Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (厚生労働省, Kōsei‑rōdō‑shō) is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government headquartered at 1‑2‑2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. It was established on January 6, 2001, through the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Labour

Mandate and Functions

• Public Health & Healthcare: Formulates and implements policies on healthcare and medical services. Regulates pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food safety, oversees national hospitals, quarantine stations, infectious disease control, advanced medical research.
• Labour Standards & Employment: Enforces the Industrial Safety and Health Act via the Labour Standards Bureau, oversees working conditions, minimum wage, employment security, equal employment, vocational training; manages job placement through “Hello Work” offices.
• Social Welfare & Pensions: Administers universal health insurance, long-term care insurance, public pensions, elderly and disability welfare, child-rearing support, war victim relief.
• Food, Drug & Consumer Safety: Oversees food sanitation, HACCP adoption, drug and device approval, labeling standards, health promotion campaigns.
• Occupational Safety & Health: Supervises workplace compliance, inspections, accident investigations, workers’ compensation; collaborates with JISHA and JNIOSH.
• Research & Statistics: Conducts vital, health, labour and social welfare surveys and statistics through its Statistics & Information Department, supporting data-driven policymaking.
• International & Crisis Response: Represents Japan at WHO, ILO, G7; coordinates pandemic and disaster response via quarantine services.

Organisational Structure

The ministry is led by a Cabinet Minister, aided by state ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Its internal structure includes:

• Minister’s Secretariat, including the Statistics & Information Department.
• Bureaus: Health Policy, Health Services, Pharmaceutical & Food Safety, Labour Standards, Employment Security, Human Resources Development, Equal Employment, Social Welfare, Elderly Care, Health Insurance, Pension, etc.
• Affiliated bodies: six national research institutes, 218 national hospitals, 13 quarantine stations, 47 prefectural labour bureaus, 47 social insurance bureaus.
• Independent administrative institutions, such as the National Institute of Health Sciences, JNIOSH, and the Japan Pension Service.

Role in Occupational Safety and Workforce Protection

The Labour Standards Bureau enforces the Industrial Safety and Health Act, conducting workplace inspections, accident investigations, and managing compensation. It works alongside JISHA for training and JNIOSH for research-backed regulations.

National Insurance and Pension Systems

MHLW administers Japan’s universal health insurance, long-term care, pension and social security systems, utilizing big-data analytics to manage challenges stemming from an aging population.

Food & Drug Safety and Public Health Promotion

The ministry enforces the Food Sanitation Act, oversees HACCP implementation, regulates pharmaceuticals and food, and implements public health and nutrition campaigns to raise awareness.

Research and Data‑Driven Approaches

MHLW’s Statistics & Information Department designs and analyzes a wide range of surveys on demographics, health, welfare, employment, and wages. These inform robust evidence-based policymaking.

International Engagement and Crisis Response

The ministry represents Japan in international bodies like WHO, ILO, G7. Its quarantine stations and health bureaus play critical roles in pandemic planning and emergency response.

Education & Accreditation Role

While MEXT oversees universities, MHLW plays a key role in professional education:

• Sets standards and administers the national nursing licensure exam; regulates nursing education.
• Operates vocational training institutions like the Social Insurance College and Polytechnic University under JEED.
• Maintains certification frameworks for vocational and technical skills.

The Polytechnic University (PTU)

The Polytechnic University, managed by JEED (Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers) under MHLW, is Japan’s sole national polytechnic university. Located in Kodaira, Tokyo, it focuses on vocational trainer education, research, and curriculum development.

• Mission & Programs: Trains "techno-instructors" via a 4‑year bachelor’s degree in production technology (established in FY 2012) and a master’s in production engineering (since April 2016). Provides in-service retraining, research & development in vocational pedagogy.
• Curriculum & Training: Curriculum includes ~5,600 credit hours over four years—nearly twice that of standard colleges—with a strong emphasis on practical training, experiments, leadership, career consulting, PDCA-based policy development, and industry collaboration.

Conclusion

The MHLW is a comprehensive ministry integrating public health, labour regulation, social welfare, consumer safety, occupational health, data analytics, international cooperation, and professional education. Though it doesn't directly manage universities, its role in accrediting nursing and vocational programs (through JEED and PTU) ensures high-quality professional training aligned with national needs. Through activities such as curriculum development, licensure oversight, vocational instructor training, and research, MHLW supports workforce excellence, public trust, and societal resilience in areas like elderly care, occupational safety, and technical skills development.

Organization Name

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

厚生労働省

Acronym

Year of Establishment

2001

Control Type

Public

Entity Type

Non-Profit

Geo Focus and Coverage

National

Recognized by

n.a.

Affiliations or Memberships

n.a.

Number of Member Universities or Accredited Institutions

n.a.

Address

1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
100-8916 Tokyo Japan

Phone

Fax

n.a.

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Wikipedia Article

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