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Shizuoka Prefecture is aiming at becoming a world leader in the field of improving health and longevity. This press tour covered Fuji Pharma Valley Initiatives in eastern Shizuoka to establish a state-of-the-art healthcare industry cluster, and World O-CHA Festival 2007, a major international event featuring green tea, that is generating much interest as a functional food. The tour was attended byeight correspondents from China, the EU, Germany, Israel, and the Republic of Korea. In Shizuoka Cancer Center, a core facility of the Fuji Pharma Valley Initiatives, which is evaluated as Japan’s best hospital in patient satisfaction levels, the journalists covered the mental care system and next-generation proton beam therapy, and asked questions on the cost of treatment and preparations for accepting foreign patients.

(Photo: Journalists covering proton beam therapy facility.)