Tell ski patrol or resort staff firstOn the mountain, tell any ski patrol or resort staff first — they coordinate rescue and call emergency services for you.
Many Japanese fire departments handle 119 calls in major foreign languages via three-way simultaneous interpretation through a telephone interpretation center, 24 hours a day, year-round. Reviewed 2026-07-21
Medical facilities nearby
This list shows the nearest 15 hospitals, 10 clinics, 10 pharmacies and 5 dentists, plus every emergency hospital. More are in the area.
Facts marked "From website" come from the facility's own website or the town's page. The national medical register does not list them, so check with the facility before you go.
Required Without a referral letter you pay an extra ¥3,850.
Note
The secondary-emergency hospital for the Hokushin region, which includes Yamanouchi. Nights and holidays the emergency department covers internal medicine, pediatrics and surgery; triage decides order. Cards accepted (JCB, Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, UnionPay). A first visit without a referral letter carries a 3,850 yen special charge. Some departments need an appointment for a first visit, others take walk-ins. Multilingual help via a Pocketalk translation device. Distance from Yokoteyama not sourced.
Radiology outpatients by appointment only; first visits Tuesday and Friday 08:30–12:30, consultations every day the hospital is open. Dermatology closed on 1st and 3rd Friday afternoons. Closed on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays.
General internal medicine near Yudanaka Station; chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound are listed. Walk-in first visits accepted. No foreign-language support recorded.
Neurosurgery (脳神経外科) is listed; mapped to neurology as the nearest key. No imaging is listed in the registry, which does not prove there is none. Registry records no electronic/card payment and English as a supported language.
Closed every Wednesday and Thursday, except the morning of the 2nd Wednesday. One further weekday is mornings only (the register's text names it unclearly). Saturdays mornings only. Closed Sundays and holidays.
Closed Saturday afternoons in the 1st and 3rd weeks, and all day on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Hours may be cut or the clinic closed at short notice for meetings.
Gathered ahead of your trip as a planning aid — details change; verify locally on arrival.
Nearest emergency hospital
Yamanouchi town has no hospital. The emergency hospital for the area is JA Nagano Koseiren Hokushin General Hospital in Nakano City (419 beds), a designated secondary-emergency hospital with orthopedics, CT and MRI. It states that emergency patients are accepted at any time; nights, holidays and closed days are covered by its emergency outpatient department. The Gunma side of Shibutoge is not a route to care in winter: Route 292 over the pass is closed from 12 Nov 2025 to 22 Apr 2026.
As of 2026-10-06
Pharmacy
Two insurance-designated dispensing pharmacies in Yamanouchi, both down the mountain: Kotobukiya Pharmacy near Yudanaka Station (weekdays 08:30-18:00, Sat 08:30-14:00) and Yomase Kotobukiya Pharmacy (weekdays 09:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-14:00). Both close on Sundays, national holidays and 30 Dec-3 Jan, and both take major credit cards. There is no pharmacy recorded on the mountain.
As of 2026-10-06
Show this to staff
Each line is in Japanese a receptionist can read, with its meaning underneath.
スキー中にけがをしました。
I was injured while skiing.
ここがとても痛いです。
It hurts a lot here.
診察を受けたいです。
I would like to see a doctor.
海外旅行保険に入っています。
I have travel insurance.
クレジットカードで払えますか？
Can I pay by credit card?
英語を話せる人はいますか？
Is there anyone who speaks English?
保険請求用の診断書と領収書をください。
Please give me a medical certificate and a receipt for my insurance.
Cost, insurance and medicines
Rescue costs
Inside the ski area, patrol response is part of normal operation. Outside it, the rule is explicit: if an accident happens beyond the area boundary and ski patrol carries out search and rescue, the ski area bills the person concerned for the actual cost. The ski area also states that it accepts no responsibility for accidents within the resort, so carry insurance that covers rescue and treatment.
As of 2026-10-06
Japan's National Health Insurance does not cover tourists — hospitals bill the full cost and generally expect payment upfront by cash or card. Ordinary travel insurance often excludes off-piste and backcountry rescue; dedicated mountain-rescue insurance exists, so check your policy before you ride.
Reviewed 2026-07-21
Some common medicines are restricted in Japan — e.g. codeine-containing products, pseudoephedrine above set limits, and ADHD stimulants — and may require advance permission to bring in. Check the MHLW guidance before you travel.
Reviewed 2026-07-21
Nothing here is medical advice. We compile this information from Japan's national medical registers and the official websites of facilities and resorts, as a planning aid. Hours, phone numbers and services change, and we cannot guarantee that any of it is current or correct. Decisions you make with it are your own responsibility: check with the facility before you go, and in an emergency tell ski patrol or call 119.