Demand for CAM Practice at Hospitals in Japan: A Population Survey in Mie Prefecture

Table 6

CAM therapies under the current Japanese healthcare system.

Type	National qualification	Health insurance coverage	Education
Kampo	No	Yes(a)	A minimum of 8-h training at medical school
Acupuncture and moxibustion	Yes	Limited(b)	Three years education at college or
			Four years education at university
Acupressure, massage and Shiatsu	Yes	No	Three years education at college
Seitai	No	No	None
Chiropractic	No	No	None
Aromatherapy	No(c)	No	None
Reflexology	No	No	None
Yoga (Ayurveda)	No(d)	No	None
Qigong	No	No	None
Health foods	No	No	None
Hypnotherapy	No(d)	No	None
Music therapy	No(d)	No	None
Meditation	No	No	None
Psychotherapy	No(e)	No	None
Balneotherapy	No	No	None
Thalassotherapy	No	No	None

Kampo and balneotherapy have no national licensure system, but medical doctors who have completed 5 years of special training and have passed an examination conducted by the academic society of the respective fields are certificated as medical experts in the field.
(a)One hundred and forty-eight Kampo formulae are included under physician’s prescription.
(b)Limited to six diseases. Consent by physicians is required.
(c)Academic society provides society certification for medical doctors or other licensed co-medical practitioners who meet the requirement and passed written examination. There are also qualifications offered by non-academic associations for non-licensed and licensed health professionals.
(d)Applicants who meet the requirements of academic society in the field and pass the examinations are provided qualification by the society.
(e)Applicants who meet the requirements of foundation in the field and pass the examinations are provided qualification by the foundation.