In January 2025, Dr. Hiromi Murakami, Academic Fellow at the Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), published a report titled “Japan’s Global Health Policy and Domestic Processes.”

These recommendations are being released as a part of HGPI’s recently launched “HGPI Expert Policy Advocacy Platform,” which will facilitate the creation and promotion of policy recommendations by HGPI fellows and others associated with the Institute. Through this platform, policy recommendations developed by HGPI Fellows and others are scrutinized and approved by a review committee within HGPI. Upon their approval, HGPI commits to issuing and advocating for the proposals. It is hoped that this new platform will produce a wide variety of both feasible and creative solutions to today’s pressing health policy issues.

This report revisits and expands upon HGPI’s 2013 publication “Japan’s Global Health Policy: Challenges and Opportunities” by incorporating developments in Japan and the international community in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on Japan’s support strategies and policy-making processes in global health, offering strategic recommendations for the future.

As Japan reassesses its role in global health in the wake of COVID-19, domestic institutional issues, policy inefficiencies, and its strategic positioning on the global stage have once again come under scrutiny. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Japan’s global health policy history, the roles and coordination of relevant ministries and agencies, public-private partnerships with NGOs and corporations, the allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA), and alignment with international agendas. 

Key Recommendations:

1. Clarify Japan’s Global Health Strategy and Strengthen Centralized Governance
   The report emphasizes the need to clearly position global health as part of Japan’s diplomatic strategy and to rebuild an inter-ministerial coordination framework.
2. Proactively Engage with Global Health Architecture
   It recommends that Japan enhance its presence in forums such as the G7, United Nations, and ACT-A, and contribute actively to key issues such as Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR).
3. Strengthen Collaboration with NGOs, Civil Society, and the Private Sector
   It proposes overcoming Japan’s limited culture of philanthropy and advocacy capabilities, and expanding collaborative frameworks for policy-making and implementation.
4. Enhance Strategic Planning and Transparency of ODA Allocation
   The report calls for more predictable and long-term planning for health-related ODA, and for mechanisms that ensure evaluations and feedback inform future policy decisions.
5. Establish a Domestic UHC Knowledge Hub for Global Knowledge Sharing
   It advocates for clearly defining Japan’s role as an international knowledge center that draws on its own experiences, with a focus on human resource development and institutional dissemination.

This report re-examines Japan’s position, challenges, and strategic direction in the field of global health. We hope it will serve as a foundation for further dialogue and policy development among all stakeholders.

Please note that this report is the result of independent research conducted by an Academic Fellow at HGPI and does not reflect the views of HGPI or any affiliated institutions.

[Profile]

Hiromi Murakami (Academic Fellow, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI))

Professor Hiromi Murakami is a Visiting Scholar at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). As a specialist in international relations, public policy, and global health policy, she has led projects and initiatives in areas like science and technology and international health policy at institutions including the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, GRIPS, and Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI). She has also instructed courses in international relations and other subjects at SAIS and GRIPS. She currently leads Japan’s challenge program at GRIPS Global Health Innovation Policy Center. Professor Murakami also serves at KK Guardian as Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO). She is the author of “Resilience and Autonomy in Prewar and Wartime Japan (2023)” and holds an M.B.A. from St. Mary’s College and a Ph.D. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University SAIS.