On September 24, 2025, Mr. Ryoji Noritake, Chair of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), delivered a presentation at the symposium “The 48th Keio Symposium on Bridging Humanities, Social Sciences and Medicine: Mental Health, Aging, and Cultural Psychiatry with Arthur Kleinman and Laurence Kirmayer,” organized by the Medical Anthropology Research Group at the Graduate School of Human Relations, Keio University.

The symposium was organized in conjunction with the visit to Japan of Dr. Arthur Kleinman (Professor, Harvard University), a pioneer and world-renowned authority in medical anthropology, and Dr. Lawrence J. Kirmayer (Professor, McGill University), a world-leading authority in comparative cultural psychiatry.

Mr. Noritake, who holds a master’s degree in medical anthropology, drew on his position implementing citizen and patient participation in policy through the management and activities of HGPI to illustrate, with examples, how medical anthropological methods can improve people’s lives.

He also expressed his expectations for more active social engagement by medical anthropology academia. Additionally, he presented key perspectives on embodiment in the age of AI and the viewpoints necessary for the future.

Under the leadership and presentation of Prof. Junko Kitanaka (Professor, Keio University), one of Japan’s leading medical anthropologists, domestic and international participants took the stage, and lively discussions took place at the venue.