Pregnancy and Maternity Care in Japan

Discovering and registering a pregnancy in Japan

If you suspect you are pregnant, an over-the-counter pregnancy test (妊娠検査薬, ninshin kensa-yaku) is available at pharmacies. Confirm the pregnancy with an obstetrics and gynecology clinic (産婦人科, sanfujinka) at around 4–5 weeks of gestation. This initial confirmation visit is typically self-pay (not covered by standard insurance) as pregnancy is not classified as illness.

Once pregnancy is confirmed and you are around 8–10 weeks along, take the confirmation letter from your OB/GYN to your municipal office (市区町村役所) to register your pregnancy. The municipal office will issue the maternal and child health handbook (母子健康手帳, boshi kenkō techō) and provide a book of prenatal check-up coupons (妊婦健診補助券, ninpu kenshin hojo-ken) that subsidize the cost of official prenatal appointments. Most municipalities cover approximately 14 prenatal check-ups through these coupons.

Prenatal care schedule

Japan follows a structured prenatal check-up schedule recommended by MHLW. Appointments are typically every 4 weeks through 23 weeks of gestation, every 2 weeks from weeks 24–35, and weekly from week 36 until delivery. Each check-up involves weight, blood pressure, urinalysis, fetal heartbeat monitoring, and periodic blood tests and ultrasounds. The check-up coupons cover a specified set of tests at each stage; additional tests or more frequent visits may incur additional costs.

Childbirth costs and the lump-sum grant

Normal vaginal and uncomplicated caesarean births are not covered by health insurance as the birth itself is not classified as medical treatment. However, the birth lump-sum grant (出産育児一時金, shussan ikuji ichijikin) — ¥500,000 per birth as of the 2023 revision — is paid directly to the hospital by the insurance fund through a direct payment arrangement. Most delivery facilities in Japan cost within this range, meaning many births result in little or no additional out-of-pocket cost after the grant is applied.

To use the direct payment arrangement, notify your hospital well in advance of your due date and complete the required forms. You must be enrolled in an insurance scheme (NHI or shakai hoken) to receive the grant. Foreign residents enrolled in Japanese insurance are eligible.

Complications during delivery (preeclampsia, emergency surgery, neonatal intensive care) are covered under standard insurance with the 30% copayment.

Choosing your delivery facility

Japan offers delivery at obstetric departments of large hospitals, specialized maternity clinics (産院, sain), and midwifery centers (助産院, josanin). Midwifery centers handle uncomplicated vaginal deliveries with a focus on natural birth; transfers to hospital are arranged for complications. Hospital deliveries are more common and allow for immediate access to neonatal intensive care if needed.

Register with your chosen delivery facility early — popular maternity clinics in major cities fill delivery slots far in advance.

After birth: registration and the child’s start in the system

Submit the birth notification (出生届, shussei todoke) to the municipal office within 14 days of birth. This registers the child as a resident and activates access to child healthcare subsidies, vaccination programs, and the child section of the boshi kenkō techō. Begin the child vaccination schedule through your pediatric clinic as early as two months of age.

Last reviewed: September 2026