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EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014

Nursing care worker shortage

Japan's population is graying rapidly even as a large number of nursing care workers quit their jobs every year, leaving nursing care facilities in dire need of staffing.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2020

Japanese ICUs understaffed and overlooked as coronavirus influx looms

The health ministry estimates that Tokyo could see up to 700 patients in need of intensive care every day once the epidemic reaches its peak.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2019

For Japan's medical interpretation industry, tourism boom presents growing challenge

During one of her medical-interpreting lessons in July, teacher Yoshiko Ishizaka, 77, brought up the case of a former student who was dealing with schizophrenia.
EDITORIALS
Mar 4, 2016

Supreme Court's dementia ruling

The Supreme Court provides some peace of mind to people having to look after elderly relatives suffering from dementia.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2023

A sick America can’t compete with global powers

Poor health is not just a tragedy for individuals. It is a constraint on the U.S.’s productivity and its ability to defend itself.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
Apr 19, 2017

Language barriers at Japanese medical institutions put foreign patients at risk: expert

Here's a little-known, unnerving truth about health care in Japan: for non-Japanese, the death rate is higher than that for Japanese.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Sep 24, 2013

'Grandma export' exposes Germany's struggle with care

Sonja Miskulin has forgotten her beloved cat, Pooki. She can't remember whether she has grandchildren and has no memory of her nine-hour journey one recent Sunday to forever leave behind her home in Germany.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2010

Medical care shoppers bet on diagnosis, benign bugs

HONG KONG — The reception area is welcoming, open and airy with tropical green trees and plants. The rooms have sofas, tables and chairs, well-chosen paintings, as well as the bed. Menus are prepared by international chefs who compete for the privilege of being chosen for a month at a time. But you...
COMMENTARY
Aug 24, 2009

Afghan health crisis defies aid efforts so far

NEW YORK — Afghanistan is going through a serious public health emergency, exacerbated by the unstable political situation in the region. Food shortages could leave 8 million Afghans — 30 percent of the population — on the brink of starvation, unless more effective aid is provided soon. Lack of...
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 5, 2020

Nearly 20% of Japan nursing care providers out of masks amid COVID-19 outbreak

Nearly 20 percent of nursing care service providers in Japan have run out of face masks, which have been in short supply in the country as the COVID-19 outbreak continues, a recent survey by a labor union has shown.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 30, 2019

Contrasting visions of Denmark's welfare state turn issue into hot election topic

The Nordic welfare model, long the envy of many across the world seeking an egalitarian utopia, is creaking.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 13, 2018

April 1 marks start of Japan's new medical fees and processes

The new medical prices are out.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 27, 2016

Nursing care workers hard to find but in demand in aging Japan

As the nation's population rapidly grays, ensuring there are enough nursing care workers to meet growing demand has become a pressing issue.
JAPAN / Society / 70 YEARS AFTER THE WAR'S END
Aug 11, 2015

Offspring have hard time relating hibakusha experience but have same health fears

Facing his fellow survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Atsushi Takeshita begrudgingly announced last month that his group, comprised of about 100 hibakusha, will put an end to more than 60 years of activity because its members are getting too old.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Feb 15, 2015

LGBT students may be ready to come out, but are Japan's schools ready to accept them?

When university student Osamu Inoue, 19, came out openly in high school two years ago and admitted he was gay, he had hoped that at least his school would have adopted a more positive attitude toward sexual minorities.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2015

Facility offers rare day care for children with special needs

Finding suitable child care facilities is a daunting task for most working families in Japan, but when it comes to children with severe medical problems and disabilities, the options are virtually nil.
EDITORIALS
Jan 4, 2014

Not all kids can fete the new year

The extreme poor in Japan make up a larger percentage of the poor than in all except five other OECD nations. The children of this group do not have the basics for learning.
Reader Mail
Aug 14, 2011

Emergency care system in trouble

Regarding the July 24 Kyodo article "Hospitals turn away patients at record rate": The central and local governments need to exercise strong leadership in getting hospitals and the public to take steps to streamline Japan's emergency care system.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2022

Japan eyes increased support and investment in Africa amid food crisis

High-ranking officials from more than a dozen African states are set to attend the summit, which will focus on sustainability, both in terms of economic development and human resilience.
Passengers exit trains at Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 1, 2024

Paternity leave uptake in Japan hits record 30%

The new record represents a 13 percentage point increase from the previous year.
Japan faces a growing crisis of social isolation, with over 1.4 million people — many middle-aged — living reclusive lifestyles, and experts say only long-term, trust-based community support can reverse the trend.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 16, 2025

Japan needs to rethink how it helps hikikomori

While hikikomori, the Japanese term for acute social withdrawal, often brings to mind young recluses in dark bedrooms, the reality is broader.
The Mefeego pill pack
JAPAN / Society
Aug 5, 2024

Japan's health ministry considers wider availability for abortion pill

Currently, the medication can only be administered in hospitals with inpatient capabilities.
One shortcoming of the Freelance Act — a new law designed to improve the working conditions of freelancers — is that freelancers and clients don't know much about it.
JAPAN / Explainer
Oct 31, 2024

What is the Freelance Act, Japan’s first-ever law to help freelancers?

The law introduces new measures to help self-employed workers. However, some shortcomings remain, experts say.
Police officers stand guard on May 7 outside Todaimae Station in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward after a random stabbing that injured a University of Tokyo student.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 19, 2025

Random stabbing cases in Japan raise fears: Could the next victim be me?

Experts say these incidents often reflect a deeper issue at the societal level.
Cases of cancer patients and doctors having conversations about where the patient wanted to spend his or her last days came to 52.9% in 2021, up from 35.7% in the previous survey.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2025

About half of people who died from cancer discussed last days with doctors

About 60% of cancer patients were able to spend their last days at places where they wished to be, a report has shown.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji