Widely recognized when it was first published as the best source of information on the Japanese health care system available in English, Japan Health Handbook has now been completely revised and updated. This is one book that no foreign resident of Japan will want to be without. Japan Health Handbook covers every health care related situation you might face in Japan, including choosing a health insurance plan and a doctor or other caregiver who is right for you, having regular checkups, keeping your children healthy, getting proper nutrition and exercise, and even having a baby, caring for an elderly relative, and dealing with the death of a non-Japanese. In each case the book is highly specific, even outlining any complicated paperwork that needs to be completed. Anyone who has known the frustration of making one phone call after another in a search for answers, only to be put on hold again and again, will greatly appreciate the research and care that have gone into this book. The emphasis throughout is not just on treating sickness but also on promoting good health, so preventive health care, proper nutrition, and sports are all treated in depth. Rather than recommending specific practitioners or treatments, Japan Health Handbook simply lets you know what your alternatives are and provides you with the resources to make your own informed choices. It answers questions that you may not even have known you had, and points you in the direction of a fuller, healthier life in Japan. Did you know that: if you dial the emergency number 119 in Japan and are physically unable to speak but simply tap twice on the receiver and then leave it off the hook, an emergency team will trace the call and come to your house? Japanese soba noodles are a lot more nutritious than udon? Several hospitals and clinics offer smoking cessation programs that have helped many people to quit? Vacuuming your futons will help rid them of dust mites? If you are covered by Japanese public health insurance, you are eligible for a one-time subsidy from the government if you have a baby? o Each chapter expanded, updated, and reorganized o A detailed index and numerous cross-references throughout, for easy access to all the information you need o Recent changes to Japanese health insurance law clearly and completely explained o More and updated resources for health care and maintenance of good health than ever, many now with Internet web site addresses