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Ningen Dock and Cancer Screenings in Japan
A ningen dock (人間ドック, ningen dokku, "human dock") is a voluntary comprehensive checkup that you book and pay for yourself, while gan kenshin (がん検診, "cancer screening") are the low-cost cancer screenings run by your city or ward office under a national guideline.123 Both are separate from the checkup your employer must provide, which is covered in Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan). Which insurer subsidy, ward coupon, and screening age band applies to you decides whether a fuller checkup costs a few hundred yen per test or tens of thousands of yen at full price.456
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) cancer screening page, your city or ward office, and your health insurer. This article is general information, not medical advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed physician, such as your primary-care doctor or the screening facility's physician.
Overview
A ningen dock examines many organs in one visit at a private or hospital checkup center. Health insurance does not pay for it, but your insurer may subsidize it.74
Municipal cancer screenings follow a guideline issued by MHLW, Japan's health ministry, whose stated purpose is to reduce deaths from cancer.3 They are aimed at five cancers and are offered by the municipality where you live.
Routine workplace checkups and the Specific Health Checkup (特定健診, tokutei kenshin, the metabolic-syndrome checkup run by insurers) do not automatically count as cancer screening in the guideline's sense, according to the National Cancer Center's information service (as of 2026-04; confirm current guidance with the National Cancer Center).8 A ningen dock, ward screenings, or both can fill that gap.
Three checkup tracks compared
The table summarizes how the three tracks differ. Costs are dated examples from named facilities and municipalities, not national rates (as of FY2026).
| Track | Who arranges it | What it mainly screens for | Typical cost to you | Typical frequency | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workplace checkup | Your employer | Lifestyle-disease markers | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | – |
| Ningen dock | You book a facility; your insurer may subsidize it | Many organs in more depth: body measurement, heart and lung function, eyes and hearing, chest and upper-GI X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, blood, urine, and stool1 | Self-pay; one-day course examples from ¥37,000 in a Kawasaki-area facility list and ¥44,000 at a Gunma prefectural facility910 | Once per fiscal year where an insurer subsidy applies1112 | FY2026 / 2026-06 |
| Municipal cancer screening | Your city or ward office | Five cancers: stomach, lung, colorectal, cervical, breast3 | Low fixed fee per test; examples ¥200–¥2,500 in Shinjuku and Yokohama, free for some ages and low-income households513 | Annual or every 2 years; HPV-alone cervical screening every 5 years3 | FY2026 / 2026-08 |
How the three fit together
Municipal screenings are meant to fill gaps, not duplicate what you already get. Yokohama limits its screenings to residents without an equivalent opportunity through an employer or health insurance society (as of 2026-04).14
Matsue City applies the same rule, and adds that if a ningen dock or similar checkup already included a chest X-ray, a barium or endoscopic stomach exam, or a fecal occult blood test, the matching city screening need not be repeated (as of FY2026).15
Insurer subsidies also interact. Kyokai Kenpo subsidizes either a ningen dock or its lifestyle-disease prevention checkup per person per fiscal year, not both (as of 2026-04).11 Koto ward's National Health Insurance dock subsidy is not available to anyone who took the Specific Health Checkup that year (as of FY2026).16
A ningen dock can also stand in for the Specific Health Checkup: the society's standard dock item set includes the 22-item Specific Health Checkup questionnaire for people subject to it (as of 2026-02).1 How results are submitted for that purpose is explained in Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan).
The decision flow below shows the usual reasoning, based on the eligibility rules Yokohama and Matsue publish.1415 Your own municipality's rules may differ.
What a ningen dock includes
The standard course
The Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care publishes a yearly table of basic test items for a standard dock. The 2026 tables are current (as of 2026-02; confirm current items with the Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care).171
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本人間ドック・予防医療学会 | Nihon Ningen Dokku Yobō Iryō Gakkai | Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care17 |
| 基本検査項目 | kihon kensa kōmoku | Basic (required) test items1 |
| オプション項目 | opushon kōmoku | Optional (add-on) items1 |
| 一日ドック / 二日ドック | ichinichi dokku / futsuka dokku | One-day dock / two-day (overnight) dock1 |
The 2026 one-day table doubles as the 健保連人間ドック健診項目表 (Kenporen ningen dokku kenshin kōmoku-hyō, "health insurance federation dock item table"), the item set used in dock contracts with the federation of health insurance societies (as of 2026-02).1 Its required items are grouped below.
| Group | Items | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Body measurement | Height, weight, degree of obesity (may be dropped), BMI, waist circumference | |
| Physiological | Blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, fundus photo, eye pressure, visual acuity, hearing, lung function | Blood pressure in principle read twice and averaged; fundus photo of both eyes; simplified hearing test |
| X-ray and ultrasound | Chest X-ray (2 views); upper-GI X-ray of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (8+ films); abdominal ultrasound | Ultrasound covers liver and spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, abdominal aorta |
| Biochemistry | Total protein, albumin, creatinine, eGFR, uric acid, total, HDL, LDL, and non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, γ-GT, ALP, fasting glucose, HbA1c | |
| Hematology | Red and white blood cell counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, platelets | |
| Serology | CRP, blood type (ABO/Rh), hepatitis B surface antigen | Blood type and hepatitis B antigen can be skipped on request |
| Urine | Urinalysis and sediment | Sediment can be skipped if protein and occult blood are negative |
| Stool | Fecal occult blood | Immunochemical method, samples on 2 days |
| Interview and exam | Medical interview; physician exam with chest auscultation and neck and abdominal palpation | |
| Judgment and guidance | Results explanation by a physician; health guidance |
Source for all rows: the society's 2026 one-day table (as of 2026-02).1
The two-day dock has the same required items, except that blood glucose is checked with a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, with draws at 0, 60, and 120 minutes (as of 2026-02).1
The stomach exam in the basic course is a barium X-ray by default. Endoscopy replaces it when the examinee and insurer request it, with the option price added (as of 2026-02).1
Half-day, one-night, and add-on options
The society's standard defines two formats: the one-day dock, completed in a single visit, and the two-day dock, which adds the glucose tolerance test described above.1 Facilities then sell their own course tiers and add-ons on top.
The society's 2026 tables list these optional items (as of 2026-02):1
- Upper-GI endoscopy
- Breast exam with mammography
- Breast exam with breast ultrasound
- Gynecological exam with cervical cytology, with the sample taken by a physician
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test
- Hepatitis C antibody test
Under that standard, endoscopy requires separate written consent after an explanation, and painkillers and sedatives are in principle not used (as of 2026-02).1 Syphilis testing is outside the basic and optional sets but may be done at the examinee's request (as of 2026-02).1
Private clinics sell their own tiers. Tokyo Midtown Clinic, for example, offers a standard checkup of about 2–3 hours, a ladies' checkup that adds cervical and breast screening, a dock that adds head MRI/MRA, abdominal CT, visceral fat CT, and bone density, and a top tier that adds endoscopy, CT, MRI, and 3D mammography (as of 2026-10).6
A 脳ドック (nō dokku, "brain dock") is a separate brain-focused checkup. Some insurers treat it as its own program; Kagoshima City, for example, subsidizes it alongside the ningen dock (as of FY2026).18
CT, PET, and tumor markers are often sold as add-ons. The National Cancer Center notes that they matter for checking recurrence and spread but are not recognized as cancer screening, because a reduction in deaths has not been shown (as of 2026-04).8
Typical prices
No single national price exists. The table gives list prices at named facilities, including tax (as of the dates shown).
| Course or item | Price | Facility or source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-day dock, 14 designated Kawasaki-area facilities | From ¥37,000; some facilities cheaper in April–June or January | Kawasaki workers' mutual-aid association list9 | FY2026 |
| One-day dock | ¥44,000 | Gunma Prefectural Cardiovascular Center10 | 2026-06 |
| Kyokai Kenpo worked example | ¥35,000 total, about ¥10,000 after the ¥25,000 subsidy | Kyokai Kenpo Aichi branch11 | 2026-04 |
| Standard checkup | ¥72,600 | Tokyo Midtown Clinic6 | 2026-10 |
| Ladies' checkup | ¥99,000 | Tokyo Midtown Clinic6 | 2026-10 |
| Midtown Dock | ¥145,200 with head MRI/MRA; ¥110,000 without | Tokyo Midtown Clinic6 | 2026-10 |
| Top tiers (Super Midtown Dock / Royal) | ¥330,000 / ¥594,000 | Tokyo Midtown Clinic6 | 2026-10 |
| Gastroscopy instead of barium X-ray | +¥8,800 | Tokyo Midtown Clinic6 | 2026-10 |
Upper prices on the Kawasaki list vary by facility, season, and whether endoscopy is chosen, so only the lower end is shown.9 English-language support can add to the price at some facilities; see "Finding an English-supported facility" below.
Why health insurance does not pay
The ordinance that governs insured medical care states that health examinations must not be provided as insured care.7 A ningen dock is therefore 自由診療 (jiyū shinryō, "uninsured, self-pay care"), billed at the facility's own price. Other gaps of this kind are covered in What Insurance Doesn't Cover.
Follow-up is different. If a checkup or screening finds something and you are told you need a detailed examination, that examination is covered by health insurance.19
Some hospitals add a 選定療養費 (sentei ryōyōhi, "selected-care special charge") or document fees on top of the insured cost (as of 2026-08).19
Subsidies that lower the cost
Ningen dock subsidies are set by each insurer: each health insurance society, each Kyokai Kenpo branch, and each municipality's National Health Insurance runs its own scheme.4181612 Every figure in this section is an example tied to the named insurer (as of FY2026; confirm current figures with your own insurer).
Health insurance societies (kenpo kumiai)
A 健康保険組合 (kenkō hoken kumiai, often shortened to kenpo kumiai, "health insurance society") is a company or industry insurer.12 The difference from Kyokai Kenpo is explained in Health Insurance Society vs. Kyokai Kenpo.
TJK, the health insurance society for Tokyo's information-services industry, is one example. Its C健診 (C kenshin, its ningen dock course) is open to members and dependents at age 35 and from age 40, once per fiscal year, at TJK's own centers or contracted facilities (as of 2026-10).12
The member cost is ¥5,500, or ¥3,300 at the age-35 milestone checkup (節目健診, fushime kenshin) (as of 2026-10).12 Other societies set their own amounts and facility lists.
Kyokai Kenpo
協会けんぽ (Kyōkai Kenpo, Japan Health Insurance Association) insures employees of companies that do not have their own health insurance society.4 From April 2026, it subsidizes a ningen dock by up to ¥25,000 (as of 2026-04).411
| Point | Rule | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Insured members aged 35–74, until the day before the 75th birthday411 | 2026-04 |
| Dependents | Not eligible in FY2026; Kyokai Kenpo states the new checkups extend to dependents from FY20274 | 2026-04 |
| Content | General checkup items plus detailed blood tests, eye pressure, and a physician consultation4 | 2026-04 |
| How to book | Contact a participating facility directly; no separate application to Kyokai Kenpo411 | 2026-04 |
| Your cost | Varies by facility11 | 2026-04 |
The table reflects Kyokai Kenpo's national and Aichi branch pages (as of 2026-04).411
The subsidy covers either the ningen dock or the lifestyle-disease prevention checkup in a fiscal year, not both (as of 2026-04).11 Using one closes the other until the next fiscal year.
The lower-cost alternative, the lifestyle-disease prevention checkup, is described in Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan).4
National Health Insurance and municipal subsidies
If you are on 国民健康保険 (kokumin kenkō hoken, National Health Insurance or NHI), your municipality may subsidize a dock. Who enrolls in NHI is explained in Who Enrolls in National Health Insurance.
Two examples show how much the schemes differ: Kagoshima City has you apply before the exam, while Koto ward in Tokyo has you claim afterward.1816 Availability, amounts, and timing vary by municipality.
| Point | Kagoshima City18 | Koto ward16 |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 35+ as of 2026-04-01, excluding those born on or before 1952-06-30 | 40+ at fiscal-year end and 74 or under on the exam date |
| Other conditions | Household NHI tax paid to date | Premiums due paid; no Specific Health Checkup taken that year; specified results submitted |
| Subsidy | Half the exam cost, up to ¥20,000 (consumption tax paid by you) | Up to ¥8,000, or the actual cost if lower, once per year |
| Timing | Apply 2026-04-07 to 2026-05-08, before the exam | Claim after the exam; FY2026 exams by 2027-04-30 |
| Places | 550, by lottery if oversubscribed | – |
| Brain dock | Same rules, 200 places, applications from 2026-04-14 | – |
| As of | FY2026 | FY2026 |
Some help comes from outside the insurance system. Kawasaki's workers' mutual-aid association gives members ¥5,000 off a designated one-day course once per fiscal year, but not if the member's employer health insurance already subsidizes a dock (as of FY2026).9
Dependents on an employee plan
Whether a dependent can use the insurer's dock subsidy depends on the insurer. Kyokai Kenpo excludes dependents in FY2026, while TJK includes them (as of 2026-04 and 2026-10).412 How dependent status works is covered in The Dependent (Fuyo) System.
Ward cancer screenings follow residence. Where a municipality limits them to residents without an equivalent workplace or insurer opportunity, as Yokohama and Matsue do, a dependent without such an opportunity can use them (as of FY2026).1415
Municipal cancer screenings
The five screenings in the national guideline
The rules come from an MHLW guideline, the がん予防重点健康教育及びがん検診実施のための指針 (Gan Yobō Jūten Kenkō Kyōiku oyobi Gan Kenshin Jisshi no tame no Shishin, "Guideline for Priority Cancer-Prevention Health Education and Cancer Screening"), first issued as an administrative notice in 2008.3 It is not a statute, and it has been partially revised many times, most recently on 2025-12-24 and 2026-10-07 (as of 2026-10; confirm current rules with MHLW).2
The guideline names six screening types: the five in the table, plus a 総合がん検診 (sōgō gan kenshin, "comprehensive cancer screening") that runs all five at once for residents aged 40 and 50 (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3
The table reflects the 2025-12-24 revision, in force from 2026-04-01.320
| Cancer | Method | Target age | Interval | Notes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach | Interview plus barium X-ray or endoscopy; you choose if both are offered | 50+ | Every 2 years | X-ray may for now be offered from 40 and annually; especially recommended at 50–69 | 2026-04-01 |
| Cervical (cytology) | Interview, visual exam, cytology, internal exam | Women 20+ | Every 2 years | Especially recommended at 20–69 | 2026-04-01 |
| Cervical (HPV-alone) | Interview, visual exam, HPV test; cytology only if HPV-positive; follow-up test the next year if that cytology is negative | Women 30+ | Every 5 years | Only where the municipality meets all guideline requirements; especially recommended at 30–60 | 2026-04-01 |
| Lung | Questionnaire plus chest X-ray | 40+ | Annual | Especially recommended at 40–69 | 2026-04-01 |
| Breast | Questionnaire plus mammography | Women 40+ | Every 2 years | Visual and palpation exam not recommended, and only alongside mammography if done; ages 40–49 also get a craniocaudal view | 2026-04-01 |
| Colorectal | Interview plus fecal immunochemical test on 2 days | 40+ | Annual | Especially recommended at 40–69 | 2026-04-01 |
Municipalities are to offer screening even to people outside the "especially recommended" bands (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 Below the target ages, MHLW says fewer people develop these cancers and the benefit of screening is not confirmed, so it recommends starting at the target age (as of 2026-10).2
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| HPV検査単独法 | HPV kensa tandoku-hō | HPV-test-alone method3 |
| 喀痰細胞診 | kakutan saibōshin | Sputum cytology21 |
| 便潜血検査 | ben senketsu kensa | Fecal occult blood test3 |
| 要精密検査 (要精検) | yō-seimitsu kensa (yō-seiken) | Detailed examination needed3 |
The 2025-12-24 revision removed sputum cytology from lung screening from 2026-04-01. Lung screening is now a chest X-ray alone, and people whose sputum persists are to be advised to see a doctor early (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).2021
Shinjuku's FY2026 program still lists a chest X-ray plus sputum cytology for residents 50+ with a smoking index of 600 or more (as of FY2026).5 This is a local offering beyond the national guideline, so whether it exists where you live depends on your municipality.
HPV-alone cervical screening is still rare. In an MHLW survey answered by 1,555 of 1,741 municipalities in mid-2025, 4 had introduced it, 5 planned to in FY2025, and 31 in FY2026, while most were still considering it or had no plans (as of 2025-06).22
Adoption requires long-term tracking of each person, training, and cooperation with the prefecture and local medical association (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).321 Yokohama reports that it introduced the method from January 2025, the first municipality in Japan to do so (as of 2026-08).13
MHLW revised the guideline again on 2026-10-07, effective 2027-04-01.23 The colorectal test moves to a 1-day fecal immunochemical sample, mammography reports must state breast density, and prefectures are to try to compile lists of follow-up facilities (as of 2026-10-07).24 Until that date, the rules in the table above apply.
Who can use them
Each screening is for people whose place of residence is in the municipality (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 Eligibility follows resident registration, not nationality, so foreign residents use the same program as everyone else.
The guideline asks municipalities to keep track of screening that residents receive at work, but it does not itself exclude anyone (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 Some municipalities do: Yokohama and Matsue limit eligibility to residents without an equivalent opportunity at work or through their insurer (as of FY2026).1415
Some municipalities offer tests beyond the national five. Shinjuku offers an annual PSA prostate test to men 50+ for ¥200, and Yokohama for ¥1,000 (as of FY2026 and 2026-08).513
Tumor-marker tests sold as checkup options are not part of nationally recommended screening (as of 2024-07).25
Coupons and how to receive them
Municipalities send or issue a 受診券 (jushin-ken, "screening voucher"), which you bring to the clinic.5 Separately, a national support program funds a 無料クーポン (muryō kūpon, "free coupon") for women in their first target year for cervical screening (age 20) and breast screening (age 40), with half the cost paid by the national government (as of 2023-01).26
The free coupon is not universal. An FY2020 report cited by MHLW found that 63.1% of municipalities took part in at least one coupon program (as of 2023-01).26
Municipalities define who gets what, and when, in their own way. The examples below are dated (as of FY2026).
| Municipality | What is sent | Who receives it | When | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suginami | Free cervical and breast coupons | Women who turned 20 (cervical) or 40 (breast) in the previous fiscal year27 | End of May | FY2026 |
| Yokohama | Free cervical and breast coupons | Women meeting the city's age conditions as of 2026-04-0128 | Around June 2026 | FY2026 |
| Matsue | Free voucher covering stomach, colorectal, lung and TB, cervical, breast, and prostate from 50 | Milestone ages every 5 years from 40; women 20–39 also get cervical cytology free15 | Not stated | FY2026 |
| Shinjuku | Screening voucher | People on the ward's list: 75+ in late April 2026, 74 and under in late May 2026; others apply online, by phone, or in person5 | April–May 2026 | FY2026 |
| Nerima | Screening tickets in the same envelope as the health-checkup voucher | Those targeted for the ward's health checkup; others, including people who moved in mid-year, apply for issuance29 | With the checkup voucher | 2026-05 |
In some municipalities, such as Nerima and Shinjuku, vouchers reach some residents automatically while everyone else has to request them.529 If nothing arrives, contact your ward or city office rather than assuming you are not eligible.
Shinjuku also bars anyone who had the ward's stomach endoscopy in FY2025 from ward stomach screening in FY2026 (as of FY2026).5
What it costs
Fees are set by each municipality. The two examples below show how fees are structured (as of FY2026).
Shinjuku, FY2026
| Screening | Target | Self-pay | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach, endoscopy | 50+, every 2 years | ¥2,000 | FY2026 |
| Stomach, barium X-ray | 40+ | ¥1,900 | FY2026 |
| Lung, chest X-ray (2 views) | 40+ | ¥900 | FY2026 |
| Lung, chest X-ray plus sputum cytology (local offering) | 50+ with smoking index 600+ | ¥1,200 | FY2026 |
| Colorectal | 40+ | ¥600 | FY2026 |
| Cervical | Women 20+ at even ages; odd ages on request if not screened by the ward in FY2025 | ¥900 | FY2026 |
| Breast | Women 40+ at even ages; odd ages on request if not screened by the ward in FY2025 | ¥800 | FY2026 |
| Prostate (PSA) | Men 50+ | ¥200 | FY2026 |
Source for all rows: Shinjuku's cancer screening page.5 Households exempt from special-ward resident tax and households on public assistance can use an exemption system (as of FY2026).5
Yokohama, FY2026
| Screening | Target | Interval | Self-pay | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach (endoscopy or X-ray) | 50+ | Every 2 fiscal years | ¥2,500 | 2026-08 |
| Lung | 40+ | Annual | ¥680 | 2026-08 |
| Colorectal | 40+ | Annual | Free in FY2026 (normally ¥600) | 2026-08 |
| Cervical, cytology | Women 20–29 and 61+ | Every 2 fiscal years | ¥1,360 | 2026-08 |
| Cervical, HPV test | Women 30–60 | Every 5 years | ¥2,000 | 2026-08 |
| Breast (mammography) | Women 40+ | Every 2 fiscal years | ¥680 | 2026-08 |
| Prostate (PSA) | Men 50+ | Annual | ¥1,000 | 2026-08 |
Source for all rows: Yokohama's cancer screening page.13 Residents 65 and over, born on or before 1962-04-01, get all six city screenings free (as of 2026-08).13
Yokohama also exempts public-assistance households, recipients of support for Japanese left behind in China, and households exempt from residence tax or paying only its per-capita portion, which must apply before screening (as of 2026-08).13 It also subsidizes follow-up examination costs for residents 65+ told 要精密検査 after a city screening (as of 2026-10).30
Age thresholds and exemption lists vary. Matsue, for example, waives the fee for holders of its milestone or tax-exempt-household vouchers, a public-assistance certificate, a welfare medical certificate, or an atomic-bomb survivor's health book (as of FY2026).15
Screening period and booking
Screening periods follow the fiscal year. Shinjuku's FY2026 period runs 2026-05-01 to 2027-03-31 for residents 75+, and 2026-06-01 to 2027-03-31 for those 74 and under, with stomach endoscopy ending earlier, on 2027-01-31 (as of FY2026).5 Matsue's runs 2026-06-01 to 2027-03-31 (as of FY2026).15
To book, you usually contact a listed clinic yourself. Yokohama asks you to phone a designated medical facility directly and state which screening you want (as of 2026-04).14
On the day, Matsue asks you to bring the screening voucher, the fee, and your My Number health insurance card or eligibility certificate (as of FY2026).15 Yokohama's stomach endoscopy also requires your health insurance card, and a biopsy, if one is taken, costs extra (as of 2026-08).13
Booking and on the day
Finding an English-supported facility
English support is facility-specific, so confirm it when you book. General strategies for finding English-speaking care are in Finding an English-Speaking Provider.
Tokyo Midtown Clinic publishes its course menu in English, and for English-native employees of its corporate clients it provides the reservation center, advance documents, day-of guidance, and result sheets in English (as of 2026-10; confirm current arrangements with the facility).631
NTT Medical Center Tokyo offers results in English on request, but for examinees who do not understand Japanese, including medical terminology, it requires one interpreter per examinee and charges twice its standard rate, options included (as of 2026-10).32 The page is written for visitors from abroad and does not say whether residents are handled differently, so ask when booking.
Booking lead times and preparation specific to cancer tests
Choosing when to book
Checkup demand is seasonal. Matsue warns that clinics are very crowded January–March (as of FY2026).15
The Gunma Prefectural Cardiovascular Center reports that April and May are quiet and gastroscopy slots are easiest to get then. It adds that people using municipal or workplace subsidies may find April–May exams hard to arrange, so check with whoever runs the subsidy (as of 2026-06).10
Some Kawasaki-area facilities also price their one-day dock lower in April–June, for example ¥37,000 instead of ¥44,000 (as of FY2026).9
Stool test
Under the current guideline, the fecal test uses samples from 2 days that you collect at home. Keep the first sample refrigerated and hand both in promptly after collecting the second; mailing samples is in principle not done (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 From 2027-04-01, the guideline switches to a 1-day sample (as of 2026-10-07).24
The first of the two samples has to wait until you collect the second. Storing it cold, then handing both in promptly, is part of the guideline's procedure (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3
Colonoscopy and endoscopy
Bowel preparation for colonoscopy is set by each hospital. For example, one hospital's at-home preparation sheet, dated 2016, has patients avoid high-fiber and seeded foods from 3 days before, eat a test-meal diet and take a laxative the night before, and on the day skip breakfast and drink 1 L of bowel-cleansing solution over an hour starting 3 hours before arrival (as of 2016-06).33
The same sheet asks patients on anticoagulants to tell the doctor in advance. It also says that anyone given sedatives or painkillers must not drive that day (as of 2016-06).33
Sedation is not the default in a standard dock. Under the society's standard, dock endoscopy is in principle done without painkillers or sedatives (as of 2026-02).1 If a facility offers sedation, ask about its rules for getting home.
General fasting rules and the health questionnaire are covered in Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan).
Results and follow-up
Timing depends on the facility; Matsue, for example, returns screening results in about one month (as of FY2026).15 How checkup grades are read is explained in Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan).
Under the guideline, people judged 要精密検査 are guided to a medical institution and encouraged again if they do not go (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 The detailed examination is insured care.19
For colorectal screening, the current guideline names total colonoscopy as the first-choice follow-up and says repeating the stool test instead is not done, because it increases missed cancers (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3 The 2026-10-07 revision deletes that passage from 2027-04-01 (as of 2026-10-07).24
The path after a screening result, as set out in the guideline, looks like this.3
A checkup calendar by age
The table shows what the national guideline and sample insurer programs offer at each age (as of the 2025-12-24 revision, in force 2026-04-01; confirm current rules with MHLW and your insurer). It describes programs, not personal medical advice.3
| Age band | Workplace or insurer checkup | Municipal screenings under the guideline | Ningen dock subsidy examples | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20s | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | Cervical cytology every 2 years (women)3 | Kyokai Kenpo dock subsidy not yet available; it starts at 354 | 2026-04 |
| 30s | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | Cervical cytology every 2 years, or HPV-alone every 5 years from 30 where adopted3 | Kyokai Kenpo from 354; TJK at the age-35 milestone12; Kagoshima NHI from 3518 | 2026-04 / 2026-10 |
| 40s | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | Adds lung (annual), colorectal (annual), and mammography every 2 years (women); stomach X-ray may be offered from 40; comprehensive screening at 403 | Koto NHI from 4016; TJK from 4012 | FY2026 / 2026-10 |
| 50+ | See Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) | Stomach X-ray or endoscopy every 2 years; comprehensive screening at 50; other screenings continue3 | Kyokai Kenpo up to age 7411 | 2026-04 |
Add-ons are not tied to particular ages. Commonly offered ones include upper-GI endoscopy, breast exam with mammography or ultrasound, cervical cytology, PSA, and hepatitis C antibody, plus head MRI/MRA and abdominal CT at some private clinics (as of 2026-02 and 2026-10).16
Individual risk factors, such as family history, can change what makes sense for you; discuss them with a physician. Age-linked adult vaccines, the other half of preventive care, are covered in Vaccinations in Japan: Schedules for Children and Adults.
Good to know
Moving mid-year changes your coupons
Vouchers are tied to your municipality of residence. Ota ward, for example, says anyone who has moved out by the screening date cannot be screened, even with the notice in hand (as of 2025-04; confirm current rules with your new municipality).34
The new municipality's rules apply instead. Nerima, for example, lets people who moved in mid-year and have no ticket apply for one (as of 2026-05).29
Book early, and stay insured until exam day
Demand peaks late in the fiscal year: Matsue reports clinics very crowded January–March (as of FY2026).15 Some subsidies also have short windows, such as Kagoshima's NHI dock subsidy, with an April–May application period and a lottery (as of FY2026).18
Insurer dock subsidies are tied to membership; Kyokai Kenpo's, for example, is for its insured members (as of 2026-04).4 If you change jobs between booking and the exam, see Workplace Health Checkups in Japan (Kenkō Shindan) and Health Insurance When Changing Jobs in Japan for how membership affects checkup subsidies.
Ningen dock costs and the medical expense deduction
The National Tax Agency (NTA) states that health checkup costs are in principle not included in the 医療費控除 (iryōhi kōjo, "medical expense deduction").35 Its Q&A on ningen docks explains that a dock involves no treatment, so its cost is not deductible.36
There is an exception. The NTA's Q&A treats the dock as an examination preceding treatment, and so deductible, when it finds a serious illness and treatment of that illness follows.36
Keep your receipt or results either way. For the セルフメディケーション税制 (serufu medikēshon zeisei, "self-medication tax scheme"), insurer checkups including docks, workplace checkups, Specific Health Checkups, and municipal cancer screenings count as qualifying health efforts, and your proof must show your name, the year, and the insurer, employer, or municipality (as of 2026-04-01).37
More tests are not always better
The guideline requires municipalities to explain both benefits and harms of screening. The harms it lists are false negatives, false positives with the anxiety and extra tests they bring, overdiagnosis of cancers that would never have caused death, and complications (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).3
The National Cancer Center notes that CT, PET, and tumor markers are not recognized as cancer screening, because a reduction in deaths has not been established (as of 2026-04).8 Tumor-marker values can rise without cancer or stay normal with it, and are affected by other diseases, age, pregnancy, alcohol, smoking, and medication (as of 2024-07).25
None of this argues against add-ons. It means their results are best read with a physician.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and radiation-based tests
Under the guideline, the lung questionnaire must ask whether you could be pregnant, and the breast questionnaire must ask about menstruation, possible pregnancy, and whether mammography can be performed. The 2025-12-24 revision added the same pregnancy question to the stomach screening interview (as of the 2025-12-24 revision).321
Pregnancy can also affect tumor-marker values (as of 2024-07).25 If you are pregnant, may be pregnant, or are breastfeeding, tell the facility when you book and ask how it handles X-ray-based and other tests.
See also
- Address Change in Japan: Tenshutsu, Tennyu, Tenkyo
- Year-End Adjustment vs. Kakutei Shinkoku: Which You File
- Clinic vs. Hospital: The Two-Tier System
- The High-Cost-Catch (Kogaku Ryoyohi) System
- Selecting a Local Clinic as Primary Care