03-Sep-15 Japan's medical expenses in the year to March 2015 are certain to have hit a new high above JPY40 tn (USD332 bn) because of the nation's graying population, health ministry data showed. The continuous growth also reflects advances in more expensive medical technology, while greater use of generic medicines has slowed the increase compared with previous years. [image: Getty Images].

21-Jul-15 Vaccination no longer has to be a painful process, as researchers from Japan's Osaka University have developed a new technique that can deliver vaccines without needles. Through this technology, vaccines are delivered simply by laying a tiny patch onto a person's finger, before it dissolves into their skin. [image: BioSpectrum]

19-Jul-15 The 2015 Japan Revitalization Strategy, a recent government policy, says the healthcare sector - which has long been heavily regulated and shielded - should be turned into a driver of economic growth. In particular, the government wants to boost medical tourism and help Japanese medical institutions branch out overseas, especially in emerging economies. [image: The Japan Times]

16-Jun-15 The Japanese government will seek to slash the number of hospital beds by more than 10% to 1.19 million by 2025, hoping it will curb ballooning medical costs in a graying society. To compensate, the government will also step up efforts to ensure that 300,000 patients can receive medical treatment at home or in nursing-care facilities. [image: Wikicommons]

22-Jun-15 Ten companies with medical-related operations in Japan are looking to team up with overseas biotechnology concerns to develop regenerative medicine treatments using cultured cells. The companies, including Fujifilm, CellSeed, Astellas and Janssen, will set up a development center to pool their technologies. [image: The Japan Times]