Health check-ups in Japan

In recent decades, Japan has increased its reliance on health check-ups and tries to improve population health through early detection of diseases. Based on health check-up results, Japan also aims to promote individual’s effort to manage their own health condition by preventing the onset or severity of diseases through better lifestyles. Now, routine health check-ups are available to almost all segments of population throughout their life course. These secondary prevention strategies are unique in the OECD and their impact is not well understood partly due to its health information system. Considering the tight fiscal situation which is likely to continue due to population ageing, Japan needs to review its secondary prevention strategies and focus on developing and implementing effective and economically sound secondary prevention policies.