A guide to birth control pills in Japan

February 4th, 2011By Category: Uncategorized

The question of birth control is a common one among foreigners in Japan (or those moving to Japan). While there are various forms of contraception, in this post I want to focus solely on birth control pills. So for those of you heading to Japan (or perhaps in Japan but wondering about it), I rolled up my sleeves and did some research (in addition to what I’ve already been aware of) to give a more in-depth overview of “the pill” in Japan.

birth control pills

Birth control pills are much less popular in Japan than in Western nations, and were only recently legalized in 1999. The only pill you can get a prescription for, in principle, is a low-dosage pill. Supposedly medium-dosage pills exist, but it seems that only certain clinics or online pharmacies offer them.

The patch is technically not available, except at online pharmacies and perhaps a few choice clinics – the only brand I found was Ortho Evra.

Even now, some doctors may not prescribe birth control pills, so your best bet is to call the doctor/clinic beforehand to check (if going for that sole purpose). Most OBGYNs will probably prescribe the pill, but still, probably better to find out first, rather than make a long trek, sit in a waiting room for who knows how long and pay money for your unsuccessful appointment.

Birth control pills, or oral contraceptives, are called “経口避妊薬” (けいこうひにんやく, keikouhininyaku) in Japanese, but they are more commonly referred to as “ピル” (piru).

Keep in mind that the prescription brands are all low dosage, as mentioned above. It may be most useful if you bring your prescription from your home country with you, to show a doctor here in Japan. At the very least, they should be able to find a close enough match to what your body is accustomed to.

The down side of using birth control pills in Japan is that you typically have to pay for one month’s prescription at a time, which is about 2000 – 3000 yen or so. And, the national insurance does not cover it (though your insurance should cover the appointment).

This also means that you have to go back to the doctor’s office to renew your prescription each time, typically one month as mentioned above, but maybe two months for some. Yes, it is a pain, but in my experience at least, I have to go back frequently to get ANY prescription refilled – this includes simple allergy medicine.

 

Types of birth control pills (oral contraceptives)

Here are the common brands/types in Japan – you can find others at online Japanese pharmacies, but you typically need a prescription for that. (Or, they are shipped from outside of Japan, so who knows how legal or safe they are…). I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say if it’s a process worth trying. If you’re wondering about specific hormone amounts, you can search most of these brands in English and find their corresponding information.

Monophasic pill – 1相性ピル (1あいしょうピル – aishou means “phase”)

Both types are 21 active (21錠タイプ).

1. Marvelon (マーベロン)

2. Ortho M-21 (オーソ M-21)

 

Multiphasic pill – 2 or 3相性ピル

21 active – (21錠タイプ)

1. Trinordial (トライディオール)

2. Triquilar (トリキュラー)

3. Ange (アンジュ)

4. Ortho 777 (オーソ 777)

5. Libian (リビアン)

 

28 active – (28錠タイプ)

1. Trinordial (トライディオール)

2. Norinyl (ノリニール)

3. シンフェーズ (“New Phase” is what it means but nothing in English about this one, that I could find)

4. Triquilar (トリキュラー)

5. Ange (アンジュ)

6. Libian (リビアン)

7. Mavelon (マーベロン)

 

Emergency Contraception (morning after pill)

This one, as far as I know, is prescription-only and sometimes more difficult to locate (though I’m guessing most ladies clinics or OBGYNs offer some way of getting a hold of it). The price ranges seemingly from 1000 yen on up to 20,000 yen. This likely depends on where you go and where you purchase the pills. The official Japanese for emergency contraception is 緊急避妊法. 緊急 (きんきゅう, kinkyuu) is emergency, and 避妊法 is contraception. However, it is commonly referred to as モーニングアフターピル (mo-ningu afutaa piru, morning after pill) or アフターピル (afutaa piru, after pill).

 

Mini pill (Progestin-only)

The mini-pill (ミニピル) has not been approved in Japan, and does not seem to be available except in online stores/pharmacies.

I tried looking for extended-cycle pills, but didn’t find anything. As you can see, your choices are more limited than in Western countries, but, there are available options.

 

For more essential tips about life in Japan, check out Surviving in Japan.

Author of this article

Ashley Thompson

I'm a 20-something writer, blogger, techie living in Japan. My time is spent writing, freelancing, learning Japanese and experiencing the culture first-hand. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Washington), I took a giant leap across the ocean after finishing up my undergrad work. Taught with the JET program for a year and a half, and now teach part-time, do a myriad of online freelance work, and blogging at Surviving in Japan (see Website link above). I'm always on the lookout for new and helpful resources here, especially as a foreigner.

Related articles that may interest you

Comments

  • Andree says:

    It is very frustrating! The fact that it is not subsidized total offends me! I am shocked how acceptable it is for women’s issues in Japan to be so outdated. However, I got a 4 month pill prescription today so I guess I am lucky. Ten thousand yen later compared to USA $16 insured or New Zealand $10 for the same time frame.  

    When trying to find out more information from a colleague – I found that taking about such issues, even with women, is not ok.  All I could find out is that women here use other methods – but I couldn’t find out any specifics.  Come on! This is a natural thing not something to be ashamed of. It should be as acceptable as asking how to get to your local city office or get an alien registration card.

  • Erin says:

    I am currently a student in Tokyo and I tried to have my family member send over some pill refills from America but they still havent arrived. My guess is they got taken away in customs, but I’m not sure. Regardless, now I need to find a clinic with an English speaking staff in Tokyo. any suggestions? URGENT!

  • Ashley says:

    You’re welcome! Feel free to ask anytime if you have questions – I’ll do my best to help. 🙂

  • PinkGloom says:

    Thanks for this post! I am constantly worrying about birth control and if I will be able to afford it while I am in Japan, but after reading your post I feel like I have more knowledge to face my issues.

  • Kokeshi Dee says:

    if anyone knows of a Ladies clinic in Gifu that has an English speaking doctor, please advise.

  • Veganopolis says:

    What would happen if you got prescriptions from different doctors so that you could overlap and simulate the mini-pill? Does that even work?

  • Ashley says:

    Yeah, it seems that some people are able to get more than one month at a time (which is certainly helpful and better than going back once a month) but this seems to depend on the doctor, since I also know people who have to go back every one or two months…

  • Jsck says:

    I’ve never had to go back each month to get a prescription refilled. My doctor lets me purchase six months of the pill at a time as long as I have a normal pap every year or two.

Top