The current situation ofEnglish-speaking residentsof the Kanto area
concerning healthcare ‒A Qualitative Study1

Niaya Harper Igarashi
March 6, 2024
Niaya Harper Igarashi
March 11, 2024

Contents
01 About Me
02 Overview of International Residents in Japan by Nationality
03 Diversity Among English-Speaking International Residents
04 Healthcare Challenges Among International Residents
05 Healthcare Experiences Among English-Speaking International Residents
06 Recommendations
07 Requests to Physicians from English-Speaking International Residents
08 Summary2

About Me
Born in the United States (St. Louis, Missouri)
Lived in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, New York + London
Native English speaker + business-level Japanese
学歴• 2003 B.A. Biology Pre-Med / History (Xavier University, US)• 2005 M.A. International Business (Regents College, UK)• 2009 Moved to Japan (Hamamatsu 1yr + Tokyo 14yrs)• 2022 MHSc International Health (The University ofTokyo)
3
現在• PhD Student, International Health (The University of Tokyo)• Program Specialist, Health and Global Policy Institute (Japan)• Mom of 2 American-Japanese kids (5yr old boy, 2yr old girl)International Residents in Japan by Nationality

4q End of June 2023, the population of USA
residents in Japan was 62,425 (1.9%)
参照：出入国在留管理庁

Diversity Among EnglishSpeaking International
Diversity Among English
Residents
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in areJapan
notInternationalResidents
in Japannotarea monolith;a monolith; the same goes for those here
the samefor thosehere whoinprimarily
who goesprimarilycommunicate
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communicate
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There• isTherea significant
amountamountof diversity
amongis a significant
of diversity
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Japan
howEnglishspeakers
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theyandexperience
they experience
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the healthcare
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here.
here.
Lived experiences of international residents from a• I will be sharing the lived experiences ofnativeinternational
English-speaking
backgroundand of thoseresidents
from a native
who communicatein English
as a second
English-speaking
background,and oflanguage.
those who communicate in English as asecond language.

5

Healthcare Challenges Among International Residents
The subjects of this study (n=209), foreign residents in thegreater Tokyo area (excluding students).
The most frequently mentioned difficulties mentioned were:“problems concerning communication”, “lack ofexplanation about illness and/or treatment”, and“procedural system to use the services.”

6

The subjects of this study (n=90), Highly Skilled Foreign
Professionals working at (OIST) in Okinawa, were generallysatisfied with medical care in Japan.
However, any dissatisfaction with medical care wasassociated with a “dissatisfaction with communication withmedical personnel" and a “desire for healthcare providers toconsider their culture and religion.”

Characteristics of theInternational Residents

n=12Age

20s
30s
40s

n1
74

GenderMaleFemale

4833.33
66.67

Years in Japan

1-2 yrs
3-5 yrs
6-10 yrs
more than 10 yrs

12368.33
16.67
25.00
50.00

Japanese levelNoneJLPT N5
JLPT N4JLPT N3JLPT N2JLPT N1

1123
32

8.33
8.33
16.67
25.00
25.00
16.67

Living/Family situation Single - lives alone
Married - living w/
Japanese spouse
Married - living w/
non-Japanesespouse433.33433.33433.33Birthplace

5221
11

41.67
16.67
16.67
8.33
8.33
8.33

USAUK
CanadaBangladesh
Argentina
Uzbekistan

%
8.33
58.33
33.33

q In-depth interviews were conducted among 12
international residents of native English-speaking (n=9)
and those who communicate in English as a secondlanguage (n=3).
Satisfaction with Japanese Healthcare

Satisfaction Neutral
8%

7Satisfaction Very satisfied
50%
Satisfaction Satisfied
42%