Like any other part of your body, your eyes are very important in your life — both in Japan, and generally. So what do you do when you need to get your eyes checked? Whether for a routine examination, or a sudden emergency? I’ve been through it, so I can tell you.
Routine Checks
Well, in Japan, health checks are common and, for some companies, expected. In my experience, companies will usually cover the cost of your healthcare check, as well as give you the time off to do it. And this often includes a vision check. That being said, most health checks are generalists, so if they find any disturbances or irregularities, you’ll need to visit an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.
Going to the Optometrist
I’ve been short-sighted for many years, and so I need to go to the optometrist in order to get any sight checked and have any corrections made to my contact lenses or eyeglasses. In these events, I’ve had to go through pretty much the same thing that you would in the places I have back home.
That being said, there are the language differences. When I’ve had my eyes checked, I’ve been to places that offer bilingual services. That being said, not everything is bilingual: while the attendants who took me through the process, the actual doctor was, like several doctors in Japan, not fluent in English.
This meant that some of the procedure, most notably looking closely at my eyes, was not conducted in English. Though my Japanese was of an ability to understand what was expected of me, it might be more difficult for people who are absolute beginners, or who are not able to speak Japanese at all.
In these instances, often the attendant will be able to help, but it might be best to take a friend who can speak Japanese to a strong degree.
After this examination, and after paying for my care, I was given a prescription for a new set of contact lenses and a fresh pair of glasses. While buying glasses is a whole other matter, I was able to pick up my contact lenses from an antechamber next door to the optometrist. I was also given a coupon for my next set of lenses. This was super useful, and helped me until I needed my next regular check-up.
Going to the Ophthalmologist
There are, however, times when you will need to go to have your eyes seen to outside of the standard checking of your vision for new eyewear. In this instance, you’ll need to go to a specific eye doctor. When I got a nasty irritation in my eye, which turned it blood red,
So, I had to go to an ophthalmologist, a specialist eye doctor. During that time, I was in urgent need of care, so there was no time to search for an English-speaking doctor.
I had to search for a local doctor who specialized in eyecare. Luckily, there was one within a few minutes of me. So, when I went, I was told to wait. Luckily, like most Japanese healthcare, waiting does not take very long, in my experience. I waited for roughly 20 minutes, before being seen by an expert who took an examination and photographs of my eyes.
This examination was thorough, and extensive. My eyes were treated with utmost care and diligence. After it was discovered that I had suffered an abrasion to my eye, as a result of something getting under my contact lens, we resolved on a method of treatment.,
After this, as in many medical procedures, I was asked to return after my initial treatment after a period of ten days. This is normal in Japan, but it was kind of weird to me as a Brit: often eye doctors are one and done. No shame on them, they are pressed for time and have a lot to do.
But my eye doctor in south Tokyo was not only efficient, but also ensured that I attended several follow-up meetings, to make sure that the irritation was not just treated, but gone for good (or, at least, the foreseeable future).
In Summary
Getting your eyes checked in Japan is not an insurmountable problem, even if you cannot speak Japanese. But while you will possibly have many issues, whether it be routine checks or genuine medical interventions, the Japanese eye care system is genuinely a sight to be beheld.
