Japan’s Health Ministry Approves “Sleep Disorder” as Medical Department Name, First Addition Since 2008

By Barrier Free Japan, extract from Nikkei

March 6 2026

TOKYO – On March 6, a specialized panel of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved adding “sleep disorders” to the list of medical department names that medical institutions can display on signboards and in advertisements. It is the first addition since 2008. The term will be used in combination with department names that can be listed independently, such as internal medicine or psychiatry, allowing designations such as “sleep disorders internal medicine.” The government plans to revise the relevant cabinet ordinance, with the change expected to take effect as early as this spring.

The request had been made by the Japanese Society of Sleep Research. Japanese people are said to sleep fewer hours compared with those in many other countries. Allowing the term to be used as a department name is expected to make it easier for patients to access appropriate medical care.

The health ministry will revise the ordinance after consulting the Japan Medical Association and relevant academic societies and conducting a public comment process.

Medical department names that healthcare institutions can display on signboards and in advertisements are known as “designated clinical departments.” To protect patients from inappropriate advertising, the Medical Care Act regulates such listings, with the permitted department names specified by government ordinance.

In April 2008, the government reviewed and expanded the list through revisions to ministerial and cabinet ordinances. About 20 department names, such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and psychiatry, can be used independently, while other terms, such as “orthopedics” and “palliative care,” can be used in combination with them.