What precautions/tablets/injections/insurance information.

Malaria:

A general rule of thumb is you will only be at risk if you travel to more rural areas or places such as the Mekong Delta. Always use strong insect repellent and sleep with mosquito nets.
Malaria is a very treatable disease BUT you are still taking a risk. The fatality statistics might be very low, but that doesn't mean a thing if you become the statistic. Consider all circumstances before making a decision, treatment might not be readily available or accessible from where you are.
If you take Larium make sure you follow the exact procedures stated so that you can develop resistance before you leave for the country you are going to, and so that you can maintain resistance after you return. It is still possible to develop Malaria up to a year after you return. Cost may be around ￥1500 per tablet.
Malarone is also recommended as people often have no side-effects. Only downfall is Malarone is a little more expensive, but you also don't have to start a week before you go to or take it for 4 weeks after your return. Cost may be around ￥1000 per tablet.
You should talk with a doctor about the side effects if you want to take tablets. In winter the malaria level is relatively low. You can buy drugs over the counter if you change your mind in many places at a pharmacy.

Check out the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website, they have all the information on such medications. http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/distribution_epi/distribution.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/EssentialInformationOnMajorDiseases/fs/en

You can order Malaria pills from the International Clinic in Tokyo. They carry many different types of tablets and vaccines. All you need to do is call them and they'll fax or mail you a list of things they carry. Everything on the list can be sent by mail. Tel: 03-3582-2646 or 03-3583-7831. Fax: 03-3583-8199. They speak English.

Note: vaccinations are not covered by the JET insurance.

Typhoid:

It can be very hard to get hold of typhoid vaccintions. If you live in the inaka you may need to go into Tokyo for it. If you think you will need it, speak to your doctor early.

Hepatitis A or B:

Generally good to have when travelling, especially if going away from main cities. They are effective for around 10 years. If you live in the countryside, you may have to make a few trips into a city to get them done.

Top Tips:

Some years mosquitos don't carry malaria apparently (!)
Doxycyclin - an adequate anti-malarial, it's a strong antibiotic which can cause other problems. Can be ineffective/make you sick if taken with too much dairy or grapefruit juice.
Avoid dairy products to be extra sure and ask them to cook your street meat a little longer. If the restaurant is super cheap and shady looking- well it is your own call.
Antibiotics can make the contaceptive pill ineffective.
Hygiene is pretty high in most places, especially tourist areas. However, really, really don't drink the tap water and try to use bottled or boiled water for cleaning your teeth.
Under no circumstances expect not to have at least one spell of excrutiating stomach pains- it is called travelling.

*Note - Check what you can bring back into the country, medicine wise! Japanese customs website will help - http://www.customs.go.jp/english/index.htm

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Also known as Economy Class Syndrome, it can be fatal. Clots appear usually in the legs when people sit for long periods. This is not exclusive to aeroplane travel. Try to get out of your seat and walk around every couple of hours on long journeys. Tall or obese people, smokers, those on the contraceptive pill and anyone with varicose veins/clotting problems should take precautions.
For more information on risks, symptoms and prevention:
http://www.economyclasssyndrome.net/whatisdvt.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3010041
http://www.airhealth.org/index.html

If you want to stock up on your meds before you go... http://www.medshopexpress.com/

Travel Insurance:

JET Participants are covered under two insurance plans. First is the National Health Insurance, which covers all workers in Japan and provides excellent coverage for stuff like sickness, broken bones, medicine, etc in Japan. This coverage is very limited once you travel abroad. JETs are also covered under a limited SOMPO Japan insurance policy and your Contracting Organization pays roughly 28,000￥p.a. for this coverage. Travel cover starts on the day you leave Japan and expires one month after your contract ends. Before you travel you might want to check out the procedure, because it can be very convoluted and with lots of forms. You are covered the exact same as all Japanese people. If you have the blue (English) or green (Japanese) Sompo Japan booklets you can see the limits of this coverage. (To make a claim, see below)

Here is a breakdown:
Type of Coverage : Amount of Coverage
Death and Residual Disability - 20,000,000￥
Medical Expenses for Accidental Injury - 700,000￥ (5,000￥ deductible)
Death From Sickness - 6,000,000￥
Medical Expenses for Sickness - 700,000￥ (5,000￥ deductible)
Rescue Expenses - 4,000,000￥
Personal Liability Insurance - 50,000,000￥

For simple injuries and medical issues resulting in accidents abroad, 700,000￥ should be sufficient. For more serious injuries and accidents, however, costs can increase dramatically, so all JETs are encouraged to buy additional travel insurance, to secure a little more financial safety in the event the worst happens.

Alternatives

Most travel agents (e.g. HIS) can provide this and you can usually pick and choose which bits of cover you want. They may be able to offer you a discount if you buy a plane ticket and travel insurance. Make sure you know the extent of coverage for all scenarios.
You can also increase your coverage with SOMPO Japan Additional Travel Insurance. You can get up to 20,000,000￥ of Medical Expenses for Accidental Injury and Sickness coverage quite cheaply. This can be done online quite quickly (in Japanese only). http://www.sompo-japan.co.jp/. It covers you for accidents and injuries, etc. resulting from Terrorist Attacks, Earthquakes and Tsunamis, as well as other medical nightmares like SARS outbreaks and bird flu. You can also print off your policy if there isn't time to post it out.
There are also lots of stands at Tokyo Narita airport in the international departure lounge stating travel insurance. Give yourself plenty of time and you should be able to find a decent travel insurance package here, though there is a chance these places may not have English-speaking staff.
AIU Travel Insurance - www.aiu.co.jp/travel/
Credit Card Insurance - many companies also offer insurance to their card holders. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer additional insurance for travel abroad.
you can email STA Travel in Tokyo and they will send you their insurance forms. Go via the website.
If you book online, most travel agent should be able to sell you insurance - they can fax you documents and you will need to furikomi money straight back.

All this insurance must be purchased before you leave Japan. You can apply for insurance from 45 days before you leave, up till the date of departure. Most insurance policies, however, do not cover you for anything which may happen before you leave Japan. Therefore, if for any reason you have to cancel before you start your journey, hard luck.

Making a claim with SOMPO:

You should have received the Declaration of Beneficiary form (included in the policy guide) and the JET Programme Accident Insurance Policy Guide at the post-arrival orientation. Its the blue book. It explains on page 8 (Claim Procedures) and 9 (Important information) that you must inform the local SOMPO JAPAN service branch office of the following-
JET Number, Date, Time, Place, Cause, Symptoms and Name of Hospital.
They will send you the nessecary forms to be filled out.
The SAITAMA SOMPO CENTRE is - (TEL)048-648-6006,(FAX)048-647-5869
The SOMPO JAPAN hotline is free - 0120-08-1572 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
For general information concerning the policy please ring CLAIR - 03-3591-5489
SOMPO usually ask if your supervisor or advisor can ring as they have limited English staff avaliable.

For fuller details here is a forum you might find interesting to read. It tells you how the JET insurance works and how to extend your JET insurance for additional coverage when going abroad. http://forums.tochigigaijin.com/lounge/viewtopic.php?p=592#592

JET holiday info

health and insurance info