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Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2017

Japan's health care system edges foreign care in expat survey

Just over half of non-Japanese residents feel Japan's health care system is generally better than that in their home countries, a trend particularly pronounced among U.S. citizens, with 3 out of 4 rating it more highly, an informal Japan Times survey has found.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
May 30, 2022

Is Japan happy? Exploring the nation’s evolving views of well-being

Why does a prosperous nation known for its efficient transportation networks, accessible education and universal health care rank so low when it comes to personal views of happiness?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2017

Japanese offer mixed views of foreign health care

Japanese people who have received medical care overseas have mixed views of other countries' health systems, according to an online straw poll conducted by The Japan Times.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2018

Health care system could collapse if elderly people's contributions not doubled: insurance official

Japan's universal health care system could collapse unless the medical expense burden shouldered by elderly patients aged 75 or older is at least doubled, a senior official of a nationwide health insurance group has warned.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 10, 2021

The changing face of medical care for Japan's older residents amid COVID-19

The prolonged state of social isolation amid the ongoing pandemic is deteriorating the mental and physical health of Japan's seniors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
Dec 27, 2017

'The doctor would not listen': Japan faces off against over-prescription of drugs for seniors

There's no denying that, as you grow older, you are likely to visit doctors more often and have more medicine prescribed. According to 2014 data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the amount of prescription drugs patients are given goes up as they age, especially after they turn 60.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 1, 2020

Are Tokyo's hospitals and health care system ready for a COVID-19 storm?

With the number of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo having nearly quadrupled in 10 days, it seems no longer a question of whether Japan will declare a national emergency, but when and how.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 5, 2016

Obesity poses a serious threat to kids' health

The world's children are increasingly becoming overweight and obese, with grim consequences for their health.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 21, 2019

Japan needs to prioritize a 'population health' approach

A new approach can help rein in graying Japan's soaring health care costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Mar 7, 2022

Is Japan on the brink of its own ‘Great Resignation’?

The pandemic has prompted millions across the globe to leave their jobs for more fulfilling, flexible roles. Should Japan's employers be worried?
JAPAN
May 7, 2023

Japan steps into post-pandemic phase with scrapping of COVID measures

The move will have a far-reaching impact on the nation’s health care system and beyond, affecting everything from the cost of treatment to the reporting of COVID cases.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 23, 2019

Overuse of Japan's medical system may be complicating treatment

One of the criticisms of the “Medicare for All” government-run health care scheme proposed by U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is that eliminating all limits to treatment would lead to "overuse" of the medical care system, meaning people would be seeing...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 13, 2021

Mental health during the pandemic: ‘A lot of us feel like we’re in a dark tunnel’

More than one year on, Japan is still subject to pandemic-related stresses and government-imposed measures. How is this impacting long-term mental health?
A tax-free shop in Kyoto in April 2024. Last week, members of a Liberal Democratic Party study group drafted a proposal seeking to scrap the country's tax-free shopping system altogether.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2025

Japan eyes tougher rules for foreign residents and tax hike for tourists

Ideas range from stricter driver's license tests for foreign nationals to increasing taxes on foreign visitors.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during ministerial meeting meeting on foreign residents in Japan on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2025

Foreign tourists with unpaid medical bills in Japan to be denied entry

There have been growing calls for legislative reform to address unpaid medical fees and health care premiums — deficits filled by taxpayers' money.
Out of over 16,000 pharmaceutical products, 3,103 — or 18.5% — were either in limited or suspended supply as of the end of October, according to a recent survey. Of these, over 60% are generic drugs.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2024

Japan's generic drug shortage continues as flu season kicks off

The supply shortfall is due to a string of scandals that hit the generic drug industry in recent years as well as other structural problems.
Since October, patients have been asked to pay more for brand-name drugs prescribed by medical institutions if the patents have expired.
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2024

Japan raises out-of-pocket costs for off-patent drugs

With the increases, the government aims to reduce health care costs by encouraging greater use of generic drugs.
A survey by a health ministry research team has found that a significant proportion of doctors in Japan are at risk of death from overwork.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 29, 2023

Around 20% of doctors in Japan at risk of death from overwork

A survey showed that 20.4% of full-time doctors worked over 60 hours per week, exceeding the weekly legal working hours of 40 hours.
An office worker inside a commercial building at night in Tokyo
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2024

Widespread overwork and stress found in Japan's arts and health sectors

In the arts and entertainment sector, over 40% of technical staff and stage directors worked 60 hours or more in a week, a health ministry survey found.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 10, 2023

Why is modernizing Japan so darn tough?

Reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins us to break down how Japan’s digitalization hiccups risk exposing how backward things are.
The health ministry says it will conduct its first survey on how much foreign residents are paying in health insurance and pension premiums.
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2024

Health ministry to collect data on insurance premium payments by foreign residents

The ministry currently has no data on how much foreign nationals are paying in terms of health insurance payments and pension premiums.
By cancer type, the 10-year survival rate was 57.9% for stomach cancer, the most common cancer among the patients surveyed.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 13, 2025

Japan's 10-year cancer survival rate stands at 54% in latest survey

The rate was 57.9% for stomach cancer, the most common cancer among patients surveyed.
Japan is facing a serious shortage of generic drugs.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 22, 2023

Serious generic drug shortage hits Japan amid flu spread

The supply of cough medicines, in particular, has fallen by 15% compared with levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the ministry.
Public awareness and support for people with dementia has significantly improved in Japan over the years, but the long-term sustainability of such support systems is a concern, experts say.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 20, 2024

Dementia advocates worry public attitudes preventing diagnosis

Eighty percent of the public thinks dementia is a normal part of aging, meaning the need for correct diagnosis and care is possibly being neglected.
Kanata Kimoto had his womb and ovaries removed in Thailand when he was 24, so he could have his legal gender status changed. Now he questions whether such an invasive and costly procedure was necessary.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 22, 2023

Calls grow to abolish Japan's surgery requirement for gender change

Between 2004 and 2022, a total of 11,919 people had their gender changed through the law in Japan.
Father's Day is said to have come to Japan around 1950, shortly after the establishment of Mother's Day.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 15, 2024

The evolving nature of fatherhood in Japan

Meiji Era fathers were stern, those from Showa had to be productive for the nation. Heisei dads were told to get involved at home. What will the "Reiwa Dad" look like?
A survey by a labor union of home care business operators and care managers found that nearly 90% of facility managers had turned down service requests at least once during the past year, citing insufficient staffing.
JAPAN
May 5, 2025

Worker shortage forcing home care providers to turn away clients, survey finds

In the survey, 19.3% of care managers said some older adults are being left without any care at all due to a worker shortage.

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