TOKYO - Japan's medical sector is facing an acute shortage of nurses, triggering a wave of ward closures and even hospital shutdowns. Once regarded as an admired profession and often described as 'angels in white,' nurses are now under mounting strain from long working hours and wages many say do not match the demands of the job.
According to the latest available Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry statistics from 2020, Japan had about 1.73 million nursing professionals nationwide. Government estimates had warned that the country could face a shortfall of as many as 270,000 nurses by 2025.
The consequences extend far beyond hospitals, threatening the stability of daily life and public health. Against that backdrop, nurses across Japan launched coordinated strikes this spring, demanding better staffing and higher pay.
On March 13, nurses at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo, a flagship institution within one of Japan's largest hospital groups, joined a one-hour strike early in the morning.
Workers called for increased staffing so they could provide better medical care and patient services. Many said stagnant wages were also fueling frustration.
Similar action took place simultaneously at more than 1,000 hospitals and nursing-care facilities nationwide, including in Fukuoka and Sendai.
One participating nurse said: 'If more staff were added to our workplace, it would make a real difference. Sometimes it feels like healthcare work is being undervalued.'
Demonstrations were also held in busy districts such as Shinjuku, where nurses demanded substantial increases in medical and nursing-care staffing levels.
In response, the health minister acknowledged severe pressures in the sector and said the government would work to ensure support measures reach frontline workplaces, linking them to steady wage growth.
Experts warn that the shortage many feared has already arrived.
One commentator said Japan's healthcare and nursing-care systems have long depended on the dedication and sense of duty of nurses and care workers.
'Nurses are not angels,' the expert said. 'Unless workplaces become easier to work in, people will continue leaving healthcare.'
The crisis is already visible at regional hospitals.
One midsize community hospital with 218 beds and about 160 nurses, operating a 24-hour emergency service, has been struggling to retain staff.
A veteran charge nurse with 15 years of experience began the morning by sharing patient updates with a younger colleague. The hospital uses a paired nursing system in which two nurses jointly care for patients, allowing multiple perspectives on treatment and care.
That teamwork was quickly put to the test when a colleague asked for help inserting an IV into a patient with fragile veins. The experienced nurse stepped in successfully.
The hospital has built a strong local reputation for attentive care, but staffing has become a growing burden.
Creating work schedules has become especially difficult. Despite employing around 160 nurses, the hospital lost 30 over the past year in a steady stream of resignations.
At night, one ward with 60 patients may be staffed by just three nurses, or in some cases two nurses and one care worker.
'We need more nurses,' one staff member said. 'Otherwise it becomes extremely difficult.'
Managers have tried recruitment drives and temporary staffing agencies, but vacancies remain hard to fill.
The shortage directly affects patient safety and infection control.
On one day, a COVID-19 patient was identified in the hospital, forcing staff to reorganize 50 beds on a single floor to isolate the case.
The emergency response pushed nurses beyond their scheduled hours.
For one nurse, the delay created another problem: rushing to collect her two-year-old daughter from nursery school.
She finally left the hospital at 5:30 p.m., an hour after her shift had ended.
Low pay, long hours and emotional exhaustion are driving many nurses out of the profession, while those who remain shoulder heavier workloads.
As Japan's population ages and medical demand rises, the country's ability to secure enough nurses may determine the future of its healthcare system.
Source: テレ東BIZ
