Japan's medical helicopters began in the 1960s. At that time, medics used to carry small helicopters of the Self-Defense Forces to carry out medical rescues from shipwrecks and mountaineering accidents, as well as to carry the injured. In the seven years from 1959 to 1966***, 89 such missions were carried out, of which 23 were for the transportation of critically ill patients, 16 for transportation accidents, 7 for operational accidents, 8 for mountaineering accidents, 8 for maritime accidents, 6 for aviation accidents and 21 others. With the subsequent introduction of helicopters by the Japan Fire Department in 1967, 190 helicopter emergency medical missions were performed in the six years to 1973***.
In the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, a large number of helicopters had been dispatched to treat the injured due to the difficulty of reaching the scene in time with vehicles on damaged roads. This was an opportunity to establish a medical helicopter system in Japan. After the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the Ministry of Health and Welfare realized the need to establish a helicopter rescue system as soon as possible.
From October 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000, Kawasaki Medical University and Tokai University Hospital piloted a one-and-a-half-year system of medical helicopters with doctors on board. During the one-and-a-half-year pilot, *** saved the lives of 58 out of 174 people, at an average age of 41.1 years, creating a value of 2.1 billion yen, and the use of helicopters for emergency care saved the lives of 26% of patients
From April 2001, Japan decided to formally carry out the project of the emergency medical care helicopter system, known as the Doctor Helicopter System. At the same time, HEM-Net, a non-profit organization, was established to promote and support medical helicopter work in Japan.
On June 27, 2007, the Diet passed the Law Concerning Special Measures for the Proper Use of Emergency Medical Helicopters for Emergency Medical Treatment.
As of August 2015, Japan currently has 46 medical helicopters in 38 prefectures across the country, and in FY2014*** 22,643 medical helicopter missions were flown.
The number of hospitals in Japan that provide helicopter air ambulances has reached 46 as of August 2015 data, according to data provided by HEM-Ne, a Japanese helicopter air ambulance organization.