Media coverage

[News] New Publications on Traditional Arts and Cultural Epidemiology in The Lancet Regional Health (Western Pacific) [Assistant Professor Yukiko Honda and Professor Naoki Kondo]

We are pleased to announce the publication of two new articles by our research team, led by Assistant Professor Yukiko Honda and Professor Naoki Kondo, in the Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific Series on Social Prescribing, published on January 15, 2026. These contributions explore the critical role of culture in public health and provide new frameworks for understanding mental and social well-being.

In the first article, titled Traditional arts and events for mental and social well-being, Assistant Professor Honda presents a scoping review of 42 studies framed by the concept of intangible cultural heritage. The study identifies how traditional practices, from daily rituals to extraordinary festivals, serve as living cultural practices that contribute to mental and social well-being by fostering resilience and social connection. [Read the full article here]

Complementing this review, Professor Kondo contributes a commentary titled Cultural epidemiology: a missing lens in public health research. He advocates for the integration of “cultural capital” in epidemiology. Professor Kondo argues that to create effective public health interventions, we must understand the cultural context of how people live, eat, and connect. [Read the full article here]

To explore these insights, a video abstract featuring both researchers is now available online. This video visually demonstrates how local traditions can build stronger societies and summarizes the key messages from these newly published works.

Watch the Video Abstract: Social Prescribing in the Western Pacific Region

Read the Full Series: The Lancet Regional Health – Social Prescribing Series

[Announcement] ISPC2026: The International Social Prescribing Conference to be Held in Kyoto

We are pleased to announce that the International Social Prescribing Conference (ISPC2026) will take place on May 27 and 28, 2026, at the Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall. This conference will bring together experts to discuss the future of social and cultural prescribing.

We are also happy to inform you that registration and abstract submission are now open. You can register and submit your work directly via the link below. Please note that an Early Registration Discount on the registration fee is available until the end of February, so we encourage you to register early to take advantage of this special rate.

For full details and to access the registration portal, please visit the official English website: https://ispc2026.symposium-hp.jp/

[Media Coverage] PHSSR Summit at Osaka Expo 2025 Highlights Japan’s Strategy for Sustainable and Resilient Health Systems: Professor Naoki Kondo Serves as Advisor for “Domain 1: Population Health”

A special event titled the PHSSR Summit at the Japan International Expo was recently held at Expo 2025 Osaka to introduce key policy recommendations from the Japanese report by the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR).

The Japan report, Key Policy Recommendations for Prevention and Early Intervention for NCDs, identifies current challenges and proposes reforms across seven domains of the healthcare system. The recommendations emphasize equity, integration, value-based care, participatory governance, and environmental sustainability.

Professor Naoki Kondo contributed to this report as an advisor for “Domain 1: Population Health,” providing expert guidance on improving preventive healthcare to reduce health disparities and strengthen early intervention for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Click on News1, News2, and News3 for full media coverage in Japanese.

[Media Coverage] Towns with More Library Books Tend to Have Longer, Healthier Life Expectancy: Each Additional Library Book per Person Is Associated with a 4% Lower Risk of Needing Long-Term Care among Older Adults

Our research paper, “Public libraries and functional disability: A cohort study of Japanese older adults,” analyzed data from 73,138 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older across 19 Japanese municipalities (mean follow-up 7.3 years) and demonstrated that each additional library book per person corresponded to a 4% reduction in the risk of requiring long-term care.

This finding was featured exclusively in Japanese media, most notably in medical journalist Naoko Iwanaga’s newsletter, which provides an accessible overview of the study alongside commentary from Koji Fujisaka, former director of Nagoya City Shidami Library.

Click here to read the Japanese newsletter. The full paper in English is available here.

News: Media coverage “The decision to postpone pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic is strongly associated with lower well-being”

The content of a paper published by the RISTEX project “How Did The Pandemic Affect Women’s Decisions On Pregnancy?,” sponsored by our laboratory, was recently featured on the website of Theravive, a Canadian organization of clinical psychologists.

“Pregnancy decisions are influenced by societal factors. Those choosing delay often experience isolation and loneliness. This article aims to connect them with support and connection.”

For detailed information, access the published article here. For Paper details, click here.

Media Coverage: “JIBUN TRAINER” program for health guidance using avatars for employees (Checkup Championship)

Hakuhodo DY Holdings (HD) is conducting joint research with us and has been featured in multiple media outlets for its “Checkup Championship.”

Our laboratory (Department of Social Epidemiology at Kyoto University) has been working with Hakuhodo DYHD to verify the effectiveness of the “Checkup Championship,” a workplace health and wellness program. This year, 3D avatar generators were set up at the site of health checkups to generate avatars of preference employees. The generated avatars provide guidance on exercise and eating habits to improve employees’ health awareness.

Our laboratory is conducting joint research with the company on the effectiveness of the “JIBUN TRAINER” program.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun: Hakuhodo DYHD Employee avatar guides own exercise (Published on October 11, 2023); click here for details.

Jiji.com News (Jiji Press): Exercise instruction is avatar’s own “Health Management” by motivating slothful employees (Published on October 16, 2023); click here for details.

Media Coverage: Tsukuba Science News “Toward Solving the Problem of Social Isolation and Loneliness, which is Essential to Achieving the SDGs”

Project “Hybrid Care Network with ‘Anywhere Door’ for Local Communities”, for which Naoki Kondo is the principal investigator, was introduced in Tsukuba Science News.

Tsukuba Science News “Toward Solving the Problem of Social Isolation and Loneliness, which is Essential to Achieving the SDGs”

 

【Media coverage】: “With COVID-19 era, questioning the state of health management from lifelog data, updataNOW20 event report” in Data no Jikan(Professor Kondo)

An event attended by Naoki Kondo and Mr.Toshinari Watanabe (President, Link and Communication Co., Ltd.), with whom he is conducting joint research, was introduced in Data no Jikan.

Data no Jikan

“With COVID-19 era, questioning the state of health management from lifelog data, updataNOW20 event report” Published on November 4, 2021.