Japan

The Health Japan 21 Action Support System Health Promotion Support Network

As part of Health Japan 21, information on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle-related diseases, as well as tools for health promotion professionals, are available online. The tools include manuals and activity sheets to help people increase their physical activity, and prevent obesity (only for men currently) and guidance on giving specific health advice and performing health check ups. Guides on health promotion activities and case studies are also available for organisations wanting to organise their own health promotion activities. Prior to 2025, some of these tools were available on e-Health Net.

Front-of-package Nutrition Labelling Guidelines (In Development)

The Consumer Affairs Agency are currently developing guidelines for front-of-package nutritional labelling in Japan to ensure that nutritional information is easily visible to consumers. Currently, some food businesses have created and adopted a few different voluntary labels (linked in document below). Consultations are being held to develop a standard guideline for businesses.

Health Japan 21 (3rd edition)

The third phase of national health measures for extending people's healthy life expectancy, preventing the development of NCDs, and reducing health disparities. This policy includes 51 goals covering nutrition, dietary habits, exercise, smoking cessation, etc.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023

Recommendations and reference information on physical activity and exercise for health professionals, targeted at children, adults, and seniors. These recommendations were compiled as part of Health Japan 21 (3rd edition)

Obesity Management Guidelines 2022

The "Obesity Treatment Guidelines 2022" have been revised to incorporate the latest knowledge in order to keep up with advances in treatment and academics. It also touches on the social initiatives that the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity aims to take to improve the welfare of people with obesity, including eliminating stigma.

NCD Country Profiles 2018 (Obesity Targets)

The profiles also provide data on the key metabolic risk factors, namely raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and obesity and National Targets on Obesity (as of 2017)

Diet Improvement Promotion Campaign

Since 2016, the diet improvement promotion campaign has been implemented to improve people's dietary habits. This includes increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and ensuring a balanced diet. Public awareness materials are available freely online.

Health Promotion Month

Each year, September is designated as "Health Promotion Month", which involves activities to raise awareness of healthy lifestyle habits like exercise, diet, and smoking cessation. As part of Health Japan 21, these campaigns are intended to prevent the onset of NCDs and extend healthy life expectancy.

Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the Western Pacific Region (2015–2020)

The WHO action plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition in the Western Pacific Region. It calls for accelerated efforts to improve nutrition. The plan includes targets to halt the increase in childhood overweight and adult and adolescent diabetes and obesity by 2025.

Hoken Program (Obesity Policy)

No details available, document in Japanese

Health Japan 21 (2nd edition)

National health measures for extending people's healthy life expectancy, preventing the development of NCDs, and addressing health disparities by improving lifestyle habits and the social environment. This policy included 53 goals covering nutrition, dietary habits, exercise, smoking cessation, etc. These measures were associated with a steady increase in healthy life expectancy, and a decrease in the mortality rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there has been no change in obesity/overweight levels, and health disparities have widened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nutrient content lists

In Japan, producers and retailers are required by law to provide a list of the nutrient content of pre-packaged food products (with limited exceptions), even in the absence of a nutrition or health claim. The rules define which nutrients must be listed and on what basis (eg per 100g/per serving). There are also specific requirements for claiming "high in" or "low in" certain nutrients.

Labelling of trans fatty acids

Producers and retailers are required to display the trans fatty acid content of products as part of the nutritional labelling. Previously, mandatory nutritional labelling did not include trans fatty acid content.

Smart Life Project

The Smart Life Project is a national movement with the slogan "Let's extend our healthy lifespan!", aiming to ensure that all citizens can live healthy, happy, and energetic lives until the very end of their lives. As part of Health Japan 21, the project calls for specific actions centred on the three areas of "exercise," "diet," and "quitting smoking," and promotes these actions in co-operation with companies, organizations, and local governments participating in the project. This involves providing useful health information on websites and other media, and free posters for local and company health promotion events.

Food Education Promotion Council

Convening nutrition partners

School Lunch Program - Shokuiku

Providing food and nutrition education together

Food-based dietary guidelines

Walk-to-school policy

Many education boards require students to walk to school if the school is located within a certain distance from the child's home. The walk-to-school practice has helped combat childhood obesity by providing regular physical activity.

GNPR 2016-17 (q7) Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling

WHO Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016-2017 reported the evidence of breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling (q7)