Forecast of Asbestos-Related Injuries and Compensation Costs in Japan (Japanese text)
18 October 2005
By Makoto Ikeya
Deaths caused by asbestos-related mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other cancers in Japan could reach 117,000 for the 1995-2040 period and the compensation for such deaths could cost about 2.8 trillion yen, according to this report by NERA Vice President Makoto Ikeya. To estimate these figures, Mr. Ikeya designed a statistical model using epidemiological and asbestos consumption information from both Japan and the US. The study suggests that the annual death toll has already peaked but will remain at nearly 4,000 deaths per year until around 2010. The report assumes that Japan's compensation cost for asbestos-related injuries will be significantly lower than that in the US because the Japanese government, not the legal system as in the US, is expected to play a significant role in the compensation scheme.
This report is available in Japanese only.
