The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) was launched in 2020 as a project based on a collaborative partnership among the London School of Economics (LSE), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and other partners in industry with the objective of reviewing health systems in each country in response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), together with Keio University, participates in PHSSR as the Japan secretariat.

*For more information about PHSSR, please visit the PHSSR.jp website.

In March 2026, the PHSSR Japan team published policy roadmaps for acting early on NCDs (non-communicable diseases). In developing these roadmaps, analysis was conducted through international comparisons and engagement with experts and stakeholders, and the findings were compiled as a policy roadmap for addressing NCDs in Japan. Based on these findings, and in response to the increasing health and social burdens from NCDs due to increased life expectancy, the need for three shifts were identified: from treatment-centered to prevention, from fragmentation to integration, and from quantity to value. Furthermore, through a systematic evaluation across seven domains, the report presents concrete directions for building a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system, one that supports people’s dignity and social participation.

---

Contents

1. List of figures and tables
2. List of abbreviations
3. Acknowledgements
4. Introduction
5. Methodology and stakeholders consulted
6. Executive summary
7. Domain 1: Population health
8. Domain 2: Governance
9. Domain 3: Service delivery
10. Domain 4: Financing
11. Domain 5: Workforce
12. Domain 6: Medicines and technology
13. Domain 7: Environmental Sustainability
14. References

---

The evaluation was conducted through a multi-faceted approach, utilizing Japan’s extensive healthcare databases and international comparative data, and with an advisory board comprising experts across all seven domains, NCD-specific specialists, as well as patients, affected individuals, and the media.

Advisory board (at time of participation in March 2025, Titles omitted)

Domain 1: Population Health

Naoki Kondo (Professor and Chair, Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University)

Domain 2: Governance

Keizo Takemi (Member of the House of Councillors / Former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Ryozo Nagai (President, Jichi Medical University)

Domain 3: Service Delivery

Shigekazu Komoto (Professor, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University / Former Director, Cancer and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Domain 4: Finance

Masahiro Sano (Deputy president, National Federation of Health Insurance Societies (Kenporen))

Domain 5: Workforce

Yasuhiro Suzuki (President, International University of Health and Welfare / Former Vice-Minister for Health, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Domain 6: Medicines and Technology

Takuko Sawada (Director and Vice Chairperson of the Board, Shionogi & Co., Ltd.)

Domain 7: Environmental Sustainability

Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)

Cross Domain

Jun Sasaki (Chief Executive Officer and Director at Yushoukai Medical Corporation / Expert Member, the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform)
Koichi Fukunaga (Professor, Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine, Keio University, School of Medicine)
Mamoru Ichikawa (A Healthcare Communicator / Executive Board Member, Japan Medical Journalists Association)
Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd. / Expert Member, the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform)
Shoichiro Tsugane (Professor, Graduate School of Public Health, International University of Health and Welfare / Former Director of the Centre for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Former Director of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition)
Tomonori Okamura (Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine / President, The Japanese Society of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention / Committee Member, the Health Japan 21 (Third Term) Promotion Special Committee, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

 

In Japan, as the baby boom generation ages and annual healthcare expenditure reaches 46.7 trillion yen, the challenge of ensuring sustainability has become even more urgent. Rather than relying solely on theoretical frameworks, this report provides concrete, actionable recommendations based on evidence and verified through international comparison. By analyzing and clarifying what works and what does not within existing initiatives, and by proposing concrete solutions, the report aims to support the development of a healthcare system that not only extends life, but also empowers people with dignity, purpose, and vitality throughout their lives. We hope that the publication of this report will generate global momentum for healthcare reform.