— Latest update: April 2022 —
The Japanese health care system strives to achieve a society where everyone, including the elderly and people with intractable diseases and disabilities can live long, happy lives in an active manner. Japan’s life expectancy was highest across OECD countries, at 84.7 years in 2021. While the number of elderly people in Japan increases, the number of patients with cancer and other diseases is expected to increase and the size of the life science market, including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, is flourishing. The universal healthcare system in Japan is constantly reformed and government agencies involved in health care are, for example, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), the Social Security Council, the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) and the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA).
Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare, Service Guide, 2016
OECD, Health at a Glance, 2021
This website and related activities are managed by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, a joint venture between the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government's Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI).
This support is available for EU companies only. Please note that the validation process may take up to a couple of days and will be confirmed to you by email.
Hundreds of web pages with up-to-date information on Japan, more than 400 market reports and recorded webinars available as well as a lot of detailed information on Japanese business culture.