People in Japan enjoy one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Japanese women live an average of 85.3 years, according to 2003 statistics, while men have an average life span of 78.4 years. These figures have been rising since World War II and suggest that Japanese society must be doing something right, healthwise. Could it be related to the fact that basic health care is guaranteed to everyone in Japan--young, old, urban, rural, rich, poor--through a system of public medical insurance? The practice of immunizing every baby at public health clinics and every school-age child at school may also contribute. Foreign residents living in Japan for longer than a year are also included in the national health insurance and public health care systems.
(excerpt from p. 111)