Your First Visit to IC Clinic Tokyo: Booking in English, Check-In, Consultation and Payment

Introduction

Visiting a medical clinic for the first time—especially in an environment where you don’t speak the language—can feel daunting, but simply knowing what to expect can go a long way toward easing your concerns. This guide walks first-time patients at IC Clinic Tokyo through the entire process in chronological order: from booking via the English-language form, to reception, consultation, treatment, payment, and post-operative care.

IC Clinic Tokyo is a dermatology and plastic surgery clinic located a few minutes’ walk from Tokyo Station’s Yaesu Exit. We perform same-day outpatient surgeries covered by Japanese public health insurance—including procedures for epidermoid cysts, lipomas, moles, warts, and underarm odor (axillary osmidrosis)—as well as self-pay cosmetic dermatology treatments. Reception and consultations are conducted in English with the assistance of a translation app, and English-language medical questionnaires and consent forms are available. For information on insurance and payment arrangements, please also visit our For International Patients page.

Step 1: Book via the English-Language Form

Submit a request through our English booking form ( https://ic-clinic.com/en/reservation/tokyo/ ) by selecting the relevant category (e.g., Epidermoid Cyst (Atheroma), Mole (Nevus), Lipoma, Wart, Underarm Odor, etc.—categories are divided between insurance-covered and self-pay treatments) and your preferred date and time.

• Submitting the form does not confirm your appointment. Please wait for a reply from our online booking team. If you have not received a response within 24 hours, your email may not have reached us—please call us at 0120-140-144 to confirm. Phone support is available in Japanese only.
• For same-day or next-day appointments, calling us directly is more reliable.
• We operate on an appointment-preferred basis. Walk-ins are welcome, but waiting times may apply.
• If your symptoms require prompt attention—such as a red, swollen, or ruptured epidermoid cyst—please indicate this in the form.
• Hours: 10:00–19:00 (closed 14:00–15:00; last reception at 18:30). Open on weekends and public holidays; closed during year-end/New Year and certain other dates.

Step 2: Arriving and Checking In

Our address is 3F Nihonbashi Front, 3-6-2 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (〒103-0027). We are a 3–5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station (Yaesu Central Exit), a 5-minute walk from Nihonbashi Station (subway), and a 4-minute walk from Kyobashi Station. We are located on the 3rd floor of the building with the KOSE signage. No parking is available on site.

At reception, you will go through the following steps:

• Insurance verification: If you are enrolled in Japanese public health insurance, please present your My Number insurance card or eligibility confirmation document. Patients without coverage will be billed as self-pay (full cost of the insurance-covered procedure applies).
• Identity verification: Please present your residence card or passport.
• Medical questionnaire: You will be asked to complete an English-language questionnaire. If you have information about any medications you are taking (e.g., a medication notebook, prescription copy, or packaging), please bring it. If you are taking blood-thinning medications, please inform us, as you may need to pause them before surgery.
• Minors: A parent or legal guardian must be present or provide a signed and sealed consent form for any surgical or cosmetic procedure. Guardian presence is not required for a consultation only.
• Accompanied children: Children may accompany you up to the consultation, but cannot be present during surgery or procedures. If your child cannot wait in the waiting room unattended, please bring another adult.

Step 3: Consultation

The physician will examine the affected area and, if necessary, perform diagnostic tests. Explanations are provided in English via a translation app. Based on the consultation, the physician will determine whether your condition qualifies for insurance coverage and will outline your treatment options and estimated costs. You are welcome to return home after the consultation and decide on treatment at a later date.

Step 4: Treatment (Same Day or a Later Date)

For conditions such as epidermoid cysts and moles, same-day outpatient surgery may be possible depending on appointment availability and the nature of your condition. Procedures are performed under local anesthesia, and we aim to complete them in approximately 5 minutes for small moles and generally within 20 minutes. You will be asked to sign an English-language consent form before treatment begins.

Lipomas typically require an MRI scan prior to surgery. After the initial consultation, we will arrange an MRI at an affiliated facility and schedule the outpatient procedure for a separate date once the results are reviewed. For epidermoid cysts with widespread inflammation, it may be preferable to manage the inflammation and pain at the first visit and schedule the definitive surgery separately. The physician will make this determination based on examination findings.

Step 5: Payment

• Insurance-covered portion: Cash (Japanese yen) only.
• Self-pay portion: Cash or credit card accepted.
• Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
• A receipt will be issued. If you need an English-language medical certificate for a claim with international travel insurance, please inform reception (¥5,500 including tax per document; processing is handled by mail).
• If you forget your My Number insurance card or eligibility confirmation document, you will be asked to pay the full amount on the day. If you bring the original document and receipt to the clinic within the same calendar month, we will process the adjustment.

Step 6: Post-Operative Care and Follow-Up

• Wound protection: Once the wound has closed and there is no bleeding, bandages or gauze may generally be removed within 1–2 weeks. As individual healing varies, please follow your physician’s instructions.
• Suture removal: If sutures were placed, removal typically takes place around two weeks after surgery (approximately 1–2 weeks for moles). The recommended date will be communicated at the time of surgery. Suture removal is not usually required following punch excision of epidermoid cysts.
• Bathing, alcohol, and exercise: Please avoid bathing (soaking) on the day of surgery; showering is permitted from the following day. Full immersion in a bathtub is best avoided until after suture removal. To reduce the risk of bleeding, please refrain from alcohol and strenuous exercise on the day of surgery and the day after—ideally for approximately three days, and preferably for up to one week.
• When to contact us: Please get in touch promptly if you experience persistent wound pain, fever, prolonged swelling or warmth, or discharge from the wound.
• Follow-up and suture removal appointments can be booked at the time of payment or through the English-language booking form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I be seen without an appointment?

A. Yes, walk-ins are welcome. However, patients with prior appointments are seen first, so you may need to wait. We recommend booking in advance whenever possible.

Q. Do I need to bring someone who speaks Japanese?

A. No, this is not required. Reception and consultations are conducted in English using a translation app. That said, if you have detailed medical questions or concerns, having a Japanese-speaking companion may make communication smoother.

Q. How long should I expect to spend at the clinic if I have a consultation and surgery on the same day?

A. This depends on the nature of your visit and how busy the clinic is. As our clinic focuses primarily on surgical procedures, the time before you are seen may vary depending on the treatment time of the patient before you.

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Supervising physician: Kota Takakuwa, M.D., IC Clinic Tokyo