A research paper co-authored by Yoshitaka Nishino, Research Officer of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), has been published in BMC Research Notes (a peer-reviewed publication of Springer Nature). In the study, the researchers conducted a survey of foreign residents in Japan who are in an economically unstable situation before and after coming to Japan. The survey was conducted at a free health consultation meeting held in the northern Kanto region in 2020 by a nonprofit organization that supports this population. The consultations were attended by people from various Asian countries, and it was found that participants’ sleep time had decreased significantly and their mental health had a tendency to deteriorate after coming to Japan. It was suggested that these changes may be influenced by their unstable residence status, employment status, and isolation, and that further social support is therefore required to support their health.

Read the full article in BMC Research Notes.

Ando H, Nishino Y, Aizawa N, Takahashi K, Itagaki A. Health problems and lifestyles of uninsured immigrants: a report from a free health check-up at a hospital in Japan. BMC Res Notes. 2025 Jul 1;18(1):252.