Vaccination Schedule for Children in Japan (2026)

This is general information, not medical advice. Your pediatrician and your city's public health office decide your child's schedule.

Childhood vaccinations in Japan are given at local pediatric clinics, and the routine ones are free. After you register your child at your city or ward office, you receive vouchers or a notice listing the vaccines and ages. You book each visit with a clinic, and the doses are recorded in the maternal and child health handbook (母子健康手帳, boshi techō).

The routine schedule

These are the standard ages for Japan's routine vaccinations (定期接種). Clinics often give several on the same day.

Exact ages and intervals have rules of their own, so follow the schedule your clinic gives you.

Optional vaccines

Some vaccines are recommended but not part of the free routine program, so you pay for them. The most common are influenza, given every autumn, and mumps (おたふくかぜ). Some cities subsidize them; check your city's page.

If you arrive from abroad

1. Bring your child's vaccination records, ideally with an English or Japanese translation.
2. Register your child at your city or ward office, which sends the vouchers for the routine vaccines.
3. See a pediatric clinic. The doctor compares your records with the Japanese schedule and plans any catch-up doses. Some vaccines have age limits for free doses, so go early.
4. Keep the records together in the maternal and child health handbook, which you can get at the city office.

Booking and visits

• Book with a pediatric clinic, often online. Many clinics set aside special times for vaccinations, separate from sick children.
• Bring the vouchers, the handbook and your health insurance details.
• A doctor checks your child before each vaccination; if your child has a fever, it is postponed.

For finding a clinic and what to do at night, see pediatric clinics in Japan.

FAQ

Are childhood vaccinations free in Japan? The routine vaccinations are free. Optional ones, such as flu and mumps, are paid for, though some cities subsidize them.

When do vaccinations start in Japan? At two months, with the five-in-one, hepatitis B, rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines.

Can we continue vaccines started abroad? Yes. Take your records to a pediatric clinic, and the doctor will plan the remaining doses on the Japanese schedule.

Is the BCG vaccine routine in Japan? Yes. It is given once before age one, usually at five to eight months.

Where do we get the vouchers? From your city or ward office, after you register your child.

What if we miss an appointment? Contact the clinic to rebook. Some vaccines must be given within set ages to be free, so don't leave it long.