A 31-year-old doctor is endeavoring to alleviate the problem of emergency room overcrowding in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, by running a night and holiday first-aid clinic.
Masashi Ryosetsu opened Ioji Okyu Clinic in November 2015, hoping to stop people from treating hospitals like "a convenience store" for minor ailments and unnecessarily using already-stretched ambulance services.
"If emergency rooms become too busy, doctors cannot find enough time for patients really in need of treatment for serious injuries or diseases," Ryosetsu said.