The Blackwell Companion to Medical Sociology

Health, Illness, and Health Policy in Japan 443
Figure 25.2 Total patient (inpatient and outpatient) population by principal disease
diagnoses
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1998.
of the Japanese (Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare 1999). On one hand, Japan
has created a highly managed society with excellent sanitation that enable the Japanese
to live on average longer than in any other country in the world. On the other
hand, it is today beset with an aging population, with more and more Japanese
suffering from diseases caused by living in a highly managed, stressful society.
Socio ocio-E -Environmental
nvironmental Factors actors Causing ausing Lifestyle ifestyle
Diseases iseases and Japanese apanese Behavioral ehavioral Characteristics
haracteristics
Diseases related to daily livinghabits are by nature preventable, treatable, or
controllable, provided healthy habits and behaviors are followed. Thus, it is
important that we know what habits are health-inducingand learn how to
change any daily habits that are detrimental to health. But in reality it is difficult
to develop healthy habits and behaviors even if we have sound knowledge of
what is good and what is bad for us.
Why? One reason is that the environment we live in is such that it is hard to
develop healthy daily behaviors. For example, in a 1991 survey, we found
that, while people in most cities of the world can get to work in 30 minutes