Tetsuya Tanimoto, M.D. Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan On November 2, 2025, the "20th Symposium of the Association for Promoting Healthcare Reform from the Frontlines" in Tokyo convened a session examining conflicts of interest and the flow of pharmaceutical money — such as lecture fees or manuscript compensations — from pharmaceutical corporations and medical device manufacturers to physicians. Drawing upon my presentation delivered at this symposium, thi

Masahiro Kami, M.D., Ph.D. President, Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan “Publicness that is not government” is what is missing in Japanese society today. How can it be achieved? Those directly involved must confront the problems and continue through trial and error. Through that process, concrete systems are built, and the people who will lead the next generation are also cultivated. I have called this kind of effort “medical reform from the front lines,” an

Kana Yamamoto, M.D., Ph.D. Researcher, Medical Governance Research Institute In this column, “A Quick Medical Note,” a female physician offers concise commentary on everyday events and news from medical and health perspectives. In this installment, Dr. Kana Yamamoto—an internist at Tetsuikai Navitas Clinic and the Medical Governance Research Institute—shares her insights on “experiences related to menstruation.” Recently, I was interviewed about “sleep during menstruation.” [

OneVoice OneAction Yudai Kaneda, MD, Junior Resident, Tokiwa Hospital, Tokiwakai Foundation Young healthcare professionals are working energetically in communities across Japan. Where do the actions of these young people racing toward the future come from, and where are they headed? This series records the thoughts behind their work. Fewer Difficult-to-Place Emergency Cases in Iwaki “Iwaki Introduces New Holiday and Nighttime Rotation System, Cutting Difficult-to-Place Emerge

Tetsuya Tanimoto, M.D. Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan Maintaining quality in a diverse medical workforce I am an internist, thirty years out of medical school, and help run a group of primary care clinics employing several dozen physicians. Their backgrounds and working arrangements vary considerably. Some have only recently graduated; others are serving university professors or senior clinicians who spent many years heading departments at major hospitals

Masamichi Harada Third-year student School of Law, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo Society is constantly changing through each and every one of us. That is precisely why legal education is not about distant social issues; it is also about considering how “you” and “I” can live better lives. I sincerely hope that this class will give high school students an opportunity to think about law and society as matters that concern them personally. I am a

The top 10 recipients, including Hironori Sagara, Director of Showa Medical University Hospital, received more than ¥100 million in total, highlighting the concentration of pharmaceutical payments among senior medical leaders. Akihiko Ozaki, M.D., Ph.D. Physician at the Medical Governance Research Institute Chiba University Hospital, where Koutaro Yokote, a high-value recipient, previously served (from the hospital introduction video) This magazine has previously covered, on

Taichi Akutsu, Ph.D. Violinist and Researcher in Music Education Akihiko Ozaki, M.D., Ph.D. Physician at the Medical Governance Research Institute Abstract 　This paper examines the organizational challenges that arise during the initial response to harassment at public universities in Japan, with particular attention to the stage before a formal investigation is launched. Drawing on publicly available harassment regulations and guidelines together with a hypothetical case of

Hiroshi Kusunoki, MD, PhD Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Dental University Abstract 　The rise of social media has fundamentally transformed the governance challenges faced by universities, academic societies, and other public institutions. Decisions that were once managed largely within organizations can now rapidly become matters of public controversy, exposing institutions to intense external scrutiny and pressure. This article examines two recent Japanese cases: th

Takashi Miyaji, internal medicine Clinical Education and Training Center, Akita University Hospital 【Key points 】 •Key concepts emphasized by the Reconstruction Design Council included “solidarity” and the “responsibility of the working generation.” •Income tax, which allows for contributions based on individuals’ ability to pay, served as the main source of funding. •Policies should be aligned with public values and provide a clear direction for society as a whole. While tax

Tetsuya Tanimoto, MD. Chairman of Accessible Railway Medical Services Tetsuikai Medical Corporation. Director of Navitas Clinic Kawasaki In May, the drug-pricing policy announced by the Trump administration went beyond a simple reduction in U.S. drug prices and took on the nature of a global political and economic strategy. Its impact is expected to ripple across the entire global pharmaceutical system. Behind the policy, which aims to align U.S. drug prices with those of cou

Akihiko Ozaki, M.D., Ph.D. Physician at the Medical Governance Research Institute To explain it again, "Chokubi" is a term for doctors who go "straight" or “direct” (choku) into aesthetic medicine (bi) immediately after finishing their initial clinical residency, without first passing through a university medical department or a general hospital. Reports last year indicated that several hundred doctors annually are choosing this path. I (the author) have been interested in th

Masahiro Kami, M.D., Ph.D. President, Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan Recently, it was announced that the “Enhanced Games” will be held in Las Vegas, USA, in May 2026. Participants may take part as subjects in clinical trials. Events such as sprinting, swimming, and weightlifting will be held, but what is particularly noteworthy is that athletes can choose from three options: 1. participating naturally without using any drugs, 2. participating unde

Akihiko Ozaki, M.D., Ph.D. Physician at the Medical Governance Research Institute In recent years, the breast cancer field, which the author is responsible for, has seen a continuous succession of new drug developments. In 2024, capivasertib ("Truqap") for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer with specific gene mutations (PIK3CA, AKT1, PTEN) was approved in March, sacituzumab govitecan ("Trodelvy") for triple-negative breast cancer in November, and datopotamab deruxtecan (

Akihiko Ozaki, M.D., Ph.D. Physician at the Medical Governance Research Institute "We are taking this drug off the market because we cannot prove its effectiveness." Cancer treatment drugs that were deemed this way in the United States are still used as "recommended treatments" in Japan. At least seven cases have been confirmed as of July 2023. This surprising fact was revealed by the authors' latest research, accepted for publication in “Investigational New Drugs” and is due