Yamato Kikuchi

Chairman, Medical Corporation ONE / Director of Kikuchi General Practice Clinic

Protecting Community Healthcare in an Aging Society Through Comprehensive Primary Care

As Japan’s population continues to age, the role of a physician who can care for any health concern is becoming increasingly important.

In 2017, Dr. Yamato Kikuchi opened Kikuchi General Practice Clinic in Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Since then, he has dedicated himself to providing comprehensive primary care, serving as a trusted first point of contact for patients with a wide range of symptoms and concerns.

Many patients today struggle to determine which specialist they should visit. Some delay seeking medical attention because they are unsure where to go. Dr. Kikuchi believes that this uncertainty can lead to missed opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment.

“Patients should not have to decide which department is appropriate before receiving care. Our role as primary care physicians is to evaluate the patient first, identify the problem, and connect them with the appropriate specialist when necessary.”

To achieve this, the clinic has invested in advanced diagnostic equipment, including CT and MRI scanners—facilities that are still uncommon among community clinics. This allows many conditions to be diagnosed quickly without requiring patients to visit large hospitals first.

Dr. Kikuchi emphasizes that healthcare should focus not only on diseases but also on the lives and circumstances of patients.

“Especially among older adults, symptoms often do not appear in textbook form. What seems like fatigue, insomnia, or loss of appetite may actually be a serious illness. Listening carefully to patients and understanding their daily lives is essential.”

The clinic currently serves more than 72,000 registered patients. A large proportion of these patients are aged 65 and older, reflecting the challenges facing Japan’s rapidly aging society.

As medical care becomes increasingly specialized, Dr. Kikuchi believes that the need for physicians who can provide broad, comprehensive care will continue to grow.

“A primary care physician should be someone patients can consult about anything. By seeing the whole person rather than a single organ or disease, we can protect the health of our communities.”

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Yamato Kikuchi, M.D.
Chairman, Medical Corporation ONE
Director, Kikuchi General Practice Clinic

Graduated from Fukushima Medical University in 2004. After gaining experience in emergency medicine and hospital-based practice, he established Kikuchi General Practice Clinic in Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 2017. He advocates a model of healthcare centered on comprehensive primary care, early diagnosis, and community-based medicine.