The Japanese health system is pretty horrible in my experience. The good: * It's cheap Prices for services are set by the government IIRC. Needed an MRI, was

The Japanese health system is pretty horrible in my experience. The good: * It's cheap Prices for services are set by the government IIRC. Needed an MRI, was covered by insurance. Asked for copy of data. $25 for a CD with all my MRI data and free open source software included to view it. * It's easy to use Go to any doctor you want any time. Just show up at a doctor's office and hand over your insurance card The bad: * The doctors are not qualified I've had many experiences with quack doctors in Japan. First doctor I went to 20 years ago gave me an ultrasound and then declared I had hepatitis. Another doctor I went to for hives on my forehead just said "I don't know what that is". No referral, nothing. Another doctor was telling every patient to breath through a respirator for 5 minutes. Every patient was using the same respirator, same mouth piece, no changing of anything. Many doctor's offices are filthy. Machines are covered in goop (caked on bodily fluids?). Now that I have a smart phone I've started documenting this. Lots of foreigners complain no matter what the symptoms they're given the same 3 to 6 medicines. Break an arm, get the flu, catch a cold, always the same 3 to 6 medicines. * Nurses require zero training To be a nurse just show up. Becoming a nurse in Japan requires no more training than working at fast food. * If you want to good doctor for surgery you must bribe them If you need some serious surgery you research who the best doctor is then hand them an envelope with $$$$-$$$$$ and beg them to take your case. This is a common topic on Japanese TV dramas and no, the dramas are not making it up. I have several friends who've needed one kind of surgery or another who paid the bribe. * Long waits Went to a major hospital in Kanagawa. Hospitals in Japan are not like Hospitals in the USA. In Japan you can go to the hospital for every day medical issues (colds, flu, etc...). Had to wait 2.5 hours in a room with about 300 other sick people. I will say I don't know how common that is. Waits that long have only happened to me twice as I've only gone to a hospital for service twice. They're just something I haven't experienced in the USA partly because I don't know a single place in the USA that has a waiting room that big. I did experience similar in the UK, the long waits part not the 300 people. Doctors offices have normal waits (5-10 mins) I'm not trying to defend the USA's system. It's got lots of problems. I like the good parts of the Japanese system. It's just not all roses. The Japanese have pretty good health but I tend to guess it's genetics+lifestyle+diet and not so much because of health care.