Childhood Vaccinations in Japan: Routine Schedule and Booking

See how Japan's routine and voluntary childhood vaccines are organized, how notices and booking work, and how to compare the schedule with one from your home country.

Published October 19, 2026 at 11:57 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Japan offers routine childhood vaccinations (teiki sesshu) that are free within set age windows, with municipalities mailing notices and vouchers. Vaccines outside those windows, or not on the routine list, are voluntary (nini sesshu) and usually paid in full by the family. Vaccination history is recorded in the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, which families bring to every appointment.

How the system is organized

Childhood vaccination in Japan is run by cities and wards under national rules. Vaccines on the national routine list are called teiki sesshu, meaning scheduled vaccination. Within the recommended age window they are free for residents, paid for by national and local governments. Vaccines outside the routine list, or given outside the free window, are called nini sesshu, voluntary vaccination, and families normally pay the full cost.

Yokohama's English guide explains this clearly. Each vaccine has a recommended age and a separate free period, and a vaccine given outside that period, or for an illness the scheme does not cover, counts as voluntary. Under national rules, routine vaccines are also grouped into two categories: Category A, aimed mainly at preventing the spread of disease and covering the childhood vaccines, and Category B, aimed mainly at individual protection, such as some vaccines for older adults.

The routine list and its age windows are set nationally by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), and the Japan Pediatric Society publishes a recommended schedule that also covers voluntary vaccines. A pediatrician is therefore the best source for the timing that suits a particular child, especially for families arriving from abroad with a partly completed schedule.

The routine vaccines in outline

Routine vaccination starts at 2 months of age. Based on city guidance such as Yokohama's, the list for children includes the five-in-one vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and Hib; pneumococcal vaccine; hepatitis B; rotavirus; BCG against tuberculosis; measles and rubella (MR); chickenpox; Japanese encephalitis; diphtheria-tetanus (DT) at around age 11; and HPV for girls.

Some examples of free periods from Yokohama's guide: hepatitis B and BCG are free under 1 year, MR stage 1 is given at 12 to 24 months, and chickenpox is free from 12 to under 36 months. MR stage 2 is given in the year before entering elementary school. Japanese encephalitis stage 1 usually starts at age 3, and stage 2 is a single dose at age 9. HPV is recommended in the first year of junior high and is free for girls from sixth grade to the first year of high school.

These details vary by city and are updated from time to time, so treat any general list as a guide only, and read the notice that arrives from your own ward office before booking anything.

Notices, vouchers and the handbook

Municipalities send reminders at set ages. Yokohama, for example, sends vaccination information and preliminary checkup sheets when a child is 2 months, 1 year, 3 years and 9 years old, one year before entering elementary school, at 11 years old, and when girls enter junior high school. Notices may include vouchers or coupons. If a child is eligible but nothing has arrived, the city can issue the documents; Saitama City says to get a routine vaccination coupon from the ward health center.

The Maternal and Child Health Handbook (boshi kenko techo, often called boshi techo) is the family's record of vaccinations, checkups and growth. Clinics write the dose and date in it, and it is the first thing to bring to an appointment. Keep it somewhere safe, and carry it when you move between cities.

Some cities also provide a screening questionnaire (yoshinhyo) to complete before the appointment, covering the child's health that day. Yokohama provides sample versions in several languages to help parents understand the questions, though the official Japanese form is the one that must be filled in and handed to the clinic.

Booking an appointment

Most routine vaccines are given at a pediatric clinic or another participating medical institution in your city, and appointments are typically required. Saitama City advises appointments and lists what to bring: the handbook, the health insurance card, the routine vaccination coupon and, where applicable, the child medical subsidy certificate. Yokohama lists the handbook, proof of address and the completed screening questionnaire.

Many clinics take bookings by phone or online. Check the clinic's opening hours, since vaccination slots are often limited to certain times of day. If Japanese is a barrier, ask whether the clinic has English support, bring a Japanese-speaking friend, or check whether the city operates a helpline. Yokohama, for example, runs a vaccination call center that handles several languages.

If a child is unwell on the day of an appointment, call the clinic before going. Staff will usually advise whether to postpone and help to set a new date, and it is sensible to rebook soon so that the dose still falls inside the free period.

Comparing with your home country

Vaccination schedules differ among countries, both in which vaccines are routine and in what age they are given. A vaccine that is routine at home may be voluntary and paid in Japan, or the reverse. Japan includes BCG and Japanese encephalitis in its routine list, for instance, and the recommended ages for some vaccines can differ from other countries.

Bring any vaccination records from abroad, ideally in English or with a translation, to the first pediatric visit. The clinic doctor can read the dose dates and explain which vaccines are complete, which are still due and which are optional. Do not assume that a vaccine missing from Japan's routine list is unimportant; ask the doctor.

Some cities subsidize selected voluntary vaccines. Some Tokyo wards, for example, have subsidized vaccines such as mumps or HPV for boys, or catch-up doses for older children. Check the current rules for your own city, since subsidies differ from place to place.

Common mistakes and good habits

A common mistake is to miss the free window, because the period is tied to an age range rather than to the date of arrival. When moving to Japan with a young child, visit the ward office early, register the child's residence and ask about vaccination notices.

Another is to leave the handbook at home. Without it, the clinic cannot check which doses have been given, and the appointment may need to be rescheduled. Keeping a photo of the pages on a phone is a useful backup.

A third is to rely on a list found online. Schedules are revised, supply can change, and some campaigns have limited windows. The notice from your city and the advice of your pediatrician take priority over any generic table.

Related terms and ideas

Several terms are worth knowing. Yobo sesshu means vaccination, and yoshinhyo is the preliminary screening sheet. Kenshin means a health checkup, and the Maternal and Child Health Handbook is where checkup results and vaccine records meet. Hokenjo or hoken center is the local public health center, and in many cities it is the contact point for vaccination questions.

Vaccination also connects to school entry. Japan's routine measles-rubella program includes a second dose in the year before elementary school, and cities often send notices for it. Children entering school may also have a health checkup with school staff, which is a separate event from vaccination. This guide shares general cultural information and published schedules, not professional advice; for a child's health, talk with a pediatrician or local clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are childhood vaccinations free in Japan?

Routine vaccines are free for residents within the recommended age windows, paid for by national and local governments. Voluntary vaccines, or routine vaccines given outside the free window, are usually paid in full by the family. Some municipalities subsidize selected voluntary vaccines, so check with your ward office.

What is the boshi techo and why bring it?

The boshi techo, or Maternal and Child Health Handbook, is the family's record of a child's growth, checkups and vaccinations. Clinics note each dose in it, and cities ask families to bring it to vaccination appointments. It also helps a doctor check progress when you move or change clinics.

Can I use my home country's vaccination records in Japan?

Yes, bring them to the first pediatric visit. A doctor can read the dates, explain which routine vaccines are complete in Japan's schedule and which are still due. Records in English are easiest, and a translation helps otherwise. The doctor's advice should guide any decision about missed or extra doses.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Infant Health Checkups in Japan: The Municipal Kenshin System, Boshi Techo: Japan's Maternal and Child Health Handbook Explained and Children's Dental Care in Japan: Fluoride, Checkups and Daily Habits.