To promote food, nutrition and health, the International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW) has launched a new training course in collaboration with two major Japanese food companies, Ajinomoto and Meiji.
The goal of the program is to cultivate professionals who can conduct evidence-based food research, disseminate research findings internationally, and contribute to debates about nutrition policy and evaluation methods.
Rethinking Nutrition Policy
Japan ranks among the world leaders in longevity, health care system, public health framework, and focus on food and nutrition.
IUHW Vice President Naoko Yamamoto said the training program was developed in line with the three pillars of the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit to be hosted by Japan in 2021.
“The first is to take advantage of private companies’ development capabilities and ability to create new value to expand the range of choices for consumers,” he says.
To date, global health promotion policies have relied primarily on regulatory measures, such as taxing foods high in salt or sugar to encourage consumption.
However, at the 2021 Tokyo meeting, emphasis was placed on using companies’ product development and technical capabilities to improve nutrition.
Placing Asia on the map
The second pillar focuses on Asia. For decades, available information has been skewed toward Europe and the United States, largely because most research and academic articles are written in English.
Yamamoto noted that “the health and dietary habits of people in Asia differ from those in Europe and the United States, and more research is needed to take into account cultural background and regional characteristics.”
Holding the summit in Japan, she added, helped deliver that vision.
The third pillar is Japan’s Universal Health Coverage Initiative. At the Tokyo Summit, a guiding principle was established to “create a society in which everyone has equal access not only to health care, but also to preventive, nutritional and other health-related services, so that people can take care of their health.”
This summit was also held on the occasion of the Olympic Games. For this, it was hoped that the next conference would be held in Paris in 2025, creating the three pillars proposed in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, says Yamamoto, the debate ultimately went in a different direction. Ultra-processed foods emerged as a central issue, and the role of the food industry became a point of contention. Similarly, the conference shifted the focus away from the Asian perspective that had been emphasized in Tokyo.
Proof for longevity
Another important factor at the Tokyo summit was the need for scientific evidence to support the global development of these three pillars.
“We cannot say that there is enough evidence to show how Japanese food and nutrition contribute to the country’s healthy longevity,” says Yamamoto.
The new IUHC program seeks to develop professionals who can conduct such research, clarify what constitutes a healthy diet for the Japanese population, and share the findings abroad. Ajinomoto and Meiji share this view.
A five-year initiative to train experts, share research findings, and translate them into social impact and practical application was launched in 2025. After a one-year preparatory course for adult professionals, graduate-level lectures will begin in April 2026.
Beyond the junk food label
In recent years, international food companies have expanded into the Pacific Islands, where sugary soft drinks – often cheaper than water – are widely available.
Concerns have been raised that this has contributed to an increase in severely obese children, as well as an increased reliance on foods such as hamburgers and potato chips, leading to malnutrition and obesity.
However, Yamamoto suggests that “simply labeling all processed foods as bad is inappropriate.” Instead, he says, discussions should focus on the broader food environment and the overall balance of one’s diet.
For example, instant noodles are often labeled as junk food. Yet they are simple and convenient, and can also serve as an emergency food supply during disasters. What ultimately matters is how such foods are consumed, and their evaluation requires a multifaceted perspective.
When Western guidelines are not appropriate
It has often been noted that nutritional guidelines in the West are not directly applicable in Asia, including Japan. An example is energy constraints.
A concurrent study was published in New England Journal of Medicine found that while more than 60% of men and nearly 50% of women had a BMI of more than 25 (classified as overweight or obese), only 1.4% of men and 8% of women had a BMI of less than 20 (underweight).
In contrast, studies conducted in Japan, South Korea, and China found that while 12% of the combined population had a BMI higher than 27.5 (fast), as many as 20% had a BMI of 20 or lower.
“In the West, fighting obesity is a major priority,” says Yamamoto. “However, in Japan, malnutrition among young women is a concern, and throughout Asia, malnutrition among adults is also an issue.” This, she says, reflects the “double burden of malnutrition”, in which obesity and undernutrition coexist.
“We need to confirm through data analysis whether nutrition and health recommendations developed in the West are also applicable in Japan,” adds Yamamoto. “Discussions should also consider issues specific to Japan, such as high salt consumption.”
Measuring food correctly
Even the Access to Nutrition initiative—an international corporate evaluation run by a Dutch NGO—applies evaluation criteria based largely on Western standards to companies in Japan and other parts of Asia.
For example, spices commonly used in Japanese households for rice and other dishes are dissolved in their undissolved form as part of the finished bread, resulting in very high levels of salt.
The same applies to cup noodles. Although they are generally consumed after adding hot water, the evaluation only considers powdered soup and noodles in dry form.
“If institutional investors make investment decisions based on such valuations, Japanese companies could be at a disadvantage,” says Yamamoto. Yamamoto says this can spur companies’ efforts and innovation to improve food and health.
Japanese cuisine, built around the principle of “one soup and three side dishes”, is remarkably diverse. In 2013, it was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Through the university’s new program, participants will explore new approaches to nutritional assessment based on Japanese food culture and dietary patterns to develop next-generation methods of nutritional profiling. Courses for working professionals will also be offered again this year.
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Author: Mika Sugiura
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