Ich habe Kopfschmerzen

It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize to all my readers out there.
This topic, however, definitely warranted a post- so I am back to my keyboard. In actuality, I have pondered this topic before, however until today it had not been personal.
So, let me cut the bullshit and get to the topic. Health. One can write about this topic for days, so I'm going to just scrape the surface, leaving out gender roles, policy, authority and law. Japan definitely does it their way. It all started with admitting to myself that I was sick- something I rarely do, even back in Canada. I wait for the last moment, until I must reap all the resources to get well again. In this case, I admitted it was a cold, or fever, or something in between. In Canada, I would rush over to the clinic to see the nearest doctor. Either clinics don't exist or its a perception of illness... regardless you MUST go to the hospital. Last time I was at the hospital was for surgery, so let's just say I became a little paranoid of what would happen to me.
In a few words, I went in a sick man and came out a drug addict. Where I would normally take upwards of 10 antibiotics (if I actually devoted myself to the prescription), I received 4 types of medications for 14 sittings, after each meal. Either the Japanese are pill-poppers or they are psychologically subdued into thinking they will become healthy again... or of course, it might just in fact take 56 Japanese pills to cure a headache, which of course may in fact be much weaker than Western pills, in the pill-popping society.
Efficiency, however, is the Japanese middle name. I was in and out within 30 minutes. Mind you, I live in the prefecture with the most hospitals per capita, yet one of the oldest one by age. I can't complain though, as a 22 year old receiving the same medical care as a 91 year old, rice-field working oba-chan.
One thing that struck me though, and it sounds so backwards... we are puzzled to think of a doctor smoking, however, imagine patients smoking inside the hospital. It WAS in the waiting room, I'll give them that.
Looks like it's just me, my mask-oh yeah, wearing a mask is habitual this time of year, for both protection against sickness and also to treat an illness- they have built-in medication to help progress recovery- and my pills for now. Ibuprofen anyone?