Are vaccines needed for Japan? ワクチン
Good to know
While no vaccines are mandatory for Japan, your trip is a good opportunity to update your vaccination record.
Unlike some other Asian countries, visiting Japan does not require mandatory vaccines.
However, if you will be staying a while in a rural or tropical part of the country, it may be advisable to get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis. This viral disease, not specific to Japan but named because the first cases were detected there, is transmitted by the common mosquito. They gather at dusk and early twilight, throughout the year but with peak activity during the rainy season in the temperate zone. However, these days reported cases of Japanese encephalitis in Japan are so rare that it is not necessarily a requirement to be vaccinated against it before your departure. It's a good idea all the same to stock up on medicine that includes effective protection against mosquitoes.
Planning your travel to Japan is mostly an opportunity to check if all your vaccines are up to date, including those against Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio and Whooping Cough. Since conditions and rules may change, we advise you to consult the website of the Japanese Embassy in your country for more information before your trip.
