Current work environments: What problems are being faced by Japanese urologists?

Computer technology has contributed to innovative progress in industrial infrastructures and has had a major influence on various work environments. Evaluations of work environments are routinely carried out in Western countries, but historically there has been resistance to such evaluations in Japan. In this mini-review, we discuss the current work environments of urologists in Japan. The number of urologists has increased each year, and the population density of urologists was 5.4 (per 100 000 people) in 2014. The average age of urologists in Japan was 48.9 years, and the percentage of female urologists was just 5.3%. Additionally, the geographic distribution of urologists was uneven in Japan. From projections based on population dynamics, the need for more urologists in the near future will probably increase. Because medical environments vary depending on the country, it is necessary to understand current work environments in greater detail initially. Furthermore, we should determine original measures for the establishment of satisfactory urological work environments in Japan.