When the Japanese government adopted Western medicine in the late nineteenth century, it left intact the infrastructure of primary care by giving licenses to the existing practitioners and by initially setting the hurdle for entry into medical school low. Public financing of hospitals was kept...

Westernizing medicine -- Reacting to deteriorating health -- Improving people's health for war -- Reforming health care with the United States -- Achieving universal health insurance -- Consolidating universal health insurance -- Making universal health insurance survive -- Japanese health care...

In order to control ever-increasing health care expenditure, Western and Asian countries are seeking to develop more efficient health care models. Studies on health care that focus specifically on Asian countries are rare, rendering this a unique and welcome addition to the literature. This book...