FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
SHIRO NITANAI – DIRECTOR AND FELLOW, JAPAN FACILITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (JFMA); SAE MORI – CHAIRMAN, JFMA HEALTHCARE FM RESEARCH SUBCOMMITTEE, JAPAN
Learnings from JFMA Award-winning projects
Shiro Nitanai, director and fellow of the Japan Facility Management Association (JFMA), and Sae Mori, chairman of the JFMA Healthcare FM Research Subcommittee, discuss the current challenges to the management of Japanese healthcare facilities and the insights gleaned from JFMA Award-winning projects.
Currently, Japanese healthcare facilities face complex issues such as a declining birthrate, an ageing population, advanced medical technology, financial constraints, aging facilities, and staff shortages. Addressing these challenges is essential for sustainable operations. To date, 10 awards have been given to nine healthcare facilities, objectively demonstrating the progress of facility management (FM) practices in the Japanese medical field and their contribution to solving the challenges faced by healthcare facilities. This article focuses on insights from the JFMA Awards to show how FM can address these issues.
l Demographic changes and shifts in healthcare needs
Japan’s ageing population is shifting healthcare needs from acute to chronic care, emphasising home and community- based systems. This necessitates reorganising existing facilities, which requires substantial investment. JFMA Award-winning projects offer practical solutions for efficient facility reorganisation with limited resources.
l Financial constraints and challenges in management efficiency
Almost all Japanese medical institutions rely on the current medical fee system, facing strict financial limits and a constant demand for efficiency. FM, as shown by JFMA Award projects, is an effective tool to optimise lifecycle costs and improve management efficiency.
l Ageing facilities and maintenance challenges
Many ageing facilities risk equipment failure and reduced energy efficiency. FM helps manage these issues
IFHE DIGEST 2026
JFMA Award-winning projects offer practical solutions for efficient facility reorganisation
strategically through preventive maintenance and pre-planned repairs.
l Securing medical professionals and work style reform
The nationwide shortage of medical professionals makes a comfortable work environment critical for staff retention. FM can contribute to this goal by optimising the physical and psychological workplace environment.
l Disaster preparedness and the Importance of BCP As a disaster-prone country, Japan’s medical facilities must be resilient. FM’s role in enhancing a facility’s resilience is demonstrated by JFMA Award-winning projects, which highlight the importance of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) and disaster-resistant infrastructure.
l Pandemic response and infectious disease control
The pandemic highlighted the need for strong infection control. One award- winning hospital consistently conducted Preconstruction Risk Assessments (PCRA), which proved invaluable during the pandemic. This practice allowed them to rapidly establish proper zoning and increase patient acceptance, and their public sharing of the methodology demonstrated national leadership.
Shiro Nitanai
Shiro Nitanai is a director and fellow of JFMA, visiting professor at the University of Tsukuba and Toyo University, and an outside director of ITOKI Corporation. He has written for
publications including the Hitotsubashi Business Review and has given presentations at conferences including Japan FM Conference
(2008-2025), Korean FM Conference (2023), and World Workplace (WWP) (2003).
Sae Mori
Sae Mori is chairman of the JFMA Healthcare FM Research Subcommittee and a certified facility manager and Master of Medical
Administration (MMA: Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Healthcare Policy Management). She co-authored a Research Report on FM
Tools that Support FM-Hospital BCP, and has given conference presentations including HOSPEX Medical Management Seminar (2018).
The essence of the FM concept FM is not only ‘building maintenance’, but also a multifaceted approach that integrates facilities and their environment into core business activities, contributing to the objectives of organisations; in other words, it is an activity deeply integrated with an organisation’s management strategy. The essence lies in strategically viewing facilities not just as ‘boxes’, but as ‘management resources’ that support the achievement of organisational goals, thereby maximising their value. Currently, the Japan Facility Management Association (JFMA) (a leading authority in Japanese management studies), led by its chairman Seiichiro Yonekura (PhD, Professor at Housei University and Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University), defines FM as ‘a management activity where companies and organisations comprehensively plan, manage, and utilise facilities and their environment as a unified whole’.
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