The number of regular smokers in Japan has reached a low not seen since 2022, at only around 1 in 7 people, a health ministry survey has found. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/03/japan/science-health/national-health-nutrition-survey/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #food #health #smoking #salt #diabetes #mhlw
A new strain of influenza is spreading across Japan, leading to a rapid rise in cases this year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/02/japan/science-health/flu-season/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #mhlw #flu #vaccinations #health
In August, for the first time, over half of participants at the Japan's national memorial service for those who died in World War II were born after it ended, highlighting the urgent need to hand down wartime memories. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/02/japan/society/war-memories-legacy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #wwii #internalaffairsministry #atomicbombings #aging #mhlw
A government subcommittee on public health insurance has mostly agreed to ask patients for additional payment for OTC-like prescription medicines while still maintaining insurance coverage for them. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/28/japan/health-insurance-otc-drugs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #hospitals #medicine #drugs #mhlw
The profit margin at general hospitals in Japan, excluding psychiatric institutions, stood at minus 7.3% on average in fiscal 2024, a 0.2 percentage point improvement. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/japan/general-hospitals-in-red/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #hospitals #doctors #wages #mhlw #surveys
A welfare ministry expert panel has broadly approved a draft revision to the reduction rate for basic welfare payments, following a Supreme Court ruling that found the government's cuts to welfare benefits unlawful. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/17/japan/welfare-payments-smaller-reduction/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japanesecourts #socialwelfare #poverty #mhlw
Flu cases in Japan have exceeded an alert level of 10 per regularly monitored medical institution, suggesting the possibility of a large-scale outbreak within four weeks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/07/japan/science-health/flu-cases-alert/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #flu #health #mhlw
The underlying wage growth remained steady in September, keeping the Bank of Japan on its tightening path as markets look for triggers for the bank’s next move. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/11/06/economy/wage-growth-september/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #wages #boj #japaneseeconomy #economicindicators #tariffs #us
Wasteful and ineffective use of taxpayer money by the Japanese government in fiscal 2024 totaled about ¥54.081 billion in 319 projects, according to a Board of Audit of Japan report. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/05/japan/tax-money-wasted/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #meti #mhlw
The seasonally adjusted job-to-seeker ratio stood at 1.20 in September, flat from the previous month, with the number of effective job seekers falling by 0.8% and that of effective job openings by 0.7%. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/31/economy/job-september-unchanged/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #jobs #jobhunting #wages #internalaffairsministry
A record number of workers applied for mental health-related compensation in fiscal 2024, according to health ministry data released Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/japan/society/karoshi-white-paper/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #mhlw #overwork #surveys #jobs #karoshi #mentalhealth
The health ministry has started considering ways to promote the use of follow-on products of very expensive original biological drugs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/26/japan/science-health/follow-on-biologics/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #medicine #mhlw #pharmaceuticals
The number of suicides among students in elementary to high school hit a record in 2024, with the figure for those in their 20s also remaining high, underscoring the need to beef up care, health ministry data showed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/24/japan/society/students-suicide-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #suicide #students #children #mhlw #mentalhealth #surveys
In a first, Japan has approved the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraceptive pill Norlevo. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/20/japan/science-health/japan-morning-after-pill-otc-sale-approval/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #mhlw #pregnancy #birthcontrol #drugs #health
Wages rose at the slowest pace in three months, with real pay extending its falling streak, highlighting a challenge for newly elected ruling party leader Sanae Takaichi and her pledge to address rising living costs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/10/08/economy/wages-growth-slow-august/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #mhlw #wages #sanaetakaichi #ldp #boj
Flu season has kicked off in Japan, the health ministry said, marking the second-earliest start in the past 20 years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/03/japan/science-health/influenza-season-start-early/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #flu #health #mhlw
Former Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami is resigning as head of Keizai Doyukai, the business lobby announced, after a review by its ethics committee. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/30/companies/niinami-keizai-resign/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #drugs #marijuana #takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw #cbd #corporategovernance #keizaidoyukai
Japan witnessed a 40% rise in cases of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in just eight years, according to a government-backed study. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/29/japan/science-health/japan-bowel-diseases-patients/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #mhlw #ulcerativecolitis #crohnsdisease #tohouniversity #kyorinuniversity #osakametropolitanuniversity #health #medicine
Niinami’s quick ouster, before the investigation is done, is not unusual as corporations prioritize protecting their reputation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/09/companies/niinami-governance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #drugs #marijuana#takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw #cbd #corporategovernance
Japan’s strict threshold for the compound in cannabis responsible for the “high,” makes buying products containing cannabidiol akin to navigating a mine field. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/05/japan/cbd-illegal-or-legal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #drugs #marijuana#takeshiniinami #japanesepolice #mhlw