Kanagawa Prefecture’s Healthcare New Frontier Initiatives.

＊The article was contributed by Mr. Mima. （JETRO Singapore）

Japan is the foremost rapidly-ageing country in the world, also known as one of the few super-aged societies and even within the country, Kanagawa prefecture is ageing at the most overwhelming rate.

Kanagawa’s population pyramid has become heavily inverted with the increase of life expectancy and decrease in birth rate. By 2050, those aged 85 and above are expected to be the largest age group. With these unprecedented changes to the social structure that skew the dependency ratio, the current social system in which the working population supports the elderly dependents can no longer be expected to continue.

To that extent, Kanagawa is promoting its Healthcare New Frontier policy that approaches these issues through two ways: the “curing ME-BYO” and the “pursuit of cutting-edge medical care and technologies”.

What does it mean to cure ME-BYO?

To put it simply, ME-BYO is the term coined to represent one’s physical and mental state between sickness and health. While the concept of being healthy or ill is usually understood to be independent of each other, the fact of the matter is that the state of one’s health is always on a spectrum that continuously fluctuates between various levels of health and sickness.

Thus, to maintain a consistent state of health both physically and mentally, it is essential that one does not begin searching for a cure only when they become more physically or mentally ill. Rather, one should be conscientiously improving and maintaining a healthy state of mind and body in everyday life that will continue to positively impact their future self by monitoring themselves. After all, “prevention is better than cure”, where prevention is only one factor that contributes toward one’s state of health on the ME-BYO spectrum. Hence, the focus of Kanagawa’s promotion efforts are on policies linked to this concept of curing ME-BYO.

In pursuit of the latest cutting-edge technology and medical care

Moreover, it is important to realise that personalised medicine, and the most appropriate and effective medical care should be provided to those in need of treatment at the earliest possible time. Many world-leading foundational research—such as research on iPS cells—have been pioneered in Japan, but it is also said that its commercialisation and practical application are lagging behind those of Europe and the United States.

Kanagawa has thus been pouring efforts into promoting initiatives insofar as to quickly commercialise and industrialise the results of foundational research such as innovative pharmaceuticals, medical devices, regenerative medicinal products, etc.

The ME-BYO market
Within the ME-BYO concept, it is vital to understand the state of the mind and body in a more accessible way using advanced technology, and to then drive it towards a healthier state. By organically combining these approaches while grasping the state of mind and body in making full use of new technologies such as wearable and monitoring devices, we are able to improve ME-BYO in our daily lives. These new technologies are supported by ME-BYO-related products, which will then encourage the movement towards a ME-BYO market.

Within Kanagawa prefecture, excellent ME-BYO-related products are certified under the ME-BYO BRAND, and as the front-runner of such industries related to ME-BYO, we also actively help to promote these products with the ME-BYO BRAND logos attached to them.
http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/mv4/cnt/f531787/p1078097.html

Furthermore, companies that constitute the ME-BYO industry also gathered to establish a research group.
https://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/mv4/cnt/f536433/index.html

Accumulation of state-of-the-art medical care
The Tonomachi ward of Kawasaki city, Kanagawa prefecture is called King Skyfront, and is predominantly where cutting-edge life sciences companies are congregating. It is home to a number of well-known international companies, including Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), Johnson & Johnson, and Fujifilm.
https://www.king-skyfront.jp/about/

International network
With the aim of international expansion of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and the ME-BYO industry, we are building a global network by signing memorandums of cooperation with more than ten advanced life sciences regions and institutions overseas.A mission team is dispatched to Singapore every year to deepen ties with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), National University of Singapore (NUS) and the National University Health System (NUHS).
http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/mv4/cnt/f531396/p1105812.html

Organising an international symposium
Since 2017, we have been organising international symposiums such as the ME-BYO Summit and the ME-BYO Symposium 2021 to share the concept of ME-BYO globally.
https://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/mv4/me-byo-summit/index.html

Wouldn’t you agree that the Healthcare New Frontier policy is very unique?Kanagawa prefecture actively attracts overseas companies related to a wide range of fields, including advanced medical care and healthcare, robot mobility, and IT electronics, as well as provides a variety of incentives and support in promoting these policies.
https://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/pw3/mlt/f532270/next-kanagawa.html

In addition, as of 2019, there are 302 foreign companies located in Kanagawa, placing it 2nd in Japan after Tokyo. 
http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/pw3/mlt/f370155/

If you find this initiative interesting, you are most certainly welcome to Kanagawa prefecture to create a future together with us. For inquiries, please contact the JETRO Singapore Kanagawa Division at
https://www.jetro.go.jp/singapore/about/organization.html

Profile : Osamu MIMA
Director 
JETRO Singapore Kanagawa Division(Representative Office of Kanagawa Prefectural Government)
Supporting enterpreses in Kanagawa over 20 years since started working at Kanagawa Prefectural Government in 1995.
2012-2013: Inviting Investment Promotion Division
2014-2016: Healthcare New Frontier Division
2017-2018: Inviting Investment Promotion Division
2019: International Business Division
2020- Present Post