How Japan Has Improved Healthcare Accessibility in Depopulated Areas

Abstract

For many subnational regions, population outflows and the declining number of health care establishments are connected to one another in a vicious cycle. Securing health care provision and access at local levels is not only crucial for the protection of health for the populations that remain in these areas; it is also a significant part of the response to local depopulation. Japan’s health care support measures for sparsely populated regions differ in program and delivery method from their counterparts in Korea. Japan’s efforts on this front offer valuable lessons for Korea as it strives to: improve the role division between the central and local governments; develop mechanisms to address localities’ specific needs while maintaining local governments’ autonomy; attain the needed health care workforce, facilities, and equipment; strengthen the governance of local health care; and secure financial resources for necessary projects and activities.