Catharina Klein
Research expert covering Japan
Health care in Japan - statistics & facts
Japan has one of the healthiest populations with one of the highest life expectancies worldwide. It has one of the lowest infant mortalities, as well as maternal mortalities. The three major causes of death in Japan are age-related illnesses such as malignant neoplasms, heart diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the mortality rate from heart diseases is the lowest among OECD countries, at about 30.4 deaths per 100,000 population.
Cancer was the leading cause of death in Japan. The Japanese government promotes cancer screenings as these examinations can discover early forms of cancer before they cause symptoms or spread to other parts of the body. In recent years, the most common sites for cancer screenings were the colon, cervix, lung, breast, and stomach.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health also strongly suggests taking vaccination for “A type diseases” such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, Hib, tuberculosis, and pediatric pneumococcus starting from the second month from the birth.
Health care system
A variety of factors determine the population’s health, such as general exposure to health risks, living habits, health education, as well as access to health care. Every Japanese citizen is eligible for medical treatment through universal health care with a coverage of nearly 100 percent, and medical costs are strictly regulated by the government. A minimum of 70 percent of healthcare costs are covered by health insurance provided by the government or an employer. The remaining 10 to 30 percent are typically paid by the patient, depending on the financial status of the individual. People are free to choose to be treated by any private or public medical institutions, which total approximately 181 thousand facilities. Hospitals are required by law to run as non-profit and must be both owned and operated by physicians. Health administrations of the prefectures and large municipalities are divided into several districts, and each district owns a public health center (hoken-jo). Public health centers plan, supervise, and evaluate health programs in their responsible area.Prevention of diseases
Companies in Japan must provide periodical medical checks, such as tests for eyesight, hearing, hepatic function, and blood lipid level, at least once a year to their employees. Public health centers also offer free health examinations for people aged 35 years and older. Additionally, all educational institutions up to tertiary schools conduct annual general health checkups including dental health, appendicular health, and tuberculosis, among others.Cancer was the leading cause of death in Japan. The Japanese government promotes cancer screenings as these examinations can discover early forms of cancer before they cause symptoms or spread to other parts of the body. In recent years, the most common sites for cancer screenings were the colon, cervix, lung, breast, and stomach.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health also strongly suggests taking vaccination for “A type diseases” such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, Hib, tuberculosis, and pediatric pneumococcus starting from the second month from the birth.
