Summary of Research Findings

For the purposes of this research, a hospital group is defined as an organization that manages at least three medical facilities. According to public data from the Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, these groups operate 1,238 hospitals, accounting for 15.3% of Japan's 8,107 hospitals as of January 2026. These group hospitals have 243,049 beds, accounting for 16.7% of Japan's 1,456,922 hospital beds, based on the same data. Breaking it down by bed type, the hospital groups have 139,350 general beds (16.0% of the total of this type of beds), 69,513 long-term care beds (26.2% of the total), and 34,051 psychiatric beds (10.8% of the total).

Based on total assets in FY2023, the Tokushukai Group is the largest group, followed by the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions, the Seirei Social Welfare Community, the Kamachi Medical Group, and the IMS Group.

Noteworthy Topics

Core Hospitals Are Introducing Digital Technology and AI, Propelling Efficient and Optimized Information Sharing, and Task Shifting

Digital transformation in healthcare operations is essential for addressing labor shortages. Core hospitals in these groups are proactively adopting digital technologies and AI to promote efficient and optimized information sharing, and task shifting. These efforts are expected to increase, including the realization of smart hospitals and the establishment of a shared platform among regional healthcare facilities. Since a certain amount of funding is continuously needed for operations, which include securing personnel and advancing digital transformation, hospital groups are required to continue growing. 

Research Outline