Although associations between a person’s neighborhood and their health have been studied internationally, most studies have been limited to a few cities or towns. Therefore, we used a nationally representative sample to explore whether perceived and objective neighborhood walkability was associated with the physical activity of residents. Data were analyzed from the Japanese General Social Surveys of 2010 (n = 2395; 1114 men and 1281 women). Perceived walkability was scored using factor analysis for the respondents’ perceptions of neighborhood conditions, while objective walkability was measured using the geographic information system approach. Finally, multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to examine whether neighborhood walkability was associated with the frequency of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among respondents. We found that perceived walkability was positively associated with the frequency of LTPA (odds ratio of the highest quartile was 1.53 (1.14–2.05) compared with the lowest quartile); however, objective walkability showed no association. When stratified by gender, an association between perceived walkability and LTPA was observed among women, but only a marginally significant association was present between objective walkability and LTPA among men. We conclude that the association between neighborhood walkability and LTPA can be partially generalized across Japan.

A German traveler developed dengue fever in late August 2013, following a direct flight from Germany. Autochthonous dengue virus (DENV) infection has not been reported in Japan. To evaluate the risk of autochthonous DENV transmission in Japan, the authors performed a retrospective search of the five areas visited by the German patient to determine the population density of dengue vector mosquito, Aedes albopictus. The annual mean temperature of each area was higher than 12°C, which is considered suitable for the establishment of A. albopictus populations. Our retrospective search revealed the population density of A. albopictus to be high in the urban areas of Japan.

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Oncomelania hupensis nosophora (Ohn) is the intermediate snail host of Schistosoma japonicum (Trematoda; Schistosomatidae) (Sj) in Japan. The last domestic schistosomiasis infection in Japan has been thought to occur in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1977. In 1985, the intermediate host snail was isolated from paddy fields along the Obitsu River basin in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. At that time, schistosomiasis was assumed to become a past disease in this area. Thus, activities to exterminate Ohn or annual screening programs of residents in this area had not been conducted. Indeed, this disease represents a neglected endemic disease in Japan. This report describes the epidemiological history of the disease from various approaches including clinical information, philological study, interview surveys, snail collection surveys, and changes in land use and environments using geographic information systems. The assumption of disease elimination was based on the lack of reports of new infection for more than 30 years, environmental modifications, and almost no snail infestation from 2012 onward in known habitats. We concluded that continuous monitoring of the snails is not necessary in the studied area, while a certain level of attention to redistribution of the snail from hidden habitats may be required.