Insurance in Japan

Japan runs one of the world's strongest healthcare systems, but for nomads the user experience is harder than in Lisbon or Bangkok. Clinics expect payment in yen at the counter, direct billing with foreign insurers is rare, English support is patchy outside central Tokyo and Osaka, and the National Health Insurance system is closed to short-stay nomads. The April 2024 digital nomad visa added a mandatory private insurance requirement and a six-month cap. Picking cover for Japan is about cash flow, language support, and evacuation.