Thursday June 19
 
17:49
 
Sickly

I’ve been feeling kind of sickly for the last week, but more so today. Something strange is going on in my tummy and I don’t like it.

I hate going to the doctor in Japan. When I was in Korea, I could go to the International Clinic at Yonsei University and speak with an English speaking doctor who had at his or her command the latest technologies that medical science could offer.. and then some. In Japan I half expect to be prescribed a course of leeches.

From outside Japan looking in, you imagine a technological future society - but nothing is further from the truth. Although it may be the producer of Wii and mini-PCs, and although the Japanese have had internet on their phones for years, the core of the country is quite backward: paper based trails and technology which looks like it hasn’t changed since the 70s - everything is functional, and Japanese have a real unwillingness to upgrade.

Nowhere is this clearer than in a doctor’s waiting room. Walls of hand written cards holding patients details, with not a computer in sight. Equipment that is nothing more than a stethoscope, weighing scales, blood pressure reader, a bed on wheels, and pen and paper. Diagnosis is not read, but pointed to in medical books - presumably to get over the language barrier. It’s like a human version of google but limited only to simple medical searches and the “I’m feeling lucky” button: I say “my symptom is..”, he opens book and points to a page with the result. That’s it. They never actually solve or do anything, just randomly suggest some medicine or say “Hmmm, I’d better send you to someone who actually knows something”.

Fortunately my yearly medical is in 3 weeks time. If it’s in the same place as last year then it’s at a decent hospital, where they have tests and medical equipment (the kind that requires electricity and goes “beep”) at their disposal. I’ll wait to then, unless the symptoms suddenly get worse.

Feel free to send cards and grapes in the meantime.