Column #89 Kanji Clinic The Japan Times, February 19, 2008
"Learn doctor-kanji before saying 'ahhhh'"
The dreaded Japanese cold and flu season is now in full swing, and nationwide
内科 (naika, inside-specialty, “internal medicine”) waiting rooms are teeming with
tissue-toting outpatients. Fortunately, residents of Japan enjoy a relatively
low-cost universal health insurance system and a wide selection of medical
specialists. How adept are you at finding the right doctor for your ailments?
As its comprising kanji make clear, 内科 deals with illnesses “inside
the body” (i.e., not treated surgically). If you can’t pinpoint your
sickness, a neighborhood 内科 clinic or 内科 department in a general hospital
is an appropriate place to begin your medical quest. In Japan, the internist
is often relied on as a family physician, or general practitioner (G.P.),
who gives referrals to other specialists as necessary.
If you end up requiring surgery, the “inside doctor” will pass you along
to an “outside doctor” (外科医, gekai, outside-specialty-doctor, “surgeon”) to do the job. Aside from performing surgery, a 外科医 also treats common external injuries such as burns and cuts.
If you break a bone or suffer from a backache, you will need to seek out
a 整形外科医 (seikeigekai, put in order-shape-surgeon, “orthopedic surgeon”). The 整形外科医 corrects misaligned joints, muscles, and bones, and offers physical therapy. Look for the kanji 正 (SEI, “correct”), at the bottom of the first character in 整形外科.
Like 整形外科, the name of another specialist, 形成外科医 (keiseigekai, shape-give form to-surgeon, “plastic surgeon”), includes the kanji 形 (KEI, “shape”). The 形成外科医 repairs external physical defects caused by
serious burns, automobile accidents, and the like. 整形外科医who perform
cosmetic surgery may refer to themselves as 美容外科医 (biyougekai, beautiful-appearance-surgeon) in an appeal to the vanity of potential
customers. (By the way, lest you’re tempted, cosmetic surgery is not covered
by public insurance).
Two other potentially confusing specialties, kanji-wise, are 神経内科 (shinkeinaika) and 精神科 (seishinka), since they both include the kanji 神 (SHIN, “mind”). 神経 (shinkei) means “nerve,” and thus a 神経内科医 is a “nerve-internist, or “neurologist.”
A 神経内科医 treats diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson’s
disease or multiple sclerosis. 精神 (seishin), on the other hand, means “soul,” and 精神科医 is, literally, “soul-specialist”
or “psychiatrist.”
While non-cosmetic dental care is covered by Japanese public insurance,
orthodontic treatment is not, and parents who want to straighten their
kids’ teeth will have to shell out a fortune. Your 歯科医 (shikai, tooth-specialist, “dentist”) can refer you to a 矯正歯科医 (kyouseishikai, rectify-correct-dentist, “orthodontist”).
Allergies such as hay fever as well as children’s ear, nose, and throat
problems are treated by the 耳鼻咽喉科医 (jibiinkoukai, often abbreviated colloquially to jibikai, ear-nose-throat specialist). The third and fourth kanji in this compound,
咽 and 喉, both mean“throat,” but are not general-use kanji.
A 眼科医 (gankai, eye-specialtist, “ophthalmologist”) treats eye problems and gives eye tests. The kanji meaning “eye” (目, GAN/me) is the left-hand component of 眼. For skin problems, consult a (皮膚科医,
hifukai, “dermatologist”). The first two characters in 皮膚科 both mean “skin.” The second, comprised of an unwieldy fifteen strokes, is often abbreviated to its katakana manifestation, フ, rendering 皮フ科.
The first character in 産婦人科 (sanfujinka, “Ob/Gyn”), 産, means “give birth.” Look for the kanji representing
“life,” 生, at the bottom of it. The next two characters, 婦人 (fujin), mean “woman,” with the kanji 女 (“woman”) standing on the left side
of 婦.
Be prepared to deal with the creative naming employed by private clinics as you attempt to decipher their signboards. Recently, the occasional 産婦人科 has begun to ditch the kanji and restyle itself as the ostensibly more sophisticated-sounding レディース クリニック(“Ladies’ Clinic”). Similarly, some 小児科 (shounika, small-child-speciality, “pediatrics”) clinics have metamorphosed into
the softer-sounding こどもクリニック(kodomo kurinikku, “children’s clinic”). One 小児科clinic in our neighborhood styles
itself as ハローキッスクリニック (“Hello Kids Clinic”), which sounds
to me more like an English conversation school.
Navigating the medical system in Japan may at first seem daunting to foreigners,
but familiarizing yourself with the kanji used in medical practices will
help you to quickly and confidently locate the appropriate healthcare provider
you and your family need.