Sanno Hospital (International Department)

"I’ve been coming to this hospital for more than 10 years, and while the doctors and nurses are professional and capable, I’ve always found the reception staff to be extremely unpleasant and incapable. I always have a traumatic experience with them. This hospital does not in any way appreciate patient confidentiality. Just trying to make an appointment with the staff, there is no private place to talk to the staff about your intimate medical records. The staff talk very loudly in Japanese, where the whole room of waiting Japanese people can hear you and know exactly why you are there. Then you have to suffer further humiliation as they call their interpreter to discuss with you in public in full view of everyone in the waiting room, why you are there. It’s bizarre because for a culture that cares so much about privacy and saving face, this hospital doesn’t respect that at all. It’s a shame because the doctors are good. But I’ll be going elsewhere in future."

"Before I came, I read the reviews and felt a bit anxious due to some of reviews. I even bring my tablet to read just in case i will wait for too long. But turned out everything was quite fast and efficient. I received help from translator too, I am very grateful for every help that Sanno hospital given to me. Thank you so much."

"Sanno Hospital is centrally located and convenient to access. They do offer English translation support, but translators are limited, so you may need to wait a while depending on demand. Fortunately, many doctors can speak English, so it varies by case whether a translator is necessary. The overall process is well organized. You first register at reception, then meet your doctor, submit your file at the main desk, and wait to be called for payment. After payment, you wait again to receive your medicine receipt, as both are settled together. Efficient, clean, and foreigner-friendly despite occasional wait times."

"The billing process is atrocious. I waited for 50 minutes just to pay after a simple doctor's consultation. They really need to upgrade and streamline their overall processes. There are so many extremely expensive pieces of art in this hospital, they clearly only care about optics not patient care. Even orientation for new patients is poor with some confusing print outs and information staff just directing to the next information counter. Other hospitals in Tokyo organise this far more efficiently with better signage and explanations. The whole ordeal here took 3 hours just to talk for 5-10 minutes to a neurologist (with an appointment for which I had explained my specific nerve issue). The neurologist told me that his area is not those kind of nerves (mind blowing, but apparently nerve damage on arms and neck are treated only by orthopedics - who then will only prescribe painkillers or surgery). The doctor was kind and English speaking, but didn't help at all. I ended up seeing a private pay physiotherapist educated in Australia who actually helped with the nerve damage. Sadly Sanno hospital was just a frustrating experience that seemed to try to woo patients with fancy interior and art."

"This was my first time visiting this hospital, and I found it very English-friendly. Some staff members can speak English, and although not everyone is fluent, they really make an effort to provide good service and communicate with patients. From the reception desk, I was given several guidance papers in English explaining the whole process clearly. If you do not have a reservation, the waiting time might be longer, but I came as a walk-in patient and luckily did not have to wait very long. The doctor spoke English fluently, which made the consultation much easier. The payment process and pharmacy waiting time were also quick and efficient."