese
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
JNTO provides a website that allows users to search for clinics and hospitals providing foreign language support.
Search for medical institutions(National Tourism Organization, JNTO)
Finding a medical interpreter
Subsidies for medical expenses
- Child medical assistance program(City of Sapporo)
- Medical fee subsidies for people with a high degree of mental/physical disability (City of Sapporo)
- Assistance in medical fees for single-parent families and orphans (City of Sapporo)
- Medical fee subsidies for patients with intractable diseases (City of Sapporo)
- Medical fee subsidies for removing or lessening the degree of mental/physical disability (City of Sapporo)
Long-term care insurance system
Under the long-term care insurance system, people aged 40 or older are obligated to enroll and pay insurance premiums. Should they need it, they are eligible to use services such as at-home or institutional care, rent assistive devices, and receive placement in welfare facilities for the elderly needing care, by paying part of the costs charged for such services.
There are two application methods and different conditions for the use of long-term care services depending on the age of each person: those aged 65 and over are categorized as primary insured persons, and those aged between 40 and 64 who are insured by the National Health Insurance or health insurance programs of their workplace are categorized as secondary insured persons.
The care services covered by the insurance vary by age and health condition. The use of these services requires application at the Health & Welfare Section of the ward office and certification as being in need of such care.
The brochure entitled “Long-Term Care Insurance (Kaigo Hoken)” is an introduction to the City of Sapporo’s long-term care insurance system. It provides information including that on its overview, procedures necessary to use care services, types and rough costs of care services, and insurance premiums.
Long-Term Care Insurance (Kaigo Hoken)
- For individuals who wish to use care services (City of Sapporo)
- Long-Term Care Insurance (Kaigo Hoken)Japanese (City of Sapporo)
- Long-Term Care Insurance (Kaigo Hoken)English (Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation)
Welfare services for citizens with disabilities
The City of Sapporo provides various services for citizens with disabilities. Available services vary by disability level and circumstances; for more information, contact the Health & Welfare Section of the ward office of the district of your residence.
Welfare Guide for Persons with Disabilities 2020
- Welfare Guide for Persons with Disabilities 2020 and other brochures(City of Sapporo) Japanese
- For service users (City of Sapporo)
Consultation services
- Health & Welfare Section in each ward office (City of Sapporo)
This section offers consultations to citizens with disabilities about health and welfare services available to them. - Therapy Center for Citizens with Physical Disabilities (City of Sapporo)
This center determines eligibility of persons aged 18 and over who have a physical disability to receive funding for medical support for self-help (rehabilitation) and/or supportive devices. - Consultation & Guidance Center for Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities (City of Sapporo)
This center determines eligibility of persons aged 18 and over for issuance of a rehabilitation certificate (ryoiku techo). - Mental Health Center(Sapporo Kokoro Center) (City of Sapporo)
This center provides telephone consultations regarding mental health. Based on the content of the consultation, the center provides information on relevant organizations and counseling offices for professional assistance. - Sapporo Information Center for the Visually Handicapped and the Deaf (City of Sapporo)
For persons with visual disabilities, this center provides social adjustment training and consultation services. Braille books and talking books are available to borrow. - Child Consultation Center (City of Sapporo)
This center offers consultations about children younger than 18 years old, such as in regard to their growth, discipline, and acts of delinquency. - Sapporo Child Development General Support Center (Chikuaku) (City of Sapporo)
This center is a group of facilities providing medical and welfare assistance to support the physical and mental development of children and to help solve their emotional and behavioral problems. - Consultation and support offices for people with disabilities (City of Sapporo)
These offices offer consultations on daily lives of people with disabilities and their families and support programs for them. - Support services for the medical treatment and education of children with disabilities (City of Sapporo)
Guidance on and assistance for the medical treatment and education of children with disabilities, such as severe mental/physical disabilities and developmental disabilities, are provided to support their lives and those of their families in communities.
If you need interpretation services for consultations at municipal offices, use Sapporo Community Interpreters.
Support Benefit for Households Exempt from Resident Tax
NEW Fiscal 2023 Sapporo City Support Benefit for Households Exempt from Resident Tax (7/7/2023up)
[Eligibility]
Households that are registered as residents in the City of Sapporo as of June 1, 2023, whose household members are all exempt from resident tax for the fiscal year 2023 (excluding households consisting only of dependents of not-tax-exempt persons).
[Benefit amount]
30,000 yen per household
[How to apply]
A check sheet will be sent to the eligible households after July 13, 2023 (the envelope: picture).
envelope
Referring below, please check the sheet and fill out the necessary items.
Put it into the return envelope (no need to put a stamp) and drop in the post.
[Application deadline]
October 31, 2023 (postmarked by that date)
If do not receive the check sheet because you have divorced, evacuated due to domestic violence etc., or now living in a facility and so on, please see the webpage for Those Who are in Need of Special Consideration (Auto-translation).
If you are eligible for the benefit but do not receive a check sheet or have questions regarding this benefit, please inquire via the Call Center below.
If you need support with the application, please contact SAPPORO HELP DESK for Foreign Residents.
Fiscal 2023 Sapporo City Resident Tax Exempt Household Support Benefit Consultation Call Center
TEL：050-3352-2002
Hours: weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (also open weekends and holidays from July 1 to August 31)
Languages available: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Russian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Filipino, Nepali, Hindi, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Burmese
The Sapporo City's Website (Auto-translation)
※Be aware of scams and identity theft
・The government and the Sapporo City will NEVER ask you to operate an ATM, transfer fees for payment, or send an email asking you to use an URL for this benefit. If you have got a suspicious phone call, letter or email, please contact the Consumer Center, a police station or a police headquarter (#9110).
・Be aware of fake websites that look like the government or the Sapporo City. If you see anything suspicious, like unfamiliar characters at the end of the URL, do not open the URL. Do your own search and check the real website.
For those under financial strain
Social Welfare Council loans
Livelihood welfare fund loan system
The Social Welfare Council screens and lends necessary funds to low-income households, households with persons with disabilities, and elderly households to promote their financial independence and enjoyment of life.
Emergency protection fund loan system
The Social Welfare Council screens and lends funds to low-income households and households receiving welfare assistance when they are having financial difficulties due to temporary and incidental expenses and unable to receive any other assistance.
- Livelihood welfare fund loan system (City of Sapporo)
- Emergency protection fund loan system (City of Sapporo)
- Loan system (Sapporo Social Welfare Council), Japanese
- Livelihood welfare fund loan systembrochure in diffrent languages (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), Japanese
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Guidance on Temporary Loan Emergency Funds(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
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Guidance on Temporary Loan Emergency Funds(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Support program for the financial independence of people in need
Housing Security Benefit
The City of Sapporo pays an amount equivalent to monthly rent for a certain period of time to people seeking employment to make ends meet. Further, support staff of the Sapporo Livelihood and Employment Support Center help them find work.
- Sapporo Livelihood and Employment Support Center (STEP) (City of Sapporo)
- Housing Security Benefit (Sapporo Livelihood and Employment Support Center), Japanese
- Support system for the financial independence of people in need brochure in different languages (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), Japanese
- For those who are suffering from the effects of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
- Information about the Housing Security Benefit(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
- Information about the Housing Security Benefit(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Welfare assistance
While foreign nationals are not eligible to receive welfare assistance, in cases where permanent residents, the spouses of Japanese citizens/permanent residents or long-term residents are struggling with their livelihood and are unable to receive the necessary support from their country’s consulate and the like, it is possible to receive assurance of livelihood based on standards and conditions outlined within the welfare assistance program. For those in need, contact the Social Aid Section of the ward office that has jurisdiction over the address found on your Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate.