Driven by government initiatives, technological advancements, aging population, and significantly better healthcare system compared to other large economies, Japan was the second largest diagnostic imaging market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2021 and is expected to retain its position in the future as well, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s research reveals that Japanese diagnostic imaging devices market, which accounted for around 25% of the APAC market in 2021, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2% through 2030.

Considering the contribution of technology in this space and the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving the diagnostic imaging market, Japan plans to overhaul the regulatory approval process to update medical AI software and shorten initial product reviews.

Pratibha Thammanabhatla, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “As Japan plans to ease regulations for medical AI software, domestic players can take this as an opportunity to gain market share in this space. This will also make more foreign firms to choose Japan as their manufacturing destination.”

Also, COVID-19 has increased the demand for modern mobile medical imaging systems as they are easily transportable, more accurate and provide effective disease diagnosis while minimizing the spread of infection among non-infected patients.

Thammanabhatla concludes: “Diagnostic imaging market in Japan will see a paradigm shift in the coming years as Japan continues to focus on refining the regulatory framework, improving the domestic market and developing modern information technology.”