How-tos | LIFELINES Oct 15, 2017

Shine On! works its animal magic on kids facing tough times

by Louise George Kittaka

Shine On! Kids offers support and encouragement to very ill children and their families around Japan.

How-tos | LIFELINES Oct 11, 2017

For those living with cancer, a place to talk in Tokyo that's neither home nor hospital

by Catherine Makino

Maggie's Tokyo opened its doors in October last year, offering a space for cancer patients and their family members and friends to talk.

World / Politics Oct 11, 2017

Lacking legislation, Trump looks to sign order this week that is expected to further gut Obamacare

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he likely will sign an order this week that is expected to allow Americans to buy stripped-down health insurance policies, a step some experts say would further undermine the Obamacare law that Trump opposes. Unable to win passage of ...

National Sep 27, 2017

Amid ballooning health care costs, fitness chain Rizap helps cities keep elderly residents in shape

The fast-growing fitness chain Rizap has teamed up with local governments to launch a program targeting elderly residents as part of efforts to curb the graying nation's ballooning medical expenses. Rizap Group Inc. provides municipalities with health management programs incorporating exercise and dietary regimes with ...

World / Politics Sep 27, 2017

Senate GOP bill to kill Obamacare dies quick death, prompts Trump to slam 'so-called Republicans'

A Republican attempt to dismantle Obamacare fell apart in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday for the second time in two months in a serious defeat for President Donald Trump's domestic agenda. The party was unable to win enough support from its own senators for a ...

World / Politics Sep 23, 2017

McCain declares opposition to Republican Party's last-ditch efforts to kill 'Obamacare'

Sen. John McCain on Friday declared his opposition to the GOP's last-ditch effort to repeal and replace "Obamacare," dealing a likely death blow to the legislation and, perhaps, to the Republican Party's years of vows to kill the program. It was the second time ...

World / Politics Sep 21, 2017

Republicans set vote on health care bill slammed by Obama as path to 'real human suffering'

Senate Republicans announced plans to vote next week on their latest bid to scuttle Obamacare even as a popular comedian who has become part of the U.S. health care debate denounced the bill and former President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned of "real human ...

National Sep 20, 2017

Japanese firms boost measures to promote employee health, enhancing their image in the process

Some companies are ramping up efforts to maintain and improve the health of their employees, such as sending them to remote health resorts where they can learn beneficial exercise techniques and other strategies to improve their daily lives. In late July, 16 employees of Sompo ...

World / Politics Sep 13, 2017

Bernie Sanders puts Democrats on the spot with proposed government-run health care for all

Sen. Bernie Sanders rode his impassioned liberal army of supporters through a tumultuous 2016, fighting to snatch the Democratic presidential nomination from Hillary Clinton. Now he is disrupting the party anew, forcing Democrats to take sides over his plan to provide government-run health care ...

National / Science & Health | A MATTER OF HEALTH Aug 16, 2017

Japanese researchers tap AI to parse regional dialects, work toward early dementia diagnosis

by Tomoko Otake

People in Aomori Prefecture, especially in the western Tsugaru area, are known for their strong dialect, often leading outsiders to joke about needing a translator. But for health care professionals, the issue is no laughing matter. Misunderstanding patients could lead to incorrect medical decisions, and ...