HGPI’s Executive Director, Toshio Miyata, is a featured speaker of Aoyama Shachu’s Leadership and Public Policy Series. Through a combination of discussion, lecture, and guest speakers, Dr. Miyata provides students with a comprehensive view of current issues in health policy during this six session course. Below you will find a summary of the first three sessions.

October 23, 2014　Session 1
Social Security Policy 1: The national health care system going forward
In this first session of this 6 part lecture series, Dr. Miyata started by discussing the Japanese healthcare system and describing the elements that make this system unique, including access, cost structure, demographics and coverage issues. He moved on to discuss the various challenges that the system is facing, the causes of these challenges, and the different policies strategies to address these issues. Dr. Miyata then discussed demographic trends and their implications on the healthcare system.

November 20, 2014　Session 2
Social Security Policy 2: Measures to address falling birthrate and pension issues
At this session, Dr. Miyata discussed the social security system and the issues affecting its sustainability. To further these points, two experts from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare joined the session. The first, an expert from the Department of Vocational Development, discussed the pension system and the way the government is managing this system in light of current population trends. He explained that his department is creating various projections and strategies to ensure sustainability within each projection. The second, an expert from the Policy Planning Division, discussed demographic changes and the various policies the government is implementing to address these changes. Programs to increase the birthrate include programs that provide community support for new parents, flexible working environments for parents, and increase the number of childcare centers.

December 18, 2014  Session 3
Social Security Policy 3: Addressing labor as the population shrinks, immigration issues, and shifting role of women
At this session, Dr. Miyata focused on how the labor market will remain stable given the low rate of population growth and increasing proportion of older persons. He shared various policies that catalyze the health care industry while increasing efficiency. These include policies that integrate global standards for research and innovation, shift tasks by the utilization of nurse practitioners, and increase the use of non-hospital care settings. A guest speaker from the Foreign Workers Affairs Division of the Employment Security Bureau at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presented a comprehensive review of policies for integrating non-Japanese laborers into the work force. The discussion included ways that this policy will affect the increased need for health care providers.  

Remaining lectures in this series
January 22, 2015
 Session 4  Advanced medical innovation and the uses of big data
February 26, 2015 
 Session 5  Medical care and revitalization strategy, National special zones
March 26, 2015 
 Session 6  Case study: health care industry survival, development and marketing strategy

For more information on this lecture series,
please contact Seigo Hara at info@hgpi.org or 03-5511-8521.

Exhibition date：2014-12-18