Medical Excellence JAPAN

What Medical Excellence JAPAN does

Medical Excellence JAPAN (MEJ) is a non-profit general incorporated association (一般社団法人) founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, designated by the Japanese government as the central secretariat for medical internationalization under the Japan Revitalization Strategy. It operates three core service lines: the Japan International Hospitals (JIH) accreditation program for hospitals serving foreign patients, the Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Company (AMTAC) certification for medical-travel facilitators, and the Medical Excellence Forum (MF/MTF), a bilateral matchmaking platform linking Japanese providers with overseas governments, insurers, and facilitators. The MExx online marketplace extends these capabilities digitally. By 2024, MEJ had accredited 39+ hospitals and enrolled 42+ corporate members including Canon Medical, Eisai, Fujifilm, Fujitsu, Olympus, Terumo, and Sysmex, and supported 9,552 inbound medical travelers (approximately 1.8x YoY) with 2,099 foreign patients accepted by JIH hospitals in FY2024.

MEJ's revenue model is a blend of three streams: government-commissioned projects from METI, MHLW, and the Cabinet Secretariat (the largest but undisclosed line item); corporate forum membership fees (reported in the JPY 10K–150K annual range); and certification service fees (AMTAC at approximately JPY 400K initial plus JPY 300K renewal). The organization runs with a lean team of approximately 16 employees and is led by President Dr. Kenji Shibuya (appointed 2023). Active programs span Vietnam, Thailand, India, Taiwan, and China, with recent MOUs targeting Chinese patient referrals (CNMIA, 2025) and Thai proton-therapy pathways (BDMS, 2025).

The entity is structurally a public-private platform rather than a commercial enterprise: it has no equity funding rounds, no patents, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Its defensibility rests on its regulatory designation, the network of accredited hospitals and certified facilitators, and brand recognition of JIH/AMTAC marks among foreign payors. Forward expansion is concentrated in high-value oncology referrals (proton therapy) and new geographic corridors (China, India), with concentration risk on Japanese government mandates and bilateral partner institutions.

Name

Medical Excellence JAPAN

Legal name

Medical Excellence JAPAN (一般社団之法Medical Excellence JAPAN)

Website

https://medicalexcellencejapan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medical Excellence JAPAN (MEJ) is a Tokyo-based non-profit designated by the Japanese government to internationalize Japan's medical sector, operating JIH hospital accreditation, AMTAC facilitator certification, and bilateral forums that channel foreign patients into Japanese hospitals across Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Internationalization Services

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

International Healthcare Access & Provider Network Navigation (EDAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Medical tourism facilitation
• Healthcare internationalization services
• Hospital accreditation programs
• Medical travel assistance certification
• Public-private healthcare partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Commissioned Projects: MEJ receives commissioned projects from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Healthcare Industries Division and other government agencies to promote the globalization of Japan's medical services. These include public-private missions, international exhibitions, domestic seminars, and verification surveys for establishing medical bases overseas.
2. Corporate and Forum Membership Fees: MEJ operates membership programs for corporate members and forum members (medical institutions). Corporate membership fees support the organization while forum membership provides benefits including government collaboration opportunities, JIH information sharing, and access to enterprise members.
3. Certification Services: MEJ conducts certification reviews for AMTAC (Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Companies) with initial certification review fees of 400,000 yen and renewal fees of 300,000 yen (excluding consumption tax).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MEJ operates as a designated public-private partnership platform for the internationalization of Japan's medical and healthcare services. It coordinates government-commissioned projects (METI, MHLW), runs accreditation programs (JIH for hospitals, AMTAC for medical travel assistance companies), manages bilateral healthcare cooperation forums with Asian countries, and provides industry membership, certification review, and physician liability insurance services to support both inbound medical tourism and outbound expansion of Japanese healthcare companies.

Product overview

Medical Excellence JAPAN (MEJ) operates as a platform organization facilitating the internationalization of Japanese healthcare services through two primary service streams: outbound initiatives (promoting Japanese medical services abroad) and inbound initiatives (welcoming international patients to Japan). The core product portfolio includes the JapanHospitalSearch portal for patient referral, the Medical Travel Forum (MTF) for industry coordination, the AMTAC certification for medical travel assistance companies, the JIH accreditation for medical institutions, the MExx framework for Asian regional cooperation, the MEJ Forum for industry membership, and overseas physician liability insurance. The organization functions as a public-private partnership platform working with government agencies including METI and MHLW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Japan International Hospitals (JIH): Certification program for medical institutions accepting international patients
• Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Companies (AMTAC)
• Medical Travel Forum (MTF)
• MExx (Medical Excellence in Asia)

Products and services

• JapanHospitalSearch
• Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Company (AMTAC) Certification
• Japan International Hospitals (JIH) Accreditation
• Medical Travel Forum (MTF)
• MExx (Medical Excellence in Asia)
• MEJ Forum Membership
• Overseas Physician Liability Insurance (International Version)

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,552 inbound medical travelers supported by AMTAC/MTF in 2024 (1.8x growth YoY)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Medical Excellence Taiwan (MET)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025MET is MEJ's counterpart organization in Taiwan, with whom MEJ co-hosts bilateral symposiums and medical exchange programs. The partnership focuses on promoting medical travel between Japan and Taiwan, sharing best practices in healthcare internationalization, and facilitating joint business matching between medical institutions and companies.
• China Non-Public Medical Institutions Association (CNMIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2025CNMIA is a national-level non-profit association approved by China's State Council, representing approximately 500,000 medical institutions (about half of China's healthcare institutions). MEJ signed an MOU for medical and health industry cooperation, and co-hosted the first Japan-China Medical Cooperation Forum in August 2025.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024CII is India's largest economic organization representing companies across manufacturing, services, and startups. MEJ partnered with CII and ERIA to hold ME-India seminars and business matching events, including the 1st and 2nd ME-India Seminars at CII Health Summits.
• Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2024BDMS is Thailand's leading private hospital network. MEJ signed an MOU with BDMS and ERIA to support the establishment of the Bangkok Proton Therapy Center, providing Japanese expertise in proton therapy treatment developed since 1983.
• Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ERIA is an international organization supporting ASEAN and East Asian economic integration. MEJ serves as ERIA's counterpart for promoting 'Medical Excellence in Asia (MExx)' through various bilateral healthcare cooperation frameworks with Vietnam, Thailand, India, and other countries.
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerJETRO supports Japanese businesses in overseas expansion. MEJ collaborates with JETRO Bangkok on Thailand healthcare-wellness business matching events and shares market information for Japanese companies entering Asian healthcare markets.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA implements technical cooperation projects. MEJ has collaborated with JICA on hospital management training programs, including a program for Azerbaijan in 2015, to promote Japan's medical expertise internationally.
• Vietnam Medical Association / MEV ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEV (Medical Excellence Vietnam) is the bilateral forum for Japan-Vietnam healthcare cooperation. MEJ conducts regular forums, matching events, and joint projects with Vietnamese medical institutions including 108 Military Central Hospital, to promote medical exchange and collaboration.
• Thai Chamber of Commerce / ME ThailandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerME Thailand is the bilateral forum for Japan-Thailand healthcare cooperation, coordinated with the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Activities include joint seminars on wellness and regenerative medicine, business matching, and collaboration on proton therapy center development.
• Japan Prime Minister's Office (Cabinet Secretariat)coreOthersThe Cabinet Secretariat leads the government's healthcare strategies. MEJ participates in projects implemented by the Cabinet Secretariat as the designated central secretariat for medical globalization under the Japan Revitalization Strategy.
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)coreOthersMETI Healthcare Industries Division commissions MEJ to implement projects promoting Japan's medical service internationalization, including overseas PR activities, public-private missions, and verification surveys for medical base establishment.
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)majorOthersMHLW works on medical service internationalization alongside MEJ. MEJ participates in MHLW projects including verification surveys for Cuba medical center establishment and global health cooperation initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SingaporeMedicine: Singapore's national program promoting the country as a medical hub for international patients. Comparable to MEJ's inbound medical tourism promotion function, with similar government backing and focus on attracting Asian patients to high-quality hospitals.
• JTB Corporation (Japan Medical & Health Tourism Center): Major Japanese travel agency running the Japan Medical & Health Tourism Center. Member of MEJ and holder of the first AMTAC certification (MEJ-AMTAC-001), providing medical travel assistance services comparable to MEJ's coordination platform.
• Thailand's Medical Hub Program: Thai government initiative to develop Thailand as a regional medical hub. Directly comparable to MEJ's MExx framework and bilateral forums, with ME Thailand serving as MEJ's counterpart partnership.
• Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC): Malaysian government agency under the Ministry of Health promoting Malaysia as a premier medical tourism destination. Comparable to MEJ as a national-level marketing and certification body for international medical travelers, with similar hospital accreditation programs.
• Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI): Korean government-affiliated organization that promotes Korea's medical internationalization and inbound medical tourism. Directly comparable to MEJ as a national-level platform coordinating healthcare exports and patient referrals, with similar bilateral cooperation frameworks across Asia.

Emerging players

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): India's largest business association with which MEJ co-hosts ME-India Seminars and business matching events. Comparable as a bilateral counterpart for India market entry coordination, though CII's scope extends well beyond healthcare.

Broad incumbents

• Joint Commission International (JCI): Global leader in healthcare accreditation operating across 70+ countries. Comparable to MEJ's JIH accreditation function as a hospital quality certification body, but JCI operates globally with much broader scope and stronger brand recognition.
• Medical Tourism Association: Global non-profit trade association for the medical tourism industry. Comparable to MEJ as a coordinating body for medical tourism, but operates globally with broader membership across multiple countries rather than focusing on Japan.

Regional players

• Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS): Thailand's largest private hospital network with active MOU with MEJ for Bangkok Proton Therapy Center. Adjacent to MEJ as a major Asian hospital group participating in cross-border medical partnerships, though primarily a hospital operator rather than a coordination platform.

Others

• International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ): Industry publication and information resource for medical travel professionals. Adjacent to MEJ as a sector information provider and thought leader, though primarily a media and research entity rather than a coordination platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtYZ3Iz0cv-BSpyrfJv2Jtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/MedicalExcellenceJAPAN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medical-excellence-japan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medical Excellence JAPAN