2026 ACCJ HxD Fall Event “Reimagining People-Centered Care” at Nakanoshima Qross

On October 30, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan’s (ACCJ) Healthcare x Digital (HxD) Initiative hosted “Reimagining People-Centered Care: Connected by Data, Powered by AI, Enabled by Technology” at Nakanoshima Qross in Osaka. Experts from diverse disciplines gathered together to engage in insightful discussions on how policy, data, and technology can help advance people-centered care. Liaison supported the ACCJ in organizing, coordinating, and hosting the event.

The event kicked off with opening remarks by Mr. Jiro Kawakami (ACCJ Vice President - Kansai and Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at MGM Resorts Japan). Mr. Kawakami posed the event’s framing question: how can policy and regulatory frameworks better support innovation and translate technological progress into better care? 

Throughout the event, audience members participated in various live polls grappling with cloud-based healthcare to enrich the lively discussion. Their varied answers demonstrated how individuals have varied levels of trust in the cloud’s security and transparency when it comes to personal data protection. Moreover, 68% of respondents believed that there ought to be a shared responsibility among cloud service providers, healthcare providers, and governments and regulators for protecting patient health data in the cloud.

HxD member Mr. Christian Boettcher (Partner at LEK Consulting) then set the stage with a thought-provoking presentation on reimagining people-centered care.

Mr. Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Counsellor for Health Information Infrastructure and Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare) subsequently addressed the room for the Policy Keynote, sharing valuable insights into Japan’s national strategy for healthcare digitization and patient empowerment.

HxD member Mr. Scott Warren (Partner, Squire Patton Boggs), Dr. Yohsuke Takasaki (Advisor, Heidi Health), and Mr. Kei Nogami (Executive Officer and Representative of Pharmaceutical Industry Business Unit, Ubie) delivered thoughtful presentations on shared challenges within cloud deployment, bringing together legal, global, and local perspectives.

Mr. Andrew Tomlinson (Healthcare and Life-Sciences Industry Advisor, Microsoft Japan) then moderated an insightful panel discussion with Dr. Yu Moriguchi (Nakanoshima Qross), Dr. Yohsuke Takasaki, Mr. Kei Nogami, and Mr. Scott Warren on the challenges and opportunities presented by cloud security. 

Mr. Christian Boettcher then concluded the event by workshopping how to advance people-centered care with the audience. Mr. Kevin Yamaga-Karns (ACCJ Governor - Kansai and Associate Vice President of Legal Affairs, Eli Lilly Japan) provided closing remarks, highlighting the next stage of HxD’s initiative to explore the larger policy ecosystem surrounding healthcare innovation. He also presented the speakers and panelists with certificates of appreciation.

Thank you to ACCJ President’s Circle Members, Cisco, Eli Lilly, and KKR; the HxD 2026 Fall Event Silver Sponsors: AstraZeneca and LEK Consulting; Bronze Sponsors: Dentsu, Ubie, Welby, and EY; and Supporting Organization: Nakanoshima Qross. This event was made possible by everyone’s collective support.

We also would like to extend a huge thank you to Comars, the Nakanoshima Qross staff, and the ACCJ for their leadership on the day with technical and logistical matters.

Lastly, a huge thank you to our outstanding speakers. Your engaging presentations and discussions generated a lot of food for thought for our in-person and online audience! We greatly appreciate everyone’s participation and are looking forward to seeing these discussions continue beyond the walls of Nakanoshima Qross!

Please make sure to join us online for the 2027 SelectUSA xHxD Pitch Event Info Session on Wednesday, December 2!