Ningen Dock and World Welfare

Ningen Dock, our general health check-up system, has a long history. In 1938, one of the leading figures in the Japanese government decided to be hospitalized at the Sakaguchi Internal Medicine Department of the University of Tokyo for a health check-up, in order to dispel a rumor that he had been seriously ill. Journalists likened the hospitalization to a dry dock for ship repair, and the term "Ningen Dock" came into being. Later, in 1954, Ningen Dock, or human dry dock practice began to be offered regularly for the first time at The First Tokyo National Hospital and later at St. Luke's International Hospital (current Honorary Chairman of the Board : Shigeaki Hinohara). Since then, a large number of hospitals and medical centers around Japan including those belonging to Japan Hospital Association have followed suit. Ningen Dock programs were originally very expensive and intended mainly for VIPs, but, automatic blood analyzers and other medical testing equipment advanced markedly. Also, after Japan Society of Ningen Dock (current President : Masaharu Nara) was set up in 1959 and expanded, Ningen Dock programs became an established, powerful health management method even for ordinary people around Japan. At present, more than 11 million people have a medical check-up annually using some kind of Ningen Dock service (Fig. 1)1, which contributes to making Japan a nation whose citizens have the longest life expectancy in the world.