Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-02Who holds the health record in Japan?
In 2026, Japan scores 56 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 35= of 65 countries, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: Shared. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-02.
Japanese patients see five years of claims-based records online and choose at each visit what doctors see, but full charts stay with each provider.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Japan?
Access to the full record scores 62 of 100 in Japan, against a median of 62 across 65 countries. The privacy law gives a right to a copy, electronic on request, and Mynaportal shows five years of claims-based treatment and medicine data. The law sets no fixed deadline and allows fees, so full charts still come provider by provider.
Can I control who sees my health record in Japan?
Control and consent scores 62 of 100 in Japan, against a median of 52 across 65 countries. At each visit the patient chooses, item by item, whether the clinic may see past treatment, medicine and checkup data, and Mynaportal lists who received it. Hospital viewing without consent in emergencies, even for conscious patients, keeps the score low in its band.
Eight rights, against South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 62 | 66 · 50 · 62 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 62 | 55 · 50 · 58 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 58 | 65 · 55 · 62 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 48 | 62 · 57 · 64 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 50 | 55 · 45 · 62 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 52 | 58 · 50 · 68 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 50 | 50 · 50 · 50 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 60 | 66 · 55 · 62 |
Black dot: Japan. Hollow dots: South Korea, Thailand, Singapore (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 65 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Japan 56, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; gaps of 4 or less are ties.
What would Japan need to change to score higher?
Japan sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. The two rights furthest below the 65-country median, weighted, are connected care journey (48, median 62) and clinician access at the point of care (52, median 58). The published rubric reads:
- Connected care journey: Primary care, hospitals, labs, pharmacy, claims and public health linked to one record and used at national scale.
- Clinician access at the point of care: Treating clinicians able to see the full record across providers, under consent and emergency rules.
Which laws give health record rights in Japan?
- Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) (2003): Medical history is special care-required data; consent for sharing, breach reports, right to an electronic copy.
- Act amending the APPI (2026) (2026): Consent-free sharing for statistics and AI development; profit-based surcharges; in force within two years.
- Act on Anonymized and Pseudonymized Medical Data for Medical R&D (2017): Hospitals pass data to certified operators after notice, stopping on request; re-identification prohibited.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 26.5 2022 · OECD 36 of 38
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 124 2022 · OECD 9 of 38
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 14.3% 2023 · OECD 31 of 35
- Record reaches private care?
- unknown
Published stories
- 2025-02-18 · Nikkei xTECH Clinic says ransomware attack may have exposed up to 300,000 people's records
- 2026-02-16 · INTERNET Watch (Impress) Hospital confirms attackers stole patient details through a maintenance VPN
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