"It was the nation's first attempt to launch a medicare business with laughter in collaboration with the government, industry and academe," said Mitsutoshi Nishikawa, a university official in charge of the Daito Dynamic Project based in Daito city in Osaka.
Nishikawa said Osaka was an ideal location to launch the project as the city is famous for its humor culture, with residents here said to be less hesitant to laugh in public than more taciturn Tokyo.
"We believe there is a big business chance here," Nishikawa said.
"With the project, we can expect a reduction in medicare and nursing costs," he said. "Moreover, it is important for
elderly people to live long with good health."
In the program, participants receive a medical check-up and gymnastic exercises while enjoying a comedy show performed by professional comedians. It also offers them cooking classes on making healthy foods.
"I used to laugh a lot when I was young, but I realized that I had not laughed much since getting older," said Kiyomi Yamanaka, a 61-year-old housewife participating in the program.
"But after attending the event, my blood flow has become smooth and I can now get down on my knees, which I couldn't do before."
According to project officials, the 92 participants polled said their combined annual medicare costs fell some 30 percent to US$19,800 after they joined the program.
Nishikawa said, "In the future, we want to make medical treatment something not gloomy but fun. That's our goal."
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