NPO Total Health Care for Artists Japan (NPO Geijutsuka No Kusuribako)
Total Health Care for Artists Japan (THCA Japan) is an initiative whose aims are to provide artists in Japan with a variety of health care support, to help them establish themselves as professional artists, and to promote the development of the field of art medicine and science.
Artists here face three major issues whose causes are deeply-rooted in Japanese society.
First, due to our inadequate system of employment and social security, most artists earn quite low incomes because of the lack of emphasis on the arts in Japan. In spite of all their hard work and special skills, it is rare for artists to receive adequate pay for their talents and efforts.
Second, the incidence of injuries caused by their occupation is very high, especially in the dance field. What is worse, the medical expenses for their treatment are quite expensive and they have to pay much of it out-of-pocket since insurance almost never covers the costs of rehabilitation and physical conditioning. There is also little compensation paid to injured artists. For these reasons, artists often cannot afford to take adequate care of their physical health, in spite of the fact that a healthy body is an essential requirement for their art.
Third, just like athletes, artists require specialized health care to prevent and overcome injuries and improve their performance. In spite of this, the field of art medicine and science has not been fully established in Japan and most artists and art students still struggle to find adequate information and appropriate treatment when they are trying to work through their injuries. Therefore, the accumulation of information and research in art medicine and science is essential to develop the field and improve this situation.
Our motto is, “Invigorate the Japanese art community! Enrich Japanese society with art and culture!”
THCA Japan is determined to provide health care support to artists, to help them develop their talent and establish their careers as professional artists, to help develop the field of art medicine and science, and to prolong artists’ careers. We hope this project will also contribute to the enrichment of the lives and futures not only of artistic circles, but also Japanese society as a whole.
Activities
1. Coordination We connect artists with medical and healthcare professionals. We especially focus on backstage healthcare support for performing artists.
2. Seminars We hold healthcare seminars for artists, educators, and medical practitioners.
3. Support for clinical research and Information sharing We promote research in the field of art medicine and science, and hold conferences to share the research findings.
THCA Japan Representative : Mayumi Kuno-Mizumura (Director, )
Recent Activities
Artists Healthcare Support Project (Oct. 2017 to Mar. 2018 )
Commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
Our organization, “NPO Geijutsuka No Kusuribako” (NPO Total Health Care for Artists Japan) dispatches medical teams (including, as needed, doctors, physical therapists, sports therapists and trainers) to professional dance companies. We also help dancers have the safest and best performances possible – from rehearsals to the shows.
We offer programs in support of dancer’s healthcare, physical check-ups, workshops and treatment and conditioning care and training.
Total Health Care for Artists Japan (THCA Japan) is an initiative whose aims are to provide artists in Japan with a variety of health care support, to help them establish themselves as professional artists, and to promote the development of the field of art medicine and science.
Artists here face three major issues whose causes are deeply-rooted in Japanese society.
First, due to our inadequate system of employment and social security, most artists earn quite low incomes because of the lack of emphasis on the arts in Japan. In spite of all their hard work and special skills, it is rare for artists to receive adequate pay for their talents and efforts.
Second, the incidence of injuries caused by their occupation is very high, especially in the dance field. What is worse, the medical expenses for their treatment are quite expensive and they have to pay much of it out-of-pocket since insurance almost never covers the costs of rehabilitation and physical conditioning. There is also little compensation paid to injured artists. For these reasons, artists often cannot afford to take adequate care of their physical health, in spite of the fact that a healthy body is an essential requirement for their art.
Third, just like athletes, artists require specialized health care to prevent and overcome injuries and improve their performance. In spite of this, the field of art medicine and science has not been fully established in Japan and most artists and art students still struggle to find adequate information and appropriate treatment when they are trying to work through their injuries. Therefore, the accumulation of information and research in art medicine and science is essential to develop the field and improve this situation.
Our motto is, “Invigorate the Japanese art community! Enrich Japanese society with art and culture!”
THCA Japan is determined to provide health care support to artists, to help them develop their talent and establish their careers as professional artists, to help develop the field of art medicine and science, and to prolong artists’ careers. We hope this project will also contribute to the enrichment of the lives and futures not only of artistic circles, but also Japanese society as a whole.
Activities
1. Coordination We connect artists with medical and healthcare professionals. We especially focus on backstage healthcare support for performing artists.
2. Seminars We hold healthcare seminars for artists, educators, and medical practitioners.
3. Support for clinical research and Information sharing We promote research in the field of art medicine and science, and hold conferences to share the research findings.
THCA Japan Representative : Mayumi Kuno-Mizumura (Director, )
Recent Activities
Artists Healthcare Support Project (Oct. 2017 to Mar. 2018 )
Commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
Our organization, “NPO Geijutsuka No Kusuribako” (NPO Total Health Care for Artists Japan) dispatches medical teams (including, as needed, doctors, physical therapists, sports therapists and trainers) to professional dance companies. We also help dancers have the safest and best performances possible – from rehearsals to the shows.
We offer programs in support of dancer’s healthcare, physical check-ups, workshops and treatment and conditioning care and training.