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WFC Biennial Congress & AssemblyJAPAN COUNTRY REPORT 2005 Sydney Australia
June 14th 2005
For the 8th WFC Assembly Country Report
In Japan there are 220 Doctors of Chiropractic equivalent degree holders. 194 BS equivalent educated chiropractors. Total 414 chiropractors in Japan. Out of 414 chiropractors, 263 are the members of Japanese Association of chiropractors. It is 64 % of qualified chiropractors.
Japanese Association of chiropractors will be no profit corporation from May 2006.
The chiropractic profession in Japan has created a threat to itself. Several Japanese institutions have requested overseas institutions to assist their educational programs (Anatomy sessions and technical instructions). Many of oversea institutions have assisted with good will. Instead sometimes it was used for their own organizational gain for Japanese side. I would like to warn organizations outside Japan to be cautious in becoming involved in educational and professional activities in Japan.
In the last few years Japanese educational scene has changed much. Several institutions started Chiropractic Standardization course. It is intended to be the interim measure to lift up the existing local program to the internationally accepted level of Education. Since legislative movement is slow many practitioners are reluctant to enroll. CMCC/Nichibei, RMIT, Cleaveland/Kokusai ceased to recruit new cohort. Murdoch/JFCP is still doing. We feel that the era of CSC has finished. We have to change strategy now. RMIT has tenth anniversary of the international level of education and Murdoch/JFCP expressed to open same level of education in 2006. We have to move from interim measure to legitimate level of education from now on
Our view for the profession is following. There are three types of Practitioners in Japan. 1) DC or equivalent practitioners 2) CSC graduate practitioners 3) practitioners who were trained in lower level education (self claimed chiropractors).
We acknowledge first 2 categories as Chiropractors. We suggest that the practitioners in the last category are called as chiropractic technicians. The chiropractic technicians do not have right to diagnose the condition but can treat musculoskeletal condition. In the future the chiropractic technicians will be required to practice under the supervision of fully educated chiropractor
We would start Examination and registration system for chiropractors and chiropractic technicians. We will create the Japanese Chiropractic Register (JCR) and Japanese Board of Chiropractic Examiners (JBCE).
By end of the year 2009, Chiropractic University graduate will have no examination to register the register board. First 2 categories of practitioners will register as chiropractors with no examination.Note: This is applicable for CSC Graduates before end of 2006 For CSC Graduate after end of 2006 the plan for 2010 will apply
From the year 2010, Chiropractic University graduate will have examination to register the register board
There will be two types of examinations.
1) Graduates of internationally accepted level of college education must take the examination to register as a chiropractor.
2) Graduate of lower level of education must take the examination to register as a chiropractic technician.
Note: 2) is the interim measure for three years between 2010 to 2012.
These are the blue print for the future. We need more discussions regarding to this. It requires much effort. But we must work hard to accomplish it.
I would like to ask each of you to assist us and we will make every effort for an ethical, respectable chiropractic profession in Japan.
Prepared and presented by Dr Hiro Nakatsuka