Japan to Establish Government-Level Measures for "Male Menopause"

Menopause Response Included in Official Government Policy
Economic Losses from Male Menopause Exceed 1.1 Trillion Won

The Japanese government has designated male menopause disorder as an official policy issue. This is the first time that male menopause disorder has been included in government policy.

According to Yonhap News on June 15, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Japanese government has decided to newly include measures for male menopause disorder in the 'Honebuto Policy'.

The Honebuto Policy is a key document outlining the government's central policy direction and serves as the basic framework for budget planning. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to lead investigations and support research into the mechanisms of male menopause disorder.

Male menopause primarily refers to physical and psychological changes such as depression or anxiety that occur mainly in middle age due to the gradual decline of testosterone.

Testosterone levels are known to decrease by about 1% per year after the age of 30, and by 1.6% per year after the age of 40. In addition, chronic conditions such as alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, stress, hypertension, diabetes, and the use of certain medications also act as risk factors.

Until now, the Japanese government had implemented policy responses for female menopause disorder, but there had been no specific measures for men. In contrast to women, whose menopause disorder typically intensifies around menopause, the onset of male menopause disorder varies greatly among individuals, resulting in relatively low societal awareness.

However, in recent years, there have been increasing calls for a government-level response, as psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and lethargy caused by male menopause, as well as the resulting social and economic impacts, have grown more significant.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has estimated that economic losses caused by male menopause, including absenteeism and decreased work efficiency, amount to approximately 1.2 trillion yen per year (about 1.14 trillion won).

As a result, companies have also begun to implement various measures. Since last year, SMBC Nikko Securities has allowed male employees suffering from decreased condition due to menopause symptoms to take up to 12 days of leave per year.

Honda, an automobile manufacturer with a large number of male employees, has signed a contract with a healthcare provider to offer health management lectures to its staff.