Medical expenses in Japan for fiscal 2023 rose 3% from the previous year to ¥48.1 trillion, marking a record high, the health ministry has said. On a per capita basis, the expenses paid to medical institutions for the treatment of illness and injury in the year through March 2024 expanded 3.5% to ¥386,700, also an all-time high, according to a final report released Friday. The rise in medical costs is attributed to an increase in influenza cases, the country's aging population and costly