The gender-neutral Japanese word for nurse is kangoshi, while a female nurse is kangofu and a male nurse is dansei kankoshi.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse かんごし | Kangoshi | 看護師 | |
| Female nurse かんごふ | Kangofu | 看護婦 | |
| Male nurse だんせいかんこし | Dansei kankoshi | 男性看護師 | |
| Nursing かんご | Kango | 看護 | |
| Registered nurse とうろくかんこし | Tōroku kankoshi | 登録看護師 | |
| Public health nurse ぼけんし | Bokenshi | 保健師 | |
| Midwive じょさんし | Josanshi | 助産師 | |
| Head nurse ふちょう | Fuchō | 婦長 |
Interesting facts about nurses in Japan
Japan has an aging population and there are not enough nurses in the country. In 2018 there were only 1,220,000 registered nurses which is not enough and as a result foreign nurses – mostly from the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam – are hired to make up for these shortages. It’s also estimated that by 2028, Japan will be short of 1,000,000 nurses.
If you are a nurse, or are thinking of becoming one and would like to work in Japan, then check out this guide to nursing jobs in japan.