2026 Advance Care Planning Event in Wakayama: Report and Videos
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare held the first event of fiscal 2026 to promote advance care planning on October 12 at the Wakayama Prefectural Cultural Hall, and published an event report and videos of the day's talks. The program included a keynote by an expert, an introduction to Wakayama Prefecture's initiatives, a discussion with Yuki Matsushita and director Hideyuki Katsuki, and a film screening. About 800 people attended from across Japan.
Key points
- An advance care planning meeting is an effort to think in advance about desired medical treatment and care, then discuss and share those wishes with family members and the medical and care team.
- A fiscal 2022 survey found that about 70% of the general public had not heard of advance care planning.
- About 800 people attended from across Japan.
- The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare published videos of the day's talks on its website.
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare held the fiscal 2026 event as an opportunity for the public to consider the current state, challenges, and importance of advance care planning.
The ministry is promoting awareness activities to encourage more people to take an interest in advance care planning and consider it personally. Two venues are planned for this fiscal year, with Wakayama Prefecture serving as the first venue.
Impact
After the screening, participants were seen discussing their impressions of the film in light of the talks and discussion session. In the exhibition area, many visitors stopped to show interest in the displays.
Details
The event was held on Monday, October 12, 2026, a public holiday, from 14:00 to 17:45 at the Main Hall of the Wakayama Prefectural Cultural Hall. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare hosted the event, Wakayama Prefecture co-hosted it, and Wakayama City, the Wakayama Medical Association, and the Wakayama City Medical Association provided support.
In her keynote, Sena Yamamoto explained the value of advance care planning for receiving desired medical treatment and care, sharing one's values with trusted people, and how to proceed. Masaya Higashinishi introduced the prefecture's awareness activities and examples from medical settings. In a discussion among Yuki Matsushita, director Hideyuki Katsuki, and experts, participants addressed talking with people close to them and discussing the values behind their wishes when those wishes change.
The film "Oshukatsu 3: Shunko! Life's Memories" (runtime: 115 minutes) was screened. The venue also featured an exhibition introducing awareness initiatives in the prefecture and activities by related organizations.
Videos of the day's talks were published on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website.