The biggest standout about going to the doctor in Japan is (far and away) the price. A doctor visit usually costs me around $5. There are other cultural differences. I am on my fifth doctor since moving to Japan. My first doctor moved to Tokyo. He was American, so no real change there. My second doctor was also American, but he retired. He moved here right after World War II. He was my favorite doctor because he would mail me my medication, and I never had to go see him. My third doctor was the worst. He would shame me about my weight every time I went to his office. I know I am a big girl, and I’m ok with that. My health stuff is not related to my weight. One time, my weight stayed the same and he swatted my bottom and scolded me. I wish I could say that was the last time I saw him, but it took me a year to change doctors. I currently have two doctors I see. One is an internist and the other is an endocrinologist.

There are no doctors who treat hereditary corproporphyria (HCP) in Japan. HCP is super rare and in the U.S. the leading specialist in porphyria had never treated anyone with HCP before meeting me, so I wasn’t super surprised that none of the doctors in Japan have treated it. This results in me simply telling my doctor what I want him to prescribe me each month; thankfully, he does. My second doctor treats my lupus. He has a lot of experience, but I feel like I still need to tell him what to do. I feel like he is not proactive when it comes to monitoring my inflammation and treating secondary issues, such as when my lupus flares cause pancreatic issues. I have to ask for the blood panels to be taken and then push for treatment plans. I do not know if they are this passive with Japanese clients, but they are very passive with me. It leads to a lack of confidence in their ability and some worry about my health. This is not all that much different than my experience in the U.S., though. I have never had a proactive supportive doctor who believed in preventative medicine. At least now it only costs me $5.