HEALTH CHECK

Trip Start Jul 27, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Japan Kobe, Japan
Friday, August 18, 2006

All government employees are required to get yearly health checks in Japan- as part of the national health insurance coverage program. The health check is absolutely free and one is allotted time off from work in order to complete it so this might seem like a good idea to an average employee. To us newly arrived JETs- the idea seemed absurd. We were all required to get physicals in Japan prior to departure and most of us still lack enough of a grasp on the language to understand any of the forms or questions we were required to answer.

The day was a joke! I was advised to leave school at 11:30 so that I could make sure I got to the city hall in time for the exam. I arrived an hour early and had to stand around waiting. Once the exam did start we were given the option of having a quick exam, or a more thorough exam (required of people over the age of 35) which included a blood sample- can you guess which option I choose?

The exam started off with us taking paper drinking cups to the restrooms to get a urine sample

Thirsty Anyone?

. No gloves, no lid, nothing! Now imagine that with Japanese style bathrooms, floor toilets, and no soap or paper towels! After urinating we had to carry our cups through the hall and wait in line behind 10 men, holding our cups of warm pee.
After that horrifying experience we had our weight and height measured, I got scolded for setting my purse on the floor while getting weighed (it was white, of course I should have gone over and placed it on a chair!) Then we went through 20 questions about our eating, drinking, and smoking habits, we had eye exams (ALL IN JAPANESE!), our pulse taken, and then private consultations with doctors who examined the forms we turned in. The conversation about my health went as far as the doctor pointing to the box I checked saying that I have asthma, and me saying "hai" (yes.) That was the extent of my language ability regarding my medical conditions.

After completing all of this we rode the elevator down 24 floors and walked outside to some x-ray vans on the street. But before taking the x-ray the measured each of us around the waist with a measuring tape. Why, I'm not sure... Finally, we got into the vans one by one for our x-rays.

In the end I survived, but I'm not looking forward to next year when I get to hang out with my yellow beverage and get my tummy size written down for everyone to see. Today had to have been the biggest culture shock since I've arrived in Kobe. There is no way any of this would have flown in a clinic back home. The funny thing was, another girl who came with barely spoke any Japanese and they realized this because they heard me explaining some things to her. After that she got a *tag* on her form and she was able to skirt through the majority of questions and stations during the check...

how bizarre!