Knowledge of Japan Test to be Reviewed – Foreign Nursing Intern Issue

In relation to the problem of foreign nursing interns from Indonesia and other Asian countries not being able to overcome the language barrier in the ‘Japan Test’ and returning home after completing the initial 3-year ‘probational’ stage, Foreign Minister Okada commented on 21st November that “although [these interns] are among the best in their own [...]

Simple Blood Test for Digestive Organ Cancer diagnosis

Kanazawa University announced on 19th November that their researchers have discovered a method for detecting cancer of the stomach, intestines, liver or other digestive organs using only a blood test. Having learned that digestive system cancers  share a distinctive genetic trait, this discovery led to a method for detecting cancer. The new method is expected [...]

Heart Attack Victim in Nara turned away from 9 hospitals – treatment delayed by 1 hour 20 minutes

The Asahi newspaper reports this morning on a 69-year-old man who suffered a heart attack due to low blood-sugar levels and was refused admission to 9 hospitals within the Osaka prefecture and city area; it is understood that an hour and 20 minutes passed before the man was finally admitted to a public hospital in [...]

Pig Influenza and the Japanese media

[ Sekai : July 2009 / Tatsuhito Tonooka / unlicensed and abridged translation/summary ]
Initial alerts by WHO were ambiguous : a level 3 alert was called at first, but this is supposed to indicate the spread of a disease among animal populations with insufficient evidence to suggest human-human contagion; perhaps the WHO were afraid of [...]

Atomic Radiation Sickness suit – Tokyo High Court Judgement

The Government moves to abandon appeal
[ report in Asahi Shinbun 9th June 2009 3:01am ]
On 8th June the government began deliberations on the withdrawal of its appeal against a recent ruling by the Tokyo High Court in which 9 out 10 people until now denied legal recognition of atomic radiation sickness were recognized as entitled [...]

Compensation for Atomic Bomb victims

In the continuing review of the government policy relating to the acknowledgement of and compensation for the effects of radiation-related illness (from Hiroshima and Nagasaki), the “LDP Atomic Bomb Victims’ Policy-related Project Team” petitioned the Labour, Health and Welfare Ministry on 15th March and received its agreement that the new assessment (of victims) policy [...]

Pfizer Japan No Smoking Stand

Pfizer Japan has requested all employees to refrain from smoking, not just in company offices and property, but even in their own homes. The company is offering to make contributions to any medical expenses that employees may incur in their effort to give up smoking. Behind this decision stands Pfizer Japan’s plan to release, within [...]