April 27th Update: Services that Will be Open and Business Hours for the long Golden Week in Japan

The long Golden Week of 2019 starts today! Below we provide an update on some of the essential services that will be open during the 10-day holiday, from ATM hours to trash and mail service to English-friendly hospitals and clinics.

For more information on these and other services, also see: How the 10-day Golden Week holiday will affect your daily life in Japan.

ATM hours, getting cash, and doing bank transfers

During the ten-day holiday, bank branches and service windows will be closed, but ATMs operated by major banks, such as Mizuho, Mitsubishi UFJ, and Sumitomo Mitsui  will be operating on the same schedule as regular weekends and holidays.

In order to avoid cash shortages, most banks have also made more cash available at ATMs.

The mega banks also have automated alerts that will be sent to their associated security companies in case the cash level at an ATM is low and needs to be immediately re-filled. This measure was put in place especially because of concerns that ATMs at tourist spots may experience cash shortages.

Bank Transfers (Furikomi)

For most banks, the cut-off time for furikomi bank transfers to and from most domestic banks was 3PM on Friday, April 26th. This means that if you submitted a bank transfer request after that time it will not be processed until Tuesday, May 7th. If you do a domestic bank transfer at an ATM anytime during the 10-day holiday, it will also be processed on May 7th, at the earliest.

Automatic Withdrawals / Direct Deposit (Jidō Hikiotoshi)

For most banks, the cut-off time for direct deposits was also Friday, April 26th. If you have a direct deposit payment scheduled to pay your rent, mortgage, credit card or utility bill anytime during the 10-day holiday, it will be processed on May 7th or possibly later due to expected congestion on the first day of business following the long holiday.

Overseas remittances

Banks expect high demand for transactions to be processed immediately following the holiday, so remittances may take longer than usual to go through. Basically, your remittance request may not be processed on the first day of business following the holiday.

On May 7th, the National Bankers Association will extend by two-hours the operation of the zengin system that processes data between financial institutions in order to alleviate expected congestion.

Mail and Courier Services

Japan Post will deliver regular mail on April 27th and May 2nd. Express mail, registered mail and Yu-Pack packages will be delivered daily.

Courier services (such as Yamato and Sagawa) will continue to deliver packages daily, but some deliveries may be delayed due to traffic congestion.

Trash Service

Almost all municipalities will continue on the regular trash service schedule, with burnable and non-burnable garbage being picked up at least one-time during the 10-day holiday.

Emergencies – 24/7

If you have a police, fire, or medical emergency, please call:

Police Emergency: 110

Fire / Ambulance: 119

Useful phrases for reporting an emergency in Japan

English-friendly hospitals and clinics

Some public hospitals and large private hospitals will have outpatient hours during the 10-day holiday.

The following are some English-friendly hospitals that will be open during the Golden Week holiday. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and is provided only for the convenience of our readers. Please contact the hospital directly for the most accurate and up-to-date info.

Tokyo

1. Tokyo Takanawa Hospital – International Clinic

English website: Tokyo Takanawa Hospital International Clinic

TEL: 03-3443-9193  or 03-3443-9191

Address:  3 Chome-10-11 Takanawa, Minato Ward

Access:

  • Subway Asakusa Line : 3-minutes from Takanawadai Station(Exit A1)
  • JR and Keikyu Line : 10-minutes from Shinagawa Station (Takanawa Exit)

Golden Week Hours: Open for emergencies throughout Golden Week. Please call ahead to let staff know that you are coming.

Payment: Japanese National Health Insurance. Payment is accepted in cash or by credit card for patients who don’t have National Health. Deposit required for treatment outside regular office hours.

Notes: The clinic has interpreters who are qualified to translate from English, Chinese, and Russian but not all staff may not be available during the Golden Week holiday.

2. St. Luke’s International Hospital

English website: St. Luke’s International Hospital

TEL: 03-5550-7120

Address: 9-1 Akashicho, Chuo Ward

Access: Subway Hibiya line: 7 min. from Tsukiji Station (Exit 3 or 4)

Golden Week Hours: Open for emergencies throughout Golden Week. For emergencies, go directly to counter #10 on the 1st floor in the Main Hospital. For other outpatient services, St. Luke’s is open: April 30th, May 2nd, and May 6th. Please call ahead for an appointment for regular outpatient service.

Payment: Japanese National Health Insurance. Payment is accepted in cash or credit card for patients who don’t have National Health.

Notes: Physicians can offer consultation in multiple languages, including English and Russian

3. Sanno Hospital

English website: Sanno Hospital

TEL: 03-3402-3151

Address: 8-10-16 Akasaka, Minato-ku

Access:

  • 4 min walk from Exit 4 (south) of Aoyama-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Hanzomon Line, and Toei Oedo Line
  • 4 min walk from Exit 3 of Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line

Golden Week Hours: Limited outpatient services. Outpatient services available on April 30th, May 2nd, May 6th. Please call ahead for an appointment.

Payment: Japanese National Health Insurance. If you don’t have National Health, you will be asked to pay a deposit of ¥30,000 on registration (in cash or by credit card), which will be adjusted after consultation.

Notes: Most doctors speak English, interpretation service is available.

Osaka

List of emergency medical clinics in Osaka (will link you to the official list compiled by the City of Osaka)

AMDA Medical Information Center

The AMDA Medical Information Center is a non-profit organization that provides telephone consultation for medical issues, including telephone interpretation for medical visits, referrals to medical institutions, and help with the medical/welfare system in Japan.

English website: AMDA Medical Information Center

TEL: 03-6233-9266 (Monday to Friday, 10AM to 3PM)

Lead image: Via Matomedane


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