Tag - health

 
 

HEALTH

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
May 12, 2025
What comes after 100?
The number of Japanese centenarians is on the rise, providing new models for how to live in a super-aging society.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 91, rides in a car with Empress Emerita Michiko, 90, after he was discharged from the University of Tokyo Hospital on Saturday following an examination for suspected myocardial ischemia.
JAPAN
May 11, 2025
Emperor emeritus diagnosed with silent myocardial ischemia
Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 91, was diagnosed with the condition where blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle is reduced due to excessive exercise.
Many patients of acute myeloid leukemia die of cancer recurrence even after receiving bone marrow transplants and other treatments. The new therapy could save such patients once it is put into practical application, a group of researchers at Osaka University said.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 8, 2025
Osaka University team develops immune cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia
The new therapy could save AML patients once it is put into practical application, the team said.
Air pollution is one of the most pressing health issues in India, where the country's 1.4 billion people breathe air exceeding the World Health Organization's guidelines for particulate matter.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / ANALYSIS
May 8, 2025
Indian industries swap polluted air with each other in health fix
India's 1.4 billion people breathe air exceeding the World Health Organization's guidelines for particulate matter, which can cause severe health issues.
Takaji Wakita, deputy head of the Japan Institute for Health Security, speaks during an interview on April 21 in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 8, 2025
Japan bolsters pandemic readiness with new health crisis institute
The Japan Institute for Health Security represents the centerpiece of a strengthened framework designed to apply lessons from the early missteps of the COVID-19 crisis.
A group of researchers including from Kyoto University confirmed that the TIM-3 protein, which exists in a type of immune cell in the brain, increases as the brain ages.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 8, 2025
Loss of immune-regulating protein seen easing Alzheimer's disease
The findings are expected to help develop a new treatment for the disease.
A public health nurse (right) teaches stretching techniques using an exercise ball to employees of Hattori, a machine tool and industrial equipment supplier in Aichi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society
May 7, 2025
Companies leverage healthy working strategies to attract talent
The approach prioritizes employee well-being as a core business objective.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko stroll in the garden of Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park in the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, on May 28, 2024.
JAPAN
May 6, 2025
Emperor emeritus is hospitalized for a heart exam
In July 2022, the emperor emeritus was diagnosed with right heart failure caused by tricuspid valve insufficiency.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito with Empress Emerita Michiko during a public appearance at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 2
JAPAN
May 5, 2025
Emperor emeritus to be hospitalized for heart tests
The former emperor has been diagnosed with a high probability of myocardial ischemia, which occurs when blood flow to the heart is insufficient.
Japanese companies including Shiseido are stepping up their rejuvenation and antiaging research.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 4, 2025
Japanese firms stepping up rejuvenation and anti-aging research
If technology and related products are developed, they can become powerful weapons to help people maintain health and regain their youth.
A new U.S. FDA policy requiring full placebo-controlled trials for updated vaccines, pushed by Commissioner Marty Makary (right) and U.S. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (center), is seen as a backdoor effort to sideline COVID-19 boosters and undermine broader vaccine development.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 2, 2025
RFK Jr.’s new vaccine scrutiny is alarming
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the FDA, intends to set new regulatory standards vaccine manufacturers couldn’t possibly meet.
Since the 1990s, Parkinson's disease researchers have aimed to use stem cells to replace lost neurons, and they're now finding the right cues to turn them into dopamine-producing cells.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2025
Finally, a source of hope for Parkinson’s disease sufferers
The treatments were originally developed by a team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the other by researchers in Kyoto.
The transport ministry will consider administrative punishments for Japan Post after carrying out probes.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2025
Government begins probe of Japan Post over improper driver checks
The audit started after it was learned that 75% of post offices offering collection and delivery services across the country had improperly conducted mandatory alcohol checks.
Japan Post conducted a nationwide survey after it was revealed in January that a post office in Hyogo Prefecture had neglected to perform the required checks.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2025
Improper alcohol and health checks on drivers found at 75% of Japan Post offices
The irregularities included fabricating records without conducting the checks.
The levels of a type of "forever chemical" found in seven current and former employees at Daikin Industries' Yodogawa plant in Osaka Prefecture were about 38 times those for nearby residents, according to a survey conducted by a team including Kyoto University.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2025
High levels of PFAS found in blood of Osaka factory workers
The levels for seven current and former employees were about 38 times those for residents, with three showing signs of interstitial lung disease.
Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application in Kyoto
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2025
Japan team treats chronic kidney disease with iPS cells in mice
The hope is such an achievement leads to the development of an effective therapy for chronic kidney disease.
A ceremony to open the Japan Institute for Health Security is held in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on April 4.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2025
Japan's new health institute gives first acute respiratory infection cases tally
This was the first tally of such cases since ARI was designated as a Category V disease under the infectious diseases control law.
More than half of Japan's population may suffer from pollen allergies, with hay fever dubbed the nation’s "national disease" and blamed for being a drag on the economy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 21, 2025
Did I fall victim to Japan’s stealth productivity killer?
Hay fever has been dubbed Japan’s "national disease” and blamed as a major drag on productivity.
A screenshot image from the Whitehouse.gov website that promotes the "lab leak" theory of COVID-19’s origins. The Trump administration has replaced the government’s main portal for information about COVID-19 with a website arguing that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab, throwing its weight behind a theory of the virus’ origins that is so far not backed by direct evidence.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 19, 2025
New White House website blames China for COVID-19 'lab leak'
The website, previously focused on promoting vaccine and testing information, now includes a large image of President Donald Trump and criticizes the Biden-era pandemic policies.
Lawyers for plaintiffs seeking compensation from the government over their deteriorated health due to working in an asbestos factory speak at a news conference in the city of Osaka on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 18, 2025
High court overturns asbestos ruling, ordering government to pay ¥6 million
A Japanese court ruled in favor of an asbestos victim’s family, saying the government wrongly narrowed compensation criteria in 2019.

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