Founder and Philosophy

Dr. Teusler, arriving in Japan at the age of 25, started a clinic and eventually expanded it into a hospital. While this collapsed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, the excellence of its philosophy, coupled with Dr. Teusler’s considerable powers of execution, led to it being rebuilt. Construction on a full-fledged hospital was completed in 1933. In 1936, St. Luke’s International Medical Center was officially founded.

The hospital escaped being damaged in the Pacific War, and was requisitioned for 11 years as an American Forces hospital after the war. During this period, St. Luke’s continued to provide local medical care at a neighboring building. After reversion to Japan, we continued acquiring and implementing innovative medical practice, in order to promote continuing excellence. In May 1992, St. Luke’s was rebuilt as a new hospital with leading-edge capabilities, aimed at patient-centered medicine for the 21st century.

Since inception, our aim has been to provide individualized medical care and nursing in the sprit of the institution’s Christian roots.

Today, we continue to make special efforts to integrate medical care services, nursing care, medical care assistance, and administrative health care functions in an organic way, and are doing our utmost to achieve the "best practice" results of a team health care hospital.

Objectives of the Hospital Management

1. To ensure collaboration with patients,
   we take into consideration patients' values in clinical decisions.
2. To ensure quality medical care, we practice "evidence-based medicine."
3. To provide holistic medicine, we coordinate the expertise of the whole hospital staff.
4. To contribute to the community in medical and nursing care, public health, and welfare, we collaborate with local doctors and institutions.
5. To raise the quality of medical care, nationally and internationally, we continue professional development in all health related fields.
6. To contribute to progress in medical science, we conduct clinical research.
7. To fulfill our role as an international hospital, we prepare to accept patients from abroad.
8. To continuously meet the above objectives, we keep the hospital financially healthy.

Patients' Rights

1. The right to be respected for human dignity.
2. The right to receive the best medical care and health education.
3. The right to obtain adequate health and medical information.
4. The right to be informed in detail of the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
5. The right to obtain a second opinion at any time.
6. The right to agree to or refuse the proposed treatment on your own will.
7. The right to refuse to participate in clinical studies.
8. The right to expect your privacy respected.
9. The right to receive information on medical costs and available public aids.

Patients' Responsibilities

1. Please provide us credible information on your physical and mental status.
2. Having understood the explanation for choices in examination or treatment, please give your consent to accept or refuse it with your own will.
3. Smoking is prohibited in any place on the hospital compound.
4. Where the use of cell phones, smartphones, and tablets is limited, please respect the regulations.
5. Unauthorized photos, videos, and sound recording is prohibited on hospital grounds. It is also strictly prohibited to post the photographed or recorded materials on social media or blogs so that they can be viewed by an unspecified number of people.
6. The following acts of nuisance, criminal acts, and other similar acts are prohibited. If any of these acts are confirmed, we may stop your medical treatment at our hospital, report it to the police, and/or claim compensation for damages if necessary.
   • Yelling, abusive language, violent acts, sexual harassment, threats, property damage, theft
   • Bringing dangerous items onto hospital grounds, alcohol consumption
   • Leaving or staying overnight outside the hospital without permission when hospitalized
   • Prolonged or unreasonable restraint of medical personnel
7. Please do not bring large sums of cash or valuables. If necessary, lockable drawers are available in your room for your use.
8. On receipt of your bill, please pay promptly.