Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Hospital recommendation for foreigner?
Hey. So I (38M) arrived in Toyko just a few days ago, August 4. Yesterday, the 7th, I was hit with some severe abdominal pain. I had Soba + Tempura for breakfast, then sushi for lunch, and some snacks in between. I got back to my apartment around 6 pm, and suddenly developed a massive pain in my upper abdominal region.
I spent the next hour in the fetal position on my bed, with barely any strength to move. It felt like I could have died without anyone knowing. I did message the staff at the place I was staying, and they mentioned they could call an ambulance for me (I don't have a phone number here). Not knowing anything about the Japanese medical system or costs, I declined. Eventually, the pain went away, I took a shower, then went to bed. I drank some water before bed, and the pain came back for about 30 mins. I didn't feel like my life was in danger at this point. I don't think it's food poisoning because I didn't poo or vomit.
After waking up this morning, I did a little bit of research onto what could have caused this sudden pain. I do have some mild forms of gastritis and GERD, so I think these are related to what I went through. In any case, I feel a lot better today, though the pain still comes and goes, but thanfully it's a lot milder. I didn't eat anything yet, kind of afraid to. I drank some water, and it seemed to bring some of the pain back, so I'm worried about what is going on with my body/stomach.
I might have to go to a hospital to check it out, though I am worried about the langugage barrier. So I am asking here for some recommendations on where I can go to get help.
Thanks
komagome hospital er is fine but heads up their internal medicine outpatient is weekdays only, so if this flares on a weekend you'll be sitting in the er instead which costs more and takes way longer. for a saturday or sunday theres a few naika clinics around sugamo and otsuka that stay open, sugamo is one stop from komagome on the yamanote
also on payment, most places here want cash or a card that works with their terminal, some smaller clinics are cash only so hit a 7-11 atm before you go. and grab a japanese phrase like "胃が痛い" (i no ga itai) on ur phone, pointing at the upper belly works but saying it saves a lot of back and forth
One thing worth knowing about Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome: they have a "gaikokujin byouin" support desk but it's only staffed certain hours, so call ahead or check their site before you haul over there. Otherwise the internal medicine floor will still see you, just slower.
For your specific worry about water triggering pain, that pattern leans more toward gastric or duodenal ulcer than plain GERD, and ulcers can bleed quietly. If you notice black tarry stool or feel faint, that's an ER trip, not a clinic visit. Otherwise a naika visit with an H. pylori breath test is the sensible next step, most clinics here do it on the spot for a few thousand yen.
the pain coming back after water is actually a useful clue. gastritis and ulcers tend to hurt more on an empty stomach or right after drinking, and soba plus tempura plus raw fish in one day is a lot of acid and oil hitting an already irritated lining. tbh I'd get it checked rather than wait, because if it's an ulcer you don't want it to bleed.
for a different option than the big hospitals, there's a naika (internal medicine) clinic called Komagome Naika right around the station area, smaller and usually way less waiting than the metropolitan hospital. they won't have a dedicated english desk but google translate plus pointing at where it hurts gets you pretty far, and it's cheaper too, maybe 5k to 8k yen for the visit. just avoid anything cold or greasy for a few days, okayu or plain toast and small warm sips is teh move
load 3 more replies
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.