Regenerative medicine · Patient guide
Stem cell treatment in Japan for international patients
Foreign nationals can receive self-pay regenerative medicine in Japan. This guide walks through checking that a clinic is compliant, the records to prepare, the trip schedule and follow-up after you return home.
Facts checked: November 4, 2026
First check: the law and the clinic’s registered plan
Japan’s Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine has applied since 2014. A clinic offering stem cell or immune cell treatment as self-pay care must classify it by risk as Class I to III, have it reviewed by a certified committee and submit a “provision plan” to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). Treatments using your own fat-derived stem cells are generally Class II; those using your own immune cells are Class III. An amendment in force from May 31, 2025 brought some gene therapies that use no processed cells under the law as well.
- Submitting a plan is a safety procedure; it does not mean the MHLW has approved the treatment’s effectiveness.
- Classes I–III rank risk, not results. Class III is not risk-free.
- A clinic licence does not allow any regenerative treatment; each treatment needs its own procedure.
- Self-pay care is still subject to the law and to explanation and consent rules.
To check, match three things — the clinic’s name, the treatment name and the plan number — on the MHLW’s public “e-Regenerative Medicine” site. Being shown a single certificate is not enough. XIUYI works only with clinics that have submitted plans and can share plan numbers on request.
Records to prepare before a consultation
- Main diagnoses and medical history
- Current treatments and medicines (especially blood thinners)
- Allergies
- Recent blood tests and check-up results
- CT, MRI or other images with their reports
- The treatments you are interested in and when you can travel
Records help the doctor decide sooner whether further assessment is worthwhile. XIUYI helps organise records in Chinese and English.
Step by step
- Online consultation: share your records. An initial review can sometimes be done remotely before you travel; whether tests in Japan are needed depends on the clinic and treatment.
- First trip: first visit and regenerative medicine consultation, with a blood test if the doctor requires it. If suitable, fat, blood or skin is collected.
- Cell culture: usually several weeks. It varies with cell type, process and testing, and cells that miss release criteria can mean a delay or cancellation.
- Second trip: the infusion or injection, observation and a follow-up visit.
- Back home: follow-up with the clinic as agreed in advance.
Treatments that culture your own cells cannot go from collection to administration in a single day. Most need two trips, and the clinic sets the schedule.
Good to know while in Japan
- Blood tests check infection, organ function and clotting to confirm treatment can be given safely.
- The doctor chooses the site of administration based on the method and its risks; it cannot be chosen by preference alone.
- Do not stop blood thinners or other medicines yourself; the prescribing and treating doctors should decide together.
- When you can fly depends on the collection and administration. Check with the clinic before booking your flight home.
- A fever after an infusion is not “detox”; it can signal infection or an infusion reaction. Seek care at once with chills, breathlessness or chest pain.
Visa and stay
Depending on nationality, a short-term stay may be enough. When treatment runs long or needs repeated entries, Japan’s medical stay visa may apply: it can allow stays of up to six months or multiple entries as needed, and the application requires a guarantee from an organisation registered with the Japan Tourism Agency or the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Requirements change, so check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page before applying.
Follow-up after you return home
- Before treatment, get the follow-up schedule, contact method, what to do if something goes wrong and how the clinic works with your local doctor in writing.
- Do not stop your usual medicines because you have had cell therapy.
- Keep scheduled follow-ups even without clear improvement; no change is useful information too.
How XIUYI helps
We check the clinic’s registered information, organise your records, book appointments, provide medical interpreting in Chinese, English and Japanese, arrange transfers and accommodation, and coordinate contact with the clinic after you return home. Diagnosis, treatment and suitability are decided by the medical institution and its doctors.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners get stem cell treatment in Japan?
Yes. Regenerative medicine is self-pay care, so Japanese nationality or insurance is not required. You will need to provide the records the clinic asks for, attend a consultation and tests, and plan two trips for collection and administration.
How many times do I need to travel to Japan?
For most treatments, twice: once to collect cells and once to receive them, usually several weeks apart. The clinic sets the dates.
Can the treatment be done in one day?
Not when your own cells are cultured: collection, culture, testing and administration cannot happen on the same day.
How do I check that a clinic offers regenerative medicine legally?
Match the clinic name, treatment name and plan number on the MHLW’s “e-Regenerative Medicine” site. XIUYI can share its partner clinics’ plan numbers on request.
Who handles follow-up after I go home?
The treating clinic, at the frequency and by the method agreed in advance. Confirm this in writing before treatment, including how it works with your local doctor.
Start with your records
Tell us about your medical records, the treatments you are interested in and when you can travel. We organise the questions for the clinic and coordinate the schedule.
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