On January 29, 2025, Dr. James L. J. Nuzzo, Founder and President of ISH-Tachi Aoi), gave a lecture on “Gender Equality Today & the Need to Promote Research (Temporary)” at the FY2024 Study Group of Kyoto University Women’s Faculty Association. In his lecture, he spoke for over an hour about the history and current status of women’s empowerment in Japan, as well as the problems Japan faces and the issues that need to be addressed in the future. Japanese interpretation was provided by Prof. Hitomi Kataoka.
Slides of the lecture can be found here (in English).
We will share the text of the lecture and viewing of the recording at a later date.
This year’s participants included 9 on-site participants and 12 online participants. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend.
With the introduction of overtime work limit regulations for physicians in 2024, we have been working on hospital-wide efforts to reform the way physicians work. Reforming work styles and having a diverse workforce are two-fold efforts. It is very important for hospitals to make it easier for medical professionals of child-rearing age to work, from the perspective of reforming work styles.
The KUSNoKI project provides multifaceted support for medical professionals of the child-rearing generation, and we will identify issues faced by both men and women in the child-rearing generation, find proactive measures to improve them, and work together with them. We expect that the project will be able to be an advocate for working people.
We also hope that by addressing issues on the ground, this project will lead to more essential improvements in the way we work.
Kyoto University Hospital Assistant Director
Shuichi Matsuda
(In charge of Medical care, Labor, and Hospital bed management)
私は岡山県での勤務時、学位取得や学会企画参加に際し岡山県医師会や学会等の支援制度を利用したことがあり、当事者として、そして支援担当者として女性医師支援やDE&I(Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)に関わるプロジェクトの重要性と存在意義を実感してきました。京都大学でも片岡仁美教授のご指導のもと、引き続きこうした活動に関われることが嬉しく、やりがいを感じています。
The KUSNoKI Project, which was initiated in 2023 mainly by the Graduate School of Medicine, is now ready to expand its activities with the establishment of a contact point at Kyoto University Hospital for the KUSNoKI Project in FY2024.
When I was working in Okayama Prefecture, I used the support system of the Okayama Medical Association and academic societies to attend graduate school classes and participate in academic conference planning. As a person involved and in charge of support, I have realized the importance and significance of projects related to support for female doctors and DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
I am glad to continue to be involved in such activities at Kyoto University under the guidance of Professor Hitomi Kataoka, and find it very rewarding.
As times have changed, the scope of diversity has expanded, as people have begun to question whether it is appropriate to support women alone, and whether other attributes should be considered as well. While this is a welcome development, it has unfortunately not led to a situation where support for women can be brought to an end, as the focus has become blurred without sufficient measures and awareness-raising for each. There is a possibility that DE&I will stagnate if we only provide the kind of support that has been provided in the past, and I feel that more efforts based on a long-term perspective that is aware of this situation are needed.
While expanding and deepening our knowledge on a daily basis, we will promote initiatives based on the four pillars of the KUSUNoKI project: Career Support, Work & Life Support, Reinstatement Support, Public Awareness Support. We hope to send out a message from Kyoto to create a medical community in which everyone can work in their own way, without having to go to the trouble of “supporting women” and so on.
We would like to make every effort to grow together with you so that your work and life can be more comfortable and personalized.
KUSNoKI Project In charge of Kyoto University Hospital
Akiko Murata M.D., Ph.D.
Program-Specific Assistant Professor (In charge of physician work styles reform) Kyoto University Hospital Integrated Clinical Education Center
Kyoto University has established the Gender Equality Promotion Center to address gender equality through university-wide efforts to support various reinstatement and childcare programs. In addition, Kyoto University Hospital is one of the first hospitals to open a childcare facility for sick children (currently operated as a nursery room for convalescent children), introduced a career support program for medical practitioners in FY2016 to enable flexible work styles, and has been proactive in its efforts to support the child-rearing generation, including 26-hour childcare service and cay-care pick-up service. Furthermore, a new in-house daycare center is opened in 2024, and the momentum for childcare and career support is further increasing.
Under these circumstances, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for adopting our project in FY2024 Support Project for Medical Professionals of Child-Rearing Generation and giving us the opportunities to implement support programs for medical professionals of child-rearing generation, following last year’s program.
We named our project “KUSNoKI (Kyoto University hospital Supporting Network of Keeping up career and Innovation) Project” after the camphor tree, the symbol of Kyoto University. The camphor tree is said to be characterized by its ability to grow steadily into a large tree over a long time, and we hope that this project will also continue to grow steadily as a presence that is close to each person.
KUSNoKI Project Execution Manager
Hitomi Kataoka
(Kyoto University Center for Medical Education & Internationalization Assistant Director・Professor)
I have been involved in the project since October 2023 as an inaugural member of the KUSNoKI project.
In my previous position at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion of Okayama University Hospital, under the guidance of Professor Hitomi Kataoka, I was involved in various activities as a staff member of the MUSCAT project, including career support for medical personnel, various trainings, holding seminars, and childcare support. I am now working with Prof. Hitomi Kataoka on the KUSNoKI project at Kyoto University, utilizing this experience.
I myself am not a medical professional and may not have given enough consideration to the true needs of the medical profession, but I will work hand in hand with Assistant Professor Akiko Murata (Kyoto University Hospital Integrated Clinical Education Center), who joined the project in 2024. As the person in charge of the hospital (Akiko Murata) and the graduate school (Akiko Tokinobu), we are determined to work toward the revitalization of the project. As an example, we are planning to conduct surveys to identify problems and factors that may affect health professions with a goal to make improvements and enhancements to our project activities such as events and various services for them. We would be grateful if you would continue to share your opinions and requests with us. We will do our best to contribute to the project to provide a comfortable work-life environment for everyone. We look forward to your continued guidance and encouragement.
KUSNoKI Project In charge of Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Akiko Tokinobu Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Center for Medical Education and Internationalization, Kyoto University
Kyoto University Hospital strives to “provide safe and secure medical care” based on the three basic principles of the mission of a university hospital concerning medical care, research, and education; “provide safe, high-quality medical care as an open, patient-centered hospital,” “contribute to society through the development and practice of new medical care,” and “foster medical professionals with a sense of responsibility and mission as professionals and a rich sense of humanity.
While striving to fulfill our mission, we also place importance on building the careers of medical professionals working at the hospital and on promoting diversity. We have introduced the Career Support Program for Medical Practitioners and the Plus One Program with the aim of increasing the ratio of female faculty members. The fact that the hospital was selected for the fiscal 2023 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation at this time, when a new in-house nursery is open in 2024, will further boost our efforts. We will continue to aim for further development in the future.
Kyoto University Hospital
Director Akifumi Takaori
Among the three basic principles of Kyoto University Hospital, one major mission is to foster excellent medical professionals. From the viewpoint of human resource development, it is important to have a supportive environment as well as high motivation. In order for healthcare professionals to continue to grow throughout their lives, an environment based on the concept of work-life integration (synergy between work and private life) is required.
Based on this concept, Kyoto University Hospital opened its in-house nursery “Kirara” in 2008 and has provided “pick-up & childcare” service every weekday as well as nighttime childcare once a week since 2016. The in-house nursery is open under a new structure in 2024 and is expected to be further enhanced. In addition, “Komomo,” a nursery for convalescent children established in the hospital building, is operated by the Kyoto University Gender Equality Promotion Center.
Taking the opportunity of the adoption of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation, the Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and the hospital will work together to foster excellent medical professionals while also responding to the work style reforms.
Kyoto University Hospital Assistant Director
Takashi Mizowaki
(In charge of Education, Human Resources, and Gender Equality Promotion)
Kyoto University has been working to increase the ratio of female faculty members under the “Kyoto University Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” since FY2022. Focusing on the School of Medicine of Kyoto University alone, 7 out of 66 professors are women, and the ratio has been increasing especially in recent years. In November 2023, a roundtable meeting of female professors was held, and active opinions were expressed on the support for young doctors and researchers as well as the creation of a support infrastructure to further encourage the ambitions and dreams of students. A summary of the meeting is available in the 2024 New Year issue of the Alumni Magazine and on the Graduate School’s website.
The University has a long history of supporting female researchers through the Gender Equality Promotion Center. Furthermore, as part of the promotion of Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), Kyoto University is making further DE&I efforts, including the opening of Kyoto University Kids’ Community (KuSuKu) in December 2023, a day-care center for first through sixth graders for Kyoto University faculty and staff. We hope that the adoption of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation will further promote the creation of a foundation where everyone can play an active role, regardless of gender or occupation.
Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
DirectorTadashi Isa
Kyoto University has formulated the “Kyoto University Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” with the goals of achieving a 20% ratio of female faculty members and a 25% ratio of female members of the Board of Directors by FY2027.
The University has been promoting efforts to support female researchers mainly through the Gender Equality Promotion Center, and the Graduate School of Medicine is also promoting its own efforts. In addition to reducing the workload of faculty members who are raising children and improving the nursery and breastfeeding space, we have also enhanced our information website to support female researchers and students. We hope that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s project to support medical professionals of child-rearing generation will develop into an initiative that connects the framework of the Graduate School and the hospital.
Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Assistant Director
プロジェクト名は京都大学のシンボルであるクスノキをモチーフにKUSNoKI（Kyoto University hospital Supporting Network of Keeping up career and Innovation）プロジェクトとしました。クスノキは長い時間をかけて着実に大木へと生長することが特徴とされますが、本プロジェクトもそれぞれの人に寄り添う存在として着実な成長を重ねていきたいと願っています。
