Nakamura Azabujuban Clinic — Local services in Tokyo

I am traumatized by the endoscopy Dr. Nakamura gave me. It’s been inhibiting me from undergoing any further checks that are of utmost importance for my health, however my experience at this clinic in summer 2023 has left me in a state of sheer medical anxiety. Go here if you have a cold, but DO NOT go here if you have serious gastrointestinal issues and need urgent help, improvement and most of all: answers.

I visited a total of 4 times and felt so desperate to find help, but he turned out to be the most passive doctor i have visited in my 10 years in Japan. I ended up being the one needing to make suggestions on what else we could check for e.g. allergy test? To find possible answers. I was utterly exhausted from our sessions that lead nowhere. Also, his English pronunciation is really not great. I had a hard time understanding him and resorted to just speaking Japanese eventually 😥

I found a much better doctor a couple weeks later, but that was after a lot of tears of disappointment and took me some courage to try trust another clinician after the severe disappointment that was his „treatment„. It turned out that I have IBS. It’s one of the most common gastrointestinal health issues in the field of medicine. Just leaving this here.

Honorable mention: The clinic personnel...

I can endorse the positive below! Dr. Nakamura is highly skilled at endoscopy, and the procedure I had gave me very little discomfort. I also find that Dr. Nakamura has strong expertise in allergy. He is an engaging conversationalist, and, because the Japanese system mandates regular follow ups, I have gotten to know him very well over time. The reception and billing is run in accordance with typical Japanese doctor's office procedures. If you have Japanese Insurance, there is no issue about costs. A typical visit with insurance costs about 1,200 yen. It's all very standard. The office is busy, to be sure, but I have found the staff to be efficient and accommodating. If you have international insurance and prefer to be in a 100% international environment, go to Tokyo Medical or one of the other nearby options. You'll find they are equally busy and waits are equally long: even though they require an appointment, they rarely see you within 15 minutes of your appointed time. And the prices are "America-high" if you are paying yourself. But, I digress. This clinic is exactly what I expected based on the website. I believe the negative reviews here are a reflection of the grumpy mind-set of the reviewers, not a reflection of...

I have been coming to this clinic for the last 6 months. As anyone that is a non-native speaker can attest, going to the doctor in Japan is hard due to the language barrier. However, Dr. Nakamura gives a safe space for English speakers in Japan.

It has been a journey with this doctor, as I started going to his clinic after having severe stomach pain issues. My situation has been really specific, nevertheless the doctor has been so empathetic to my situation. He listened to me and did his best to support me.

In the end, I’m being treated for allergies with this clinic, because as it turns out my stomach issues and other problems were being caused by severe allergies. This was not a right away diagnosis, it took time, the support of an allergist and plenty of tests to discard other possible causes. So for people facing similar issues, hang in there - and you will be in good hands in this clinic. I cannot recommend the doctor enough.

Note: Reception does not speak English, however they are very accommodating and...