# Health checkups in Japan (健康診断): what your employer and city must offer

URL: https://japanhow.com/life/health/health-checkup-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 24, 2026

## Summary

In Japan, employers must give regular workers a health checkup once a year and pay for it, whatever their nationality. Part-timers qualify with a contract of a year or more and at least 3/4 of full-time hours. If you are 40 to 74, your insurer offers a specific health checkup, free on National Health Insurance in cities such as Shinjuku. Cities also run cheap cancer screenings, ¥200 to ¥2,000 per test in Shinjuku as of October 2026. A 人間ドック is optional and self-paid.

## Key facts

- Workplace checkup: Once a year, employer pays
- Part-timers covered: 1-year+ contract, 3/4+ of full-time hours
- Insurer checkup (特定健診): Ages 40 to 74
- Cancer screening (Shinjuku): ¥200 to ¥2,000 per test

Your health checkup in Japan depends on how you are insured. If you work, your employer must give you a **free checkup once a year**, whatever your nationality. If you are **40 to 74**, your health insurer offers a specific health checkup (特定健診), free on National Health Insurance in cities such as Shinjuku. Cities also run cancer screenings for **¥200 to ¥2,000** per test in Shinjuku, as of October 2026.

## What checkups do foreign residents get in Japan?

There are four kinds. The first three are free or cheap; the fourth is optional and self-paid.

| Checkup | Who gets it | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace checkup (定期健康診断) | Regular employees, including qualifying part-timers | Employer |
| Specific health checkup (特定健康診査, 特定健診) | Ages 40 to 74, through your health insurer | Insurer; free or low-cost |
| City cancer screening (がん検診) | Residents of the city, by age and sex | City pays most; you pay a small fee |
| Full medical checkup (人間ドック, ningen dock) | Anyone who books one | You, sometimes with a subsidy |

## What must my employer provide?

Under the Industrial Safety and Health Act (労働安全衛生法), employers must give workers a doctor's checkup, and workers must take it. The labor bureau is clear on cost: the employer pays. This applies to foreign workers too. The health ministry's guideline for employing foreign workers also asks employers to try to explain the checkup, its results and any follow-up in a way you understand, such as your native language.

You get two checkups:

- **Hiring checkup (雇入時の健康診断)** when you join. If you had a doctor's checkup less than 3 months earlier and hand in the result, the employer can skip the matching items.
- **Periodic checkup (定期健康診断)** once within every year.

If you regularly do **late-night work (深夜業)**, the rule is stricter: a checkup when you are moved to that work and then once every **6 months**.

The yearly checkup covers your medical and work history, symptoms, height, weight, waist, eyesight and hearing, a chest X-ray and sputum test, blood pressure, anemia, liver function, blood fats, blood sugar, a urine test and an ECG. A doctor can drop some items, such as the ECG or blood tests, under the official criteria. From **1 April 2027**, the health ministry's list drops the sputum test and adds a serum creatinine (kidney) test.

The employer must tell you your results. If something is abnormal, it must ask a doctor's opinion and may change your work or hours.

**Is the checkup time paid?:** The law doesn't require it. The health ministry says pay for the time is for workers and employer to agree, but it is desirable for the employer to pay. Time spent on special checkups for hazardous work counts as working time and must be paid.

## Do part-time workers get a health checkup?

Yes, if you count as a regular worker (常時使用する労働者). That means both:

- a contract of **1 year or more** (or with no end date), including when renewal is expected, and
- weekly hours of at least **3/4** of a full-time worker doing the same kind of job.

If you work less than 3/4 but at least **1/2** of those hours, the labor bureau says it is desirable for the employer to include you, but it isn't required. Many student and dependent visa holders work short hours, so check your contract. Questions about your own case go to the local labor standards inspection office (労働基準監督署). See also [labor rights for foreign workers](/work/rights/labor-rights-foreign-workers-japan/).

## Can I refuse or use my own doctor?

You can't simply skip it: workers must take the employer's checkup. You can choose a different doctor, but then you must give your employer proof of an equivalent checkup. If you would rather see a clinic that works in English, this is the route. Use the finders in our [English-speaking hospital guide](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/), and ask your employer first who pays for an outside clinic.

## What is the specific health checkup (特定健診) for ages 40 to 74?

Health insurers offer a yearly checkup focused on metabolic syndrome to members aged **40 to 74**. If results show a high risk of lifestyle disease, you are offered specific health guidance (特定保健指導) with a nurse or dietitian.

Where you get it depends on your insurance:

- **National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, NHI):** your city sends a voucher. In Shinjuku the checkup is **free**, though it normally costs about **¥13,000**. Shinjuku also offers a free checkup to residents aged 16 to 39 who can't get one at work or school.
- **Employee insurance (社会保険):** your insurer runs it for you and your dependents. Shinjuku tells such residents, including dependents, to ask their own insurer.

If you are on the Japan Health Insurance Association (全国健康保険協会, 協会けんぽ) plan, members aged 35 to 74 can take its lifestyle-disease checkup (生活習慣病予防健診), worth about ¥20,000, for **up to ¥5,500** in FY2026. Members aged 20, 25 and 30 can also use it from FY2026, without the stomach and colorectal cancer tests. You must still be insured on the checkup day, so take it before you leave a job.

For NHI, see [National Health Insurance for foreigners](/money/insurance/national-health-insurance-japan-foreigners/).

## How much are cancer screenings?

Cities run cancer screenings under the Health Promotion Act (健康増進法) and pay most of the cost. The health ministry recommends five:

| Cancer | Test | Age | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach | X-ray or endoscopy | 50+ (for now, X-ray also from 40, yearly) | Every 2 years |
| Colorectal | Stool test for blood | 40+ | Every year |
| Lung | Chest X-ray | 40+ | Every year |
| Breast | Mammography | Women 40+ | Every 2 years |
| Cervical | Cell test (細胞診) | Women 20+ | Every 2 years |

From 30, a city that meets the health ministry's requirements may use an HPV test alone every 5 years for cervical screening instead. The city chooses the method, not you.

Shinjuku's 2026 fees show what this costs, at about 10% of the self-pay price. Shinjuku residents can take them whatever their insurance:

| Screening in Shinjuku | Your fee |
|---|---|
| Stomach endoscopy (50+) | ¥2,000 |
| Stomach barium X-ray | ¥1,900 |
| Colorectal | ¥600 |
| Lung X-ray | ¥900 |
| Cervical | ¥900 |
| Breast mammography | ¥800 |
| Prostate PSA (men 50+, city extra) | ¥200 |

Households where every member is exempt from resident tax can apply in advance to pay nothing. Fees, ages and booking differ by city, so check your city's guide. Shinjuku prints its guide in English, Chinese and Korean.

## Should I get a 人間ドック (full body checkup)?

A 人間ドック is an optional, more detailed checkup sold by hospitals and checkup centers. Health insurance doesn't cover it, so you pay in full, and each facility sets its own price.

Some insurers help. From April 2026, Japan Health Insurance Association members aged 35 to 74 can get **up to ¥25,000** toward a 人間ドック at a contracted facility, once a year, instead of the lifestyle-disease checkup. Its example: a ¥40,000 course leaves you **¥15,000** to pay. Say you are using the 協会けんぽ subsidy when you book. Only the insured member qualifies, not dependents.

If you already have the free workplace or city checkup, a 人間ドック is extra, not a replacement you need. If you have symptoms, see a doctor instead of waiting for a checkup.

This page is general information, not medical advice.

## More guides

- [English-speaking hospitals and clinics in Japan](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/)
- [My Number card as health insurance card](/life/health/my-number-health-insurance-card/)
- [National Health Insurance for foreigners](/money/insurance/national-health-insurance-japan-foreigners/)
- [Labor rights for foreign workers in Japan](/work/rights/labor-rights-foreign-workers-japan/)
- [Paid leave in Japan](/work/rights/paid-leave-japan/)

## Questions people ask

### Is the company health checkup free in Japan?

Yes. The employer must run the yearly checkup for regular workers and pay for it. The law doesn't force the employer to pay your wages for the time, but the health ministry says it is desirable.

### Do part-time workers get a health checkup in Japan?

Yes, if your contract is for a year or more (including expected renewals) and you work at least 3/4 of the weekly hours of a full-time worker in the same job. From 1/2 of those hours, the labor bureau says it is desirable to include you.

### Can I refuse the company health checkup?

No. Workers must take the checkup the employer provides. You may use another doctor instead, but then you must give your employer proof of an equivalent checkup.

### How much is a full body checkup (人間ドック) in Japan?

Prices vary because each facility sets its own and health insurance doesn't cover it. Members of the Japan Health Insurance Association aged 35 to 74 can get up to ¥25,000 toward one at contracted facilities from April 2026.

## Sources

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