Introduction to the Learning Fields

Health and Nutrition Field

Registered dietitians are highly specialized professionals dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of a wide range of people, from infants to seniors and healthy individuals to injured or ill ones. They focus on issues related to nutrition and dietary habits, and the demand for them has skyrocketed in recent years.

In the current era of a rapidly aging population, there is a growing desire to improve the quality of life for older adults, enabling them to live independently and enjoy daily life without extensive medical or nursing care. Maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet is the key to achieving this goal. The 2021 Care Fee Review demonstrated a commitment to increase the presence of registered dietitians in aged care facilities and strengthen their role in nutritional care management. This update underscores the vital role of registered dietitians in supporting older adults’ nutritional needs.

We live in an age of abundance, with greater access to food. However, this has brought about new challenges, including an increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and complex diet-related problems (e.g., malnutrition due to inappropriate energy restrictions to reduce body weight, unbalanced dietary habits, and food allergies).

To effectively address the increasingly complex nutritional concerns of today’s society, we must understand the unique challenges faced by each individual, collaborate with professionals from multiple disciplines, and develop sound nutritional management plans through appropriate nutrition education and meal planning. This requires the education and training of registered dietitians who possess the necessary skills. To accurately assess the problems of our target population, we require nutrition assessment skills based on the latest specialized knowledge and expertise. In addition, effective collaboration with other professionals requires not only strong communication skills but also the ability to develop evidence-based nutrition care plans. These are the skills that our graduate school aims to cultivate in aspiring registered dietitians to build on the knowledge and competencies acquired during their undergraduate studies. Our goal is to develop leaders in the field of registered dietetics who can address the complex nutritional challenges of our modern society.

Food Development Field

While a nutritionally balanced diet is the foundation of food-based health promotion, the complementary use of “health foods” such as dietary supplements and functional foods can play an important role not only in addressing nutrient deficiencies but also in preventing or treating lifestyle-related diseases.

Among “health foods,” those with health claims recognized by the Japanese government, such as “foods for specified health uses” or “foods with functional claims,” are widely used in health promotion efforts because these products can enable consumers to make informed choices based on their specific health goals, such as “reducing body fat” and “relieving stress and fatigue.” In particular, “foods for specified health uses” are expected to spread widely in the field of food-based health promotion, as the simplified procedures for officially recognized functional food labeling have enabled not only large food companies but also many small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the market, contributing to the development of the food industry.

Simultaneously, companies involved in the development of functional foods face heightened expectations to ensure the safety of their products and provide scientific evidence to support their functional claims and clear and informative labeling to guide consumers. Therefore, in our increasingly complex world, where health and nutrition issues are constantly evolving, there is an urgent need for professionals who have comprehensive knowledge of human nutrition and basic research skills related to the mechanisms of nutrient management to maintain and promote health through food and who can apply this knowledge and skills to develop food products.

To meet this societal need, our graduate school is dedicated to training food development researchers to create and scientifically validate health-promoting foods. These researchers are adept at navigating complex issues and deciphering the combined effects of multiple factors. They will also have the practical and communication skills needed to oversee holistic development research in collaboration with stakeholders while ensuring the appropriate dissemination of information. As such, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of food development researchers who will drive innovations that improve both nutrition and health.

Health and Nutrition Policy Field

Health and nutrition issues are becoming increasingly complex, and individuals often face multiple challenges. These include issues such as obesity coexisting with nutritional deficiencies and the presence of multiple diseases in a single individual. These problems are influenced by a variety of factors that span the individual, family, organization, community, and the broader social environment. Furthermore, health and nutrition disparities have emerged as a pressing concern.

Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires not only unit-based management within healthcare facilities, long-term care insurance institutions, welfare organizations, schools, and workplaces but also the development of administrative systems and policies that work collaboratively with these entities. Such policies should aim to improve the social environment and community factors that influence individuals’ nutrition and health.

Effective systems and policy planning demand that administrative professionals have the skills and abilities to analyze population-level data, identify and prioritize regional health and nutrition issues based on scientific evidence, and design, implement, evaluate, and refine measures based on the principles of evidence-based policymaking. To truly excel in this endeavor, it is critical to benchmark international standards by drawing lessons from the experiences of other nations and international organizations. Conversely, Japan’s successful nutrition systems and policies should be shared and disseminated internationally as they are in demand by other countries.

In addition, the ability to articulate nutritional systems and policies in a logical and structured manner based on scientific evidence is essential for promoting effective collaboration among professionals from different disciplines.

To meet these evolving societal demands, our graduate education programs focus on nurturing administrative professionals. These professionals work in Japanese regional agencies, government agencies, institutions in developing countries, and international organizations. They will have the latest expertise and skills needed to understand and analyze the complex landscape of health and nutrition issues in specific regions and populations. Importantly, they will be able to plan, implement, evaluate, and refine interventions in collaboration with experts from diverse fields to ensure holistic and evidence-based solutions.