Health center

An office set up by a prefecture (都道府県), by one of the cities named by Cabinet Order (政令), which include every designated city (指定都市) and core city (中核市), or by a special ward (特別区) (Community Health Act, Article 5, paragraph (1)), to look after the health of the people of its area (Article 6, paragraph (1), item (xiv)). It plans, coordinates and guides, and runs the services these need, on matters that include food hygiene, the hygiene of housing, water supply, sewerage and the wider environment, and the prevention of infectious diseases (Article 6, paragraph (1)). Under the Hotel Business Act, in a city or special ward that has set one up, the licence to run a hotel business (旅館業) — a hotel or inn, shared lodging or a boarding house — comes from the mayor or the ward head, not the prefectural governor (Hotel Business Act, Article 2, paragraph (1), and Article 3, paragraph (1)).