Nail fungus · Shimbashi & Ginza
Onychomycosis turns nails cloudy, thick and misshapen, and it rarely hurts until it has gone a long way. Laser reaches the fungus living under the nail, and it does not go through the liver — which matters if tablets are off the table for you.
Nail fungus treatment in Japan starts at ¥3,500 per nail here, using an Nd:YAG laser, at Shinbashi Ginza Swift Clinic in Shimbashi, Tokyo. The big toe is ¥4,000 per nail and ¥18,000 for a course of five; the second to fourth toes are ¥3,500 per nail, or ¥33,000 for a course of five covering all of them. All toes together are ¥9,800, and ¥45,000 for a course of five. Treatment at a first visit is possible, and because this is self-pay there is no first-visit surcharge.
| Treated area | One session | Course of five |
|---|---|---|
| Big toe (per nail) | ¥4,000 | ¥18,000 |
| Second to fourth toe (per nail) | ¥3,500 | ¥33,000 (all of them) |
| All toes | ¥9,800 | ¥45,000 |
Prices are per nail except where stated. Which nails need treating, and how many sessions, is decided at the consultation after the doctor has looked at them. See the full price list for everything else we do.
Oral antifungals work, but they are processed by the liver, and cases of impaired liver and kidney function have been reported with them. Laser does not go that route. Creams and lacquers avoid that problem too, but they can struggle to reach the fungus living underneath the nail plate, and are often described as not producing the expected result for that reason.
The laser used here is a long-wavelength Nd:YAG. It works by heating — the fungus is vaporised and killed by the thermal effect — and it reaches the part of the nail a topical cannot. Reported effectiveness is around 70 to 90 per cent, described as comparable to oral treatment, and the approach is cleared by the FDA in the United States.
No anaesthetic is needed. Most people feel a brief flash of heat rather than pain, and the handpiece has cooling built in.
Fungus gets into the nail and the nail turns cloudy and white, thickens, and changes shape. There is usually no pain and no itching, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed for so long.
Left alone, the nail thickens and starts to crumble — it catches on socks, presses against the inside of shoes, and can dig into the skin and hurt. Cutting your own nails gets difficult. For older people that can turn into trouble walking and a greater risk of falling. It also spreads to the other nails over time, and a stubborn case can become a source of infection within a household.
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.
At this clinic, ¥3,500 per nail for the second to fourth toes and ¥4,000 for the big toe. All toes together are ¥9,800. Courses of five are ¥18,000 for the big toe, ¥33,000 for the second to fourth toes together, and ¥45,000 for all toes. Everything here is self-pay, so Japanese national health insurance is not required for the fees listed here.
Oral antifungals are processed by the liver, and cases of impaired liver and kidney function have been reported with them. Laser does not go that route, which makes it an option for people whose other medication rules tablets out, or who have been told their liver or kidney numbers need watching.
No anaesthetic is used. Most people feel a brief flash of heat rather than pain, and the handpiece has cooling built in. Tell the doctor if it is uncomfortable, because the settings can be adjusted.
Reported effectiveness is around 70 to 90 per cent, described as comparable to oral treatment, and the approach is cleared by the FDA in the United States. It varies between people. Nails grow slowly, so you are looking for a healthy nail growing out from the base over months, not an overnight change.
Possibly. Treatment can be done at the same visit once the doctor has looked at the nails and confirmed it is suitable; otherwise it is booked for a later date. Because this is self-pay there is no first-visit surcharge.
One minute from Shimbashi Station, a short walk from Ginza. Same-day slots are often available.
