Medical weight loss · Shimbashi & Ginza
GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 medication reduces appetite, and a doctor supervises the dose. In Japan these drugs are approved for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss — prescribing them to lose weight is off-label, and you should read what that means before you book.
Medical weight loss costs from ¥12,800 a month at Shinbashi Ginza Swift Clinic in Shimbashi, Tokyo. Rybelsus (semaglutide tablets) starts at ¥12,800 for 30 days and Mounjaro (tirzepatide injections) at ¥29,800 a month. Both are approved in Japan for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss — prescribing them to lose weight is off-label, at the doctor’s discretion, and entirely self-pay.
| Medication | How it is taken | Supply | Price (incl. tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) 2.5mg | Weekly injection, 4 pens | 1 month | ¥29,800 |
| Mounjaro 5mg | Weekly injection, 4 pens | 1 month | ¥49,800 |
| Mounjaro 7.5mg | Weekly injection, 4 pens | 1 month | ¥74,800 |
| Rybelsus (semaglutide) 3mg | Daily tablet, 30 tablets | 30 days | ¥12,800 |
| Rybelsus 7mg | Daily tablet, 30 tablets | 30 days | ¥24,800 |
| Rybelsus 14mg | Daily tablet, 30 tablets | 30 days | ¥35,800 |
| Bofutsushosan (Kampo) | Herbal formulation, 90 sachets | 1 month | ¥4,800 |
Prices include tax. Dose is decided by the doctor and usually starts low, so your first month may not be your ongoing cost.
GLP-1 receptor agonists slow how fast the stomach empties and act on the appetite signalling in the brain. The practical effect is that you feel full sooner and think about food less. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) acts on GIP receptors as well.
It does not burn fat, and it does not work independently of what you eat. It lowers the ceiling on your appetite and leaves the rest to you.
Nausea, constipation, diarrhoea and stomach discomfort are frequent, especially in the first weeks and after each dose increase. This is why the dose is stepped up gradually and why a doctor should be following it.
You can be seen here without speaking Japanese. Consultations are handled with a translation app and written notes rather than by an English-speaking doctor, which works well for treatments where the decision is straightforward — repeat prescriptions, testing, hair removal — and is slower where you have a complicated history to explain. Treatment information, pricing and access details on these pages are in English. The booking system and the pre-visit questionnaire are in Japanese, so message us on LINE beforehand if you would like help completing them.
Mounjaro and Rybelsus are approved in Japan for treating type 2 diabetes. They are not approved here as weight-loss drugs. Prescribing them for weight loss is legal and common, but it happens outside the approved indication, on the doctor’s judgement and responsibility. That means it is entirely self-pay, and that the relief schemes covering injury from approved drug use do not apply.
Mounjaro is a weekly injection you give yourself; Rybelsus is a daily tablet taken on an empty stomach with a strict waiting period before eating. The tablet is cheaper to start at ¥12,800 a month. The doctor will talk through which one fits how you actually live.
Frequently, yes. These drugs suppress appetite while you take them; they do not permanently reset it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Use the period on medication to change what you eat, or expect the weight to return.
Online consultation is available and medication can be posted anywhere in Japan.
One minute from Shimbashi Station, a short walk from Ginza. Same-day slots are often available.
