Epidemiological Studies of Schizophrenia in Japan

This article examines epidemiological studies of schizophrenia in Japan. It is divided into three major sections: (1) methodological problems associated with epidemiological studies; (2) an overview of the history of epidemiology in Japan; and (3) an epidemiological study on incidence rates in Nagasaki, which was conducted as part of the World Health Organization Collaborative Study on Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders. In general, although some differences in schizophrenic subtypes have been found, prevalence and incidence rates of schizophrenia in Japan are not significantly different from those reported in other countries.