Your company tells you to book a 定期健康診断 (teiki kenkō shindan), but the email and clinic instructions are in Japanese. Start by finding the booking deadline, clinic, appointment time and preparation instructions. A regular workplace health check is arranged for workers covered by the occupational health rules; it is different from choosing a private, optional screening package. Your employer’s notice and the clinic’s instructions tell you what applies to your appointment.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) explains the employer’s duty to arrange regular checks for workers it continuously employs, generally once within each year after hiring. The required check’s cost is borne by the employer; ask HR before adding optional tests or booking independently.
Japanese words in the booking notice
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 定期健康診断／定期健診 | ていきけんこうしんだん／ていきけんしん | Regular workplace health check |
| 受診 | じゅしん (jushin) | Attend the examination |
| 予約／予約変更 | よやく／よやくへんこう | Booking / changing a booking |
| 受診期限 | じゅしんきげん | Deadline for attending |
| 健診機関／会場 | けんしんきかん／かいじょう | Clinic / venue |
| 問診票 | もんしんひょう | Health questionnaire |
| 検査項目 | けんさこうもく | Items to be checked |
| 採血／採尿／胸部エックス線 | さいけつ／さいにょう／きょうぶエックスせん | Blood sample / urine sample / chest X-ray |
| 食事制限／絶食 | しょくじせいげん／ぜっしょく | Food restriction / fasting, if instructed |
| 服薬中 | ふくやくちゅう | Currently taking medication |
| 結果通知／再検査 | けっかつうち／さいけんさ | Results notice / further testing |
From the email to the appointment
- Check who books. Some employers assign a date; others provide a reservation link or ask you to call an approved clinic. Locate 受診期限, your employee number if requested, and the method for changing a date.
- Check what to bring. The clinic may ask for an identification document, appointment notice, completed 問診票 or sample container. Use its own list; do not assume every venue needs the same items.
- Read preparation instructions for your exact tests. Follow the clinic’s guidance about meals, drinks and sample collection. If you take medicine, have a condition that affects a test, or may be pregnant, contact the clinic in advance for its instructions. Do not stop prescribed medication based on a generic checklist.
- At the venue, confirm your name and tests. Tell the staff if you do not understand a question or an instruction. Ask how and when you will receive your results and whom to contact about follow-up.
MHLW provides an English version of a standard general health check questionnaire. It can help you understand common questions; your clinic’s actual form may differ.
Useful Japanese questions
- 予約を変更したいのですが、どこに連絡すればいいですか。
Yoyaku o henkō shitai no desu ga, doko ni renraku sureba ii desu ka.
I need to change my appointment. Who should I contact? - 食事は何時までに済ませればいいですか。
Shokuji wa nanji made ni sumasereba ii desu ka.
By what time should I finish eating? - 薬を飲んでいます。検査前の服薬について確認したいです。
Kusuri o nonde imasu. Kensa mae no fukuyaku ni tsuite kakunin shitai desu.
I take medication. I would like to check what to do before the tests. - 結果はいつ、どのように届きますか。
Kekka wa itsu, dono yō ni todokimasu ka.
When and how will I receive the results?
After the check
The employer must notify the worker of the health check results under Japan’s occupational health rules, as explained by the Tokyo Labour Bureau. If your results say 再検査 or 要精密検査, ask the clinic or a healthcare professional what follow-up is recommended for you; the notice itself is not a diagnosis. Confirm separately who pays for any extra appointment, since the cost rule for the required workplace check does not automatically describe every optional or follow-up service.
For the employment conditions surrounding your appointment, refer to your notice of working conditions or ask HR about scheduling and time away from work. The MHLW explains the distinction between the cost of a general health check and wages for the time spent attending it; your company’s arrangement matters here.
