Oxygen Support for Travelers
If you use oxygen at home, or if you find that you need oxygen during your trip, our clinic can help. We work with medical equipment suppliers in Sapporo and can arrange a rental portable oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinders, depending on what is in stock.
This service is for travelers who need supplemental oxygen — for example, because of a long-term lung condition such as asthma or COPD, or a serious illness. No prescription, medical certificate, or doctor’s letter is required. All you need are passports for yourself and a guarantor.
⚠️ If your breathing gets much worse, please see a doctor right away. In a life-threatening emergency, call 119 (ambulance).
Two Types of Oxygen Equipment
There are two main types. Each has strengths and weaknesses, so the best choice depends on your condition and on how you plan to spend your days in Sapporo.
Type 1: Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Carry it on your shoulder — no oxygen tanks
Type 2: Oxygen Cylinders + Stationary Concentrator
Cylinders for going out, a concentrator for your hotel room
| Type 1: Portable Oxygen Concentrator | Type 2: Oxygen Cylinders + Stationary Concentrator | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Makes oxygen from room air. Runs on a rechargeable battery. | Small cylinders filled with oxygen for going out, plus a plug-in concentrator for your hotel room. |
| Oxygen tanks to refill | None | Cylinders run out and need to be replaced |
| Oxygen delivery | Pulse only — a puff of oxygen each time you breathe in | The stationary concentrator provides continuous flow |
| Best for | Sightseeing and moving around during the day | Resting and sleeping at your hotel, and people who need continuous flow |
Which type we can provide depends entirely on stock. When a portable concentrator is available, we recommend it first — but you can choose: if you prefer cylinders + a stationary concentrator, that is fine too. The models shown below are examples, and we cannot guarantee a specific model.
Type 1: Portable Oxygen Concentrator — No Oxygen Tanks
A compact, battery-powered machine that takes in room air and concentrates the oxygen. You carry it in a shoulder bag and charge it at your hotel, so there are no oxygen tanks to replace.
SimplyGo Mini
Philips Respironics
✔️ Lightweight, portable design
✔️ Rechargeable battery
✔️ Pulse-dose only
FreeStyle Comfort
CAIRE
✔️ About 2.3 kg with the standard battery
✔️ 5 pulse settings
✔️ Battery: up to about 8 hours at setting 1, about 2 hours at setting 5
✔️ Can also run from a wall outlet or a car power socket
👍 Advantages
• No oxygen tanks — no need to arrange refills or replacements
• Light enough to carry on a shoulder strap while sightseeing
• Recharge at your hotel and use it again the next day
⚠️ Disadvantages
• Pulse only — no continuous flow. It may not be suitable if you need continuous flow, a high flow rate, or oxygen while sleeping
• Battery time is limited and gets shorter at higher settings
• You need to keep the battery charged and carry the charger
Type 2: Oxygen Cylinders + Stationary Concentrator
A stationary oxygen concentrator stays in your hotel room and supplies oxygen while you rest and sleep. When you go out, you use small portable oxygen cylinders.
Going out: oxygen cylinder
In your hotel room: stationary concentrator
Portable Oxygen Cylinders (for going out)
Small oxygen cylinders for use when you go out.
Stationary Oxygen Concentrators (for your hotel room)
Oxygen Station 5L
Daikin Industries
✔️ Flow adjustable from 0.25 to 5.0 L/min
✔️ Simple operation with voice guidance
✔️ Plugs into a standard wall outlet
Other stationary models we may be able to arrange, depending on stock:
O2 Green 5S1
Oxywell 5X
Dr. Sanso 7L
👍 Advantages
• The stationary concentrator provides continuous flow, including while you sleep
• The stationary concentrator runs as long as it is plugged in — no battery to watch at night
• Cylinders do not need charging
⚠️ Disadvantages
• Each cylinder lasts a limited time, so you need to plan how long you will be out
• Cylinders must be replaced when they run low
• The stationary concentrator is large, needs a power outlet, and stays in your room
Which Type Is Right for Me?
You can choose the type you prefer, subject to stock. As a general guide:
A portable concentrator may suit you if…
• You mainly need oxygen while active during the day
• Pulse-dose oxygen is enough for you
Cylinders + a stationary concentrator may suit you if…
• You need oxygen while sleeping
• You usually use continuous-flow oxygen
If a portable concentrator is in stock, we will suggest it first. Let us know your preference in the application form.
How to Arrange Oxygen Equipment
Send us your request — as early as possible
Fill in our application form (English), ideally before you arrive in Hokkaido. Tell us your travel dates, where you will stay, when you need the equipment, and attach a photo of your passport.
We check stock and reply
We contact a medical equipment supplier, check which type is available, and reply to you by email. Availability depends entirely on stock — same-day arrangement may be possible, but it is not guaranteed.
Receive the equipment at our clinic
Please come to our clinic with the passports of the patient and the guarantor. The equipment can be received at our clinic only.
What You Need
✅ Passport of the patient — required.
✅ Passport of a guarantor — your travel companion can be the guarantor.
❌ Not required: a prescription, a medical certificate, or a letter from your doctor.
Safety When Using Oxygen
🔥 Keep oxygen equipment at least 2 meters away from open flames such as stoves, candles, and lighters. Do not smoke, and do not let anyone smoke near you, while using oxygen.
⚙️ Use the flow rate you have been told to use. Do not increase it on your own.
🚑 If you feel more breathless than usual, contact a doctor. In a life-threatening emergency, call 119.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a prescription or a medical certificate?
No. A prescription, medical certificate, or doctor’s letter is not required. Please bring the passports of the patient and a guarantor (your travel companion can be the guarantor).
Can I choose the model?
You can choose the type (portable concentrator, or cylinders + stationary concentrator), but it depends entirely on stock. When a portable concentrator is available, we recommend it first. The models on this page are examples, and we cannot guarantee a specific model.
Can I use a portable oxygen concentrator while sleeping?
Portable oxygen concentrators deliver oxygen in pulses, only when you breathe in. They may not be suitable for everyone during sleep. If you need oxygen at night, you may prefer a stationary concentrator for your hotel room.
How soon can I get the equipment?
It depends entirely on stock. Same-day arrangement may be possible, but please send your request through our application form as early as possible — ideally before you arrive in Hokkaido.
Where do I receive the equipment?
At our clinic in Sapporo only. Please bring the passports of the patient and the guarantor when you come to receive it.
What if my breathing gets much worse?
Please see a doctor right away. In a life-threatening emergency, call 119 for an ambulance.
Need Oxygen During Your Stay in Sapporo?
Send us your request as early as possible. We will check stock and reply by email.
📩 Send Your Request