Japan Visitor Healthcare Access Alliance (JVHA) Established by Cross-Sector Collaboration to Address Healthcare Challenges for International Visitors

The Japan Visitor Healthcare Access Alliance (Japan Visitor Healthcare Access Alliance, abbreviated as JVHA <J-VA>) was established on June 1, 2026. Currently, many international visitors face difficulties accessing appropriate medical care during their travels in Japan due to language and systemic barriers. In response to this challenge, JVHA is a collaborative forum where stakeholders from healthcare, accommodation, tourism, government, universities, and research institutions work together to discuss, pilot, and disseminate solutions.

The alliance is chaired by Dr. Hirotoshi Miwa (Director General of Kawanishi City General Medical Center and Professor Emeritus at Hyogo College of Medicine), and will begin by organizing regular research meetings and regional pilot projects, with the goal of publishing academic papers and white papers.

Background: Increasing Number of International Visitors and Current State of Healthcare Access

The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan continues to rise annually. In 2025, a record high of 42.68 million visitors (*1) was recorded, and the trend in 2026 remains at a similar or higher level.

According to a survey by the Japan Tourism Agency (*2), approximately 4% of international travelers experience illness or injury during their stay. Based on 2025 visitor numbers, this translates to roughly 1.7 million people requiring medical care annually during their visit.

However, when medical care is needed, travelers face multiple challenges, including language barriers, difficulty selecting appropriate medical facilities, insufficient after-hours and holiday services, and complex insurance procedures and prescription systems.

These challenges affect not only travelers themselves but also staff at accommodation facilities. Hotel and inn staff frequently face requests for medical judgment and arrangements despite lacking medical expertise. In tourist areas, where medical facilities are limited, the burden tends to concentrate on specific hospitals.

Efforts are underway, such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s compilation of a list of medical institutions accepting foreign patients (*3) and local government task forces. However, due to numerous barriers related to language, facility access, insurance, and medication, individual efforts by medical institutions or companies are insufficient. A cross-sectoral collaboration mechanism involving diverse professionals is deemed necessary.

(*1) Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), "Number of Visitors to Japan (December 2025 Estimate)"

(*2) Japan Tourism Agency, "Survey on the Medical Needs of International Travelers to Japan" (2024)

(*3) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "List of Medical Institutions Accepting Foreign Patients"

Overview of the Japan Visitor Healthcare Access Alliance (JVHA)

On June 1, 2026, the Japan Visitor Healthcare Access Alliance (JVHA) was established with the goal of fostering cross-sectoral cooperation among healthcare, tourism, accommodation, and government sectors to address healthcare challenges for international visitors. Its mission is: "A Japan where anyone in need of medical care during travel can connect with confidence."

JVHA will operate as a council of physicians, medical institutions, and experts. It will begin with regular research meetings and pilot projects, gradually expanding its activities.

It should be noted that while the concept for JVHA originated from practical experience with "Travelers Hospital," a medical support service for foreign travelers, the alliance is not an organization aimed at promoting any specific company’s business.

Members

JVHA includes physicians and researchers with expertise in emergency medicine, data science, regional healthcare, and medical DX (digital transformation in healthcare), as well as stakeholders from accommodation, tourism, and government sectors.

Role

Name

Affiliation / Expertise

Chair

Miwa Hirotoshi

Director General, Kawanishi City General Medical Center; Professor Emeritus, Hyogo College of Medicine

Founder / Director-General

Higashi Takahiro

President, General Incorporated Association SIG

Core Member

Kato Hiroaki

Special Professor, Digital Hollywood University Graduate School; Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo University of Science

Core Member

Iwashita Yoshiaki

Professor and Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Shimane University; Director, Emergency and Critical Care Center

Core Member

Kubota Kazumi

Director, Division of Women's Health Policy Research, National Center for Child Health and Development

* Additional members are listed on the official website. For the official member list, please visit https://jvha.jp/.

Main Activities

JVHA plans the following activities:

Regular Research and Study Sessions:

Organize forums to clarify healthcare challenges for international visitors, share real-world examples, and discuss patient pathways. Participants will include not only medical professionals but also accommodation providers and government officials to share cross-sectoral insights.

Regional Pilot Projects:

Collaborate with hotels, medical institutions, insurance companies, and local governments to test healthcare delivery models tailored to local conditions. Pilots are planned in areas with varying medical resource availability, such as tourist destinations and regional cities.

Academic Dissemination and Policy Recommendations:

Continuously publish academic papers and white papers based on the collection and analysis of foreign patient treatment data. Research findings will also be used for policy recommendations.

Messages from the Chair and Founder

Chair: Hirotoshi Miwa (Director General, Kawanishi City General Medical Center; Professor Emeritus, Hyogo College of Medicine)

With the increasing number of international visitors, establishing a smooth system to connect travelers with medical care during sudden illness or injury has become an important social issue.

In actual practice, multiple challenges arise simultaneously—language barriers, difficulty selecting facilities, lack of after-hours and holiday services, insurance and payment procedures, and prescription access. These issues burden not only travelers but also accommodation facilities and local medical institutions. Individual efforts by medical institutions or businesses alone are insufficient to fully address these challenges.

JVHA is a council designed to realize a seamless system for foreign patient care by connecting medical, accommodation, tourism, government, universities, and research institutions. By accumulating on-the-ground insights as data and linking them to academic publications and policy recommendations, we aim to contribute to building a healthcare access system that allows international visitors to stay in Japan with peace of mind.

Founder and Director-General: Takahiro Higashi (President, General Incorporated Association SIG)

In our daily work supporting foreign visitors’ healthcare needs, the most striking reality is how many people are unable to access medical care—far more than one might imagine.

Travelers who fall ill cannot find appropriate clinics due to language barriers or unfamiliar systems. Hotel staff are often pressured to make medical decisions despite lacking expertise. Limited local medical facilities face concentrated burdens, including language support, after-hours care, and insurance processing. These challenges cannot be solved by individual hospitals or accommodations alone.

The issue of healthcare for international visitors is not merely a medical problem—it is a societal challenge involving tourism, accommodation, government, insurance, regional healthcare, and Japan’s overall hospitality infrastructure. Therefore, we believe a mechanism is needed to bring together on-the-ground insights across sectors, conduct pilot programs, organize data, and return findings to society.

JVHA is not an organization for any specific company or service. It is a council dedicated to visualizing on-the-ground challenges, enabling stakeholders to discuss and pilot solutions, and building a foundational system for healthcare access that allows international visitors to stay in Japan with confidence.

We will begin with regular research meetings and regional pilot projects, and connect the insights gained to academic papers, white papers, and policy recommendations. Our goal is to create a sustainable system that benefits not only travelers but also accommodations, medical institutions, and local governments.