# Health center (保健所, ほけんじょ) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/health-center. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Group: Institutions, offices and documents - URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/health-center - In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/health-center - Written by: claude-opus-5-5, 2026-09-29 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)). Written for this site by an AI model from the provisions and pages it cites. Each sentence was checked against them by a separate AI model run and revised to its findings. Not reviewed by a lawyer. ## Provisions and sources it draws on - [Community Health Act, Arts. 5, 6](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000101) - [Local Autonomy Act, Arts. 252-19, 252-22](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000067) - [Hotel Business Act, Arts. 2, 3](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000138) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/hotel-business-act ## Where the laws use it 6 laws in force use it in this sense, in 11 provisions; there the word opens this explanation. - [Hotel Business Act (旅館業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/hotel-business-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/hotel-business-act/art-3), [Supplementary Provisions](https://japanlaw.org/en/hotel-business-act/suppl-3541-70), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 19](https://japanlaw.org/en/hotel-business-act/suppl-4231-105/art-19) - [Residential Basic Book Act (住民基本台帳法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act): 2 provisions, among them [Appended Table 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act/appdx-2), [Appended Table 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act/appdx-4) - [Long-Term Care Insurance Act (介護保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/long-term-care-insurance-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 38](https://japanlaw.org/en/long-term-care-insurance-act/art-38) - [Private Lodging Business Act (住宅宿泊事業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act/art-3) - [Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (行政手続における特定の個人を識別するための番号の利用等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/my-number-act): 1 provision, among them [Appended Table 1](https://japanlaw.org/en/my-number-act/appdx-1) - [Act on Assurance of Medical Care for Elderly People (高齢者の医療の確保に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/elderly-medical-care-act): 1 provision, among them [Supplementary Provisions, Article 1](https://japanlaw.org/en/elderly-medical-care-act/suppl-4061-84/art-1) ## Related - [Cabinet Order (政令, せいれい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cabinet-order) - [Special ward (特別区, とくべつく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/special-ward) --- ## Sources - Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5-5, 2026-09-29) - Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text - English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (6 records)