TOXICOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM IN JAPANTetsuo Satoh Ph.D. ATS, DJST
Professor Emeritus, Chiba University, Japan
Past IUTOX Vice President
1. Introduction
The study of modern toxicology in Japan originated in academic settings in the 1970s subsequent tosevere health tragedies induced by chemicals in the 1960s. These included the congenital
malformations induced by thalidomide, Minamata disease induced by methyl mercury, Itai-itaidisease induced by cadmium, chinoform-induced SMON (subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy)
disease, and Kanemi Oil Poisoning Case induced by Co-PCB (coplanar polychlorinated biphenyl)or PCDF (polychlorinated dibenzofuran). These events were driving forces in the formation ofJapanese Society of toxicology.
2. Japanese Society of Toxicology
2.1 History
The Toxicology Research Group and the Toxic Action Research Group were formed in 1975 and1976, respectively. In 1981, these two groups merged to form the Japanese Society of Toxicological
Sciences (JSTS) as a non-profit scientific society to promote the acquisition and utilization ofknowledge in toxicology. The JSTS also aimed to facilitate the exchange of information amongtoxicologists around the world. The JSTS was renamed the “Japanese Society of Toxicology (JST)”in 1997. The first membership list contained 943 names on June 1, 1981, and grew to nearly 2600
members as of June 1, 2010.
Among current JST members, 40 members are from across the world; Korea (19), USA (7), United
Kingdom (4), Canada (1), China (3), Germany (2), Singapore(1), Taiwan(2) and Denmark (1).
Member affiliations are industries including CRO (70%), Academia (22%), Government (6%) andothers (2%). Currently, the JST has the second largest toxicology society membership in the world,and Japan is the second country with 126 SOT members next to Canada.
The JST has several missions, and the publication of the official journal of the society , and theaccreditation and certification program are most important tasks of the JST.
2.1.1 Publication of the society journal
The official journal, “Journal of Toxicological Sciences (JTS)”, was launched in 1981. Recently,
the Editorial Committee began to provide a highly efficient web-based manuscript submission andreview system on June, 2008. The system facilitates all aspects of manuscript submission, including
tracking and communication between authors, reviewers, and editor.
2.1.2 Accreditation and professional certification program1

To foster and improve the quality of toxicologists in Japan, the Education Committee of the JST has
three subcommittees, consisting of (1) Accreditation and Professional Certification andRecertification examinations, (2) Continuing Education Courses, and (3) Fundamental Education
Courses every year.
Since 1995, the Board of Directors of the JST has seriously discussed the accreditation andcertification of toxicologists in Japan. After extensive deliberations, the certification program oftoxicologists was newly launched in 1997. The content and level of the examinationquestions of the JST are almost equivalent to the American Board of Toxicology.
At the first certification examination in 1997, 99 toxicologists were certified by the JST as Diplomatof the Japanese Society of Toxicology (DJST). The written examination has been offered every year,
and as of June, 2010, 390 toxicologists have been formally approved as diplomat. Approximately
80 % of the diplomats are from industry, 12% from academia, and 8% from others. Diplomats canbe recertified every 5 years based upon their active practice of toxicology and maintaining an expertknowledge in general toxicology.
An applicant must have had a principal involvement in the practice of toxicology, in addition to theappropriate background education. The examination covers all aspects of toxicology and toxicity
testing. The certified toxicologists should have knowledge which encompasses all aspects oftoxicology, and should be able to conduct proper toxicological planning, testing, evaluation and risk
assessment. Certified individuals are initially recognized by being designated as DJST for a periodof 5 years.
2.1.3 Certification Examination
In order to conduct the test for the examination of certification, the JST formed Certification
Examination Committee in 1998. The main role of the committee includes development,administration, scoring and analysis of the examination. The examination is administered annuallyin the form of closed book examination.
The examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions (one out of five in an alternative way),
and the candidates are allowed three hours per 100 questions to complete the examination. The
passing mark shall be 70 or more (percentage of correct answer).
2.1.4 Criteria for Certification Examination Eligibility
To be eligible for taking Certification Examination, applicants must fulfill the followingrequirements.
1) Applicants must have over 3 consecutive years of memberships in the JST at the time ofapplication.
2) Applicants must have enough experience in the practice of toxicology for at least 5 years for anyuniversity graduate (six-year school course), 7 years for any university graduate (four-yearschool course), and corresponding years for any other graduates.

23) Applicants must reach a total points of 80 or more in the toxicology activities as noted below:
Toxicology Activity¾ Item

Participation

Presentation1)(per one time)(per one time)

Publication¾ Toxicological articles published in academic

10(5)

2)

journals

Academic Society¾ JST annual meeting¾ JST-authorized meeting3)
4¾ JST-authorized seminar/workshop )1010 (5)510 (5)510 (5)JST-sponsored educational lecture¾ Basic education course (after 1998)5)40¾ Continuing education course

5Note 1) Points in the parentheses shall be given for the co-author or co-presenter who is not the first author
or first presenter.
2) Journals concerned shall be limited to the ones with efficient referee system
3) IUTOX, ASIATOX, SOT, EUROTOX, JST-cosponsored meetings, etc.
4) JST-cosponsored seminar/workshop, educational lecture, etc
5) 10 points per one time in case of participation before 1997

4) As an exception, the president of JST can provide eligibility for admission to the examinationeven if an applicant does not reach a standard among the above.
2.1.5 Recertification
Every 5 years after the certification or previous recertification, certified toxicologists shall have to
make a recertification of their qualification.
1) Eligibility requirements for the recertification
Diplomats must reach a total point of 80 or more in the toxicology activities as noted below:
Toxicology Activity

Development of 5 questions for Certification

PointsUpper points(per one time)(for 5 years)

2080

525

525

525

Examination
Toxicological articles published in academic
journals
Participation or presentation in JST annual meetingor JST-authorized meeting
Participation

orpresentation(lecturer)in3JST-sponsorededucational

lectureor

JST-authorized seminar/workshop2) Recertification examination
Diplomats must pass the recertification examination, in the form of open book manner,consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions. The passing mark shall be 80 or more.
2.2 Future Perspectives
Over the years, the JST has achieved exceptional success with two important tasks, including
maintaining the high-quality certification program of toxicologists, and a highly efficient web-based
manuscript submission and review system if the society journal. The number of the JST diplomats
has increased every year, and certification program is now well recognized inside and outside Japan.
The JST diplomats receive several benefits such as promotion at the workplace. Another goal of theprogram is to expand it to toxicologists in other countries.
3. Education and Training Program in Toxicology
In the 1970s, toxicology was adopted in the curriculum of education in the schools of Pharmacy,
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in the university in Japan. Toxicology is a multidisciplinary
field encompassing Pharmacology, Pathology and Biochemistry and other related life sciences.
Thus, teaching staff are composed of members from multiple department of School of Pharmacy,
School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine. As the MS Toxicology Program became
popular, Ph.D. course in Toxicology was established in several universities in the 1980s.
3.1. Organizations for the Toxicology Education Program
3.1.1 Universities
Since Toxicology is younger science than pharmacology and pathology and other basic sciences in
the university education, Department of Toxicology has been established in the limited number ofuniversities in Japan. Education of Toxicology is normally conducted at the classes ofPharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, Hygienic Chemistry, Hospital Pharmacy, Drug Information
and Clinical Biochemistry in School of Pharmacy(Pharmaceutical Sciences), and Pharmacology,
Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry in School ofMedicine and School of Veterinary Medicine.
The following are names of the universities and governmental Institutes which are involved inteaching Toxicology. (Details, see the book, Phillips Wexler ed. “Information Resources inToxicology 4TH Edition”, Academic Press, 2009)
Azabu University(School of Veterinary Medicine)
Chiba University(Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Health Sciences University of Hokkaido(Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)4

Hiroshima University(Faculty of Pharmacy)
Hokkaido University(Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine)
Hokuriku University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Hoshi University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Iwate University(Faculty of Agriculture and Graduate School of Agriculture)
Kanazawa University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Kitasato University(School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Kobe Gakuin University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Kumamoto University(School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy)
Kyorin University(School of Medicine)
Kyushu University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Meijo University(Faculty of Pharmacy)
Nagasaki University(School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Nagoya City University(Graduate School of Medical sciences)
Nagoya University(Faculty of Medicine)
Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University(Department of Veterinary)
Osaka Prefecture University(School of Life and Environmental Sciences)
Showa University(School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
The University of Tokyo(School of Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture)
Tohoku University(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences(School of Pharmacy)
University of the Ryukyu(Faculty of Medicine)
3.1.2 Government Institutes
National Institute of Industrial Health (NIIH)
National Institute of Industrial Safety (NIIS)
National Cancer Center (NCC)
National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)
National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS)
National Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS)
3.2 Post-educational courses
Students and young toxicologists are encouraged to receive the cutting age knowledge of toxicology
at the national and international congresses and meetings of toxicology.
3.2.1 JST-sponsored Education Courses
To foster the young toxicologists, the JST has sponsored two kinds of education lectures, Basic
Education Course (BEC), and Continuing Education Course (CEC) since 1998. BEC is planned to5

study the general knowledge of toxicology for students and young scientists. CEC is focused on thespecific topics to provide the basic and advanced knowledge of toxicology. These courses are
beneficial for the university students as well as professional toxicologists to study the state-of-theart toxicology.
3.2.2 National Level
The scientific program of the JST annual meeting contains the invited lectures of prestigious
speakers from throughout the world, symposia, workshops, oral/poster presentations, luncheon
seminars, and panel discussions. In addition to the JST, Japanese Society of Clinical Toxicology,
the Japanese Society of Toxicologic Pathology and other societies relevant to toxicology also haveprovided the scientific meetings every year. The students and young toxicologists who graduatedfrom the MS and/or Ph.D. courses in the university are further trained at the scientific meetings.
3.2.3 International Level
International congresses of Toxicology (ICTs) sponsored by the International Union of Toxicology(IUTOX) and the International congresses of Toxicology sponsored by the Asian Society ofToxicology (ASIATOX) are good opportunity to study the updated knowledge of toxicology foryoung toxicologists in Japan. The ASIATOX congress has been hosted by the ASIATOX member
societies every 3 years.
4. Japan Poison Information Center (JPIC)
4.1 History and activities
Japan poison information center (JPIC) was established in 1986. The main aim is to receive theemergency call from general public, and provide the useful information to them. The current
activities of JPIC include (1) Information Service (limited to acute toxic exposure and emergency
telephone services, (2) Information Collection and Preparation, (3) Use of computers in JPIC
(Poison information database and Records of all inquiries), (4) Educational Activities(Post-graduate
education for pharmacists and Education for other emergency service personnel).
4.2 Education and Training of Pharmacy students at JPIC
The MS students of school of pharmacy at universities are credited with the definite units at theJPIC education course. Students are trained emergency medicine, basic knowledge of poison andhuman data collection of poison information.

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