Students Take Action to Tackle Japan's HPV Vaccine Hesitancy

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Raising awareness about HPV vaccination has become increasingly urgent. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, a disease the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as uniquely preventable through vaccines and screening, with the goal of global eradication. Yet Japan has struggled to achieve widespread vaccination.

The HPV vaccine protects against the virus that causes cervical cancer, as well as oropharyngeal cancer, anal cancer, and genital warts. It is most effective when given in two to three doses before a person becomes sexually active, as sexual contact is the main route of transmission. The nine-valent vaccine currently available in Japan can prevent an estimated 80–90% of HPV infections.

In Japan, about 10,000 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and roughly 3,000 die from the disease. It most commonly affects women in their 20s to 40s, a period when many are building careers and raising families.

Around 1,000 women in their 30s undergo a hysterectomy each year due to cervical cancer. Even when the disease is detected early and treated with partial surgery, the risk of premature birth and miscarriage rises significantly.

Students Spreading Awareness

In March, students at Notre Dame Seishin Junior High School in Hiroshima attended a special class on the HPV vaccine organized by a student group called "Vcan." Third-year students heard presentations on the basics of cancer, how the vaccine works, and possible side effects. Some left the session saying they wanted to go home and talk with their parents about getting vaccinated.

Vcan was founded in 2021 by Kanon Nakajima, now 24 and a medical doctor, who started the group as a first-year student at Shiga University of Medical Science. The organization travels across Japan to share accurate information about the HPV vaccine with young people.

Nakajima admits she knew little about the vaccine herself during middle and high school, which is exactly what drives her today. She says she wants to make sure no one ends up regretting a cancer diagnosis that could have been prevented.

*Kanon Nakajima, founder and leader of the student group "Vcan."*

According to the health ministry, countries like Canada and Australia have HPV vaccination rates exceeding 80%. In Japan, 54.9% of first-year high school girls received the vaccine in fiscal 2024 — a gap that reflects the country's troubled history with the shot.

A Nine-Year Gap

The roots of the problem go back to April 2013, when Japan added the HPV vaccine to its routine immunization schedule under the Preventive Vaccination Law, making it available free of charge to girls from sixth grade through the first year of high school.

Just two months later, reports began to emerge of widespread pain and other symptoms following vaccination. In response, the government suspended its active recommendation of the vaccine, meaning it stopped sending out pre-screening forms to eligible girls. Vaccination rates subsequently fell to below 1%.

Over the years that followed, multiple large-scale studies and safety reviews were conducted in Japan and internationally. These investigations did not find scientific evidence of a causal link between the vaccines and the reported serious adverse symptoms.

After epidemiological studies confirmed the vaccine's safety, active recommendation was reinstated in April 2022. However, the suspension had lasted around nine years, leaving a generation of women without access to routine HPV vaccination.

To support those who missed out during this period, the government introduced a free catch-up vaccination program for women who had aged out of the routine schedule. The program, which was extended by one year, ran until the end of March this year.

Spreading the Word

Even with catch-up vaccination boosting the numbers, "negative impressions about side effects are still deeply rooted," says Nakajima.

Professor Yutaka Ueda of Wakayama Medical University, one of Japan's leading experts on the HPV vaccine, agrees that more needs to be done. "Local governments, medical associations, and schools all need to keep putting out accurate information through as many channels as possible," he says.

Some municipalities are already showing what's possible. Miyazaki City has combined outreach classes led by obstetricians and gynecologists with TV commercials and individual notifications to residents.

The results have been notable: by the end of December 2025, nearly 70% of first-year high school students in the city had been vaccinated. Mayor Tomonori Kiyoyama put it simply: "Things can change when municipalities put in the effort."

One major challenge still lies ahead — getting boys vaccinated. The vaccine also protects against oropharyngeal cancer, anal cancer, and other HPV-related conditions that also affect men. Yet awareness of this remains low.

In Japan, vaccination for boys is optional and can cost tens of thousands of yen per dose. Some municipalities, including Miyazaki City, have stepped in with their own subsidies, but Professor Ueda believes a bigger shift is needed. "To encourage vaccination, it should be included in routine immunization," he says.

Author: Saori Fujii, The Sankei Shimbun

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