Tokyo Adventist Hospital (Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin)

Tokyo Adventist Hospital (Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin) is a medical corporation owned and operated by the Japan Union Conference. It includes a 186-bed hospital, three medical clinics, a dental clinic, and a home-visit nursing station, with over 500 employees. Located about 15 km west of downtown Tokyo, the hospital shares its campus with Amanuma Church, the largest Adventist church in Tokyo, and Saniku Gakuin College of Nursing, the only Adventist nursing college in Japan.

Early History

Tokyo Adventist Hospital was founded in 1928 and opened on May 1, 1929, as a 20-bed facility with 12 employees, supported by generous contributions from church members worldwide. It marked the beginning of medical mission work in Tokyo.¹ Dr. Edward E. Getzlaff, a graduate of Loma Linda Medical School and missionary physician from the United States, became the first president, and his wife, a graduate of Glendale Sanitarium, served as the first director of Nursing. During the first six months, Dr. Getzlaff attended a language school in Tokyo. After classes, he would return to the compound and handle office work in an unused house. Mrs. Getzlaff, a graduate nurse from Glendale Sanitarium, assisted him in his office duties. Two young women, graduates from the School for Japanese girls, expressed interest in becoming nurses. While the hospital was still under construction, Mrs. Getzlaff took them into their home and had them help make various hospital supplies. Prior to the opening of the hospital, Mrs. Getzlaff taught students Hydrotherapy and Practical Nursing in her home. As they were quite reserved at first, Mrs. Getzlaff used her own children as subjects for treatments and demonstrations. After much prayer, Dr. Getzlaff and the members of the Japan Union Committee were overjoyed and thankful to receive 15,000 yen from the General Conference, in addition to the 35,000 yen raised locally, for the construction and equipping of a sanitarium. Government approval was obtained, and several Japanese young men from the Boys' School at Naraha eagerly began working on the hospital construction under the supervision of Professors Nelson and Powers. By 1928, the framework was completed. As every penny had to be carefully managed, union workers themselves took on the task of finishing the interior, saving the mission hundreds of dollars. Dr. Getzlaff, along with Brethren Cole, Perkins, and Nelson, put in long hours to install plumbing, lay linoleum, and handle various other tasks. The electrical wiring was completed by outside workers under Dr. Getzlaff's supervision. The piping, linoleum, and many surgical supplies were sent from the United States, while beds, enamel supplies, and electrical equipment came from England. The young men from Naraha School crafted the tables, chairs, and dressers. Through Brother Katageri, a dedicated church member who ran a store in the village, the mission was able to acquire materials for bed linens, towels, and other essentials at a discounted rate. Brother Katageri had prayed fervently for a doctor to come to Japan so that medical work could lead many to Christ. His support, both financial and in service to the church, was invaluable. On May 1, 1929, the hospital opened, and a group of six nurses was providentially ready to begin their service.²

In addition to the medical staff, H. J. Perkins, the union mission treasurer acted as the hospital manager. The hospital featured an outpatient department and conducted baby welfare clinics for the local community. In 1932, four private rooms and a dining room were added, and the hospital was incorporated and accredited by the government. Over the years, its reputation grew, and the hospital became increasingly popular, often operating at full capacity.³

By providing high-quality Western medical care, which surpassed the standards of nearby Japanese hospitals, Tokyo Adventist Hospital earned the trust and respect of the local community, building a strong reputation in the region.⁴

In 1941, due to rising international tensions, all missionary workers, including Dr. E. H. Olson, the president, were forced to leave Japan. This was followed by the start of the Pacific War (World War II) in December 1941.⁵ In 1943, the Japanese government dissolved the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Japan, leading to the closure of Tokyo Adventist Hospital.⁶ After the war ended, the hospital underwent two years of preparation and celebrated its reopening on November 23, 1947.⁷

Years of Expansion

In the 1950s and 1960s, the hospital’s bed capacity gradually increased to 120, but limited space made expansion necessary.⁸ The Dental Department was established in May 1967 by Dr. Douglas A. Bixel, D.D.S., a graduate of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. He arrived in Japan in August 1965 as an overseas dentist and spent one and a half years studying Japanese full-time. Afterward, he became the first foreign dentist to pass the National Dental Board Examination conducted in Japanese.⁹

In 1980, a new six-story main building was completed, raising the bed capacity to 152, which increased to 162 in 1987.¹⁰

In 1995, a new three-story building dedicated to Obstetrics care was constructed, accommodating around 140 childbirths per month, among the highest in the Tokyo area. In 1996, the hospital opened a Palliative Care Unit, the first hospice ward in Metropolitan Tokyo, for end-of-life care.¹¹ The bed capacity reached 186, which remains unchanged today.

The Nursing School

The School of Nursing began in the fall of 1928 when six Japanese nurses, holding either nursing or midwife certificates, were selected for further training under the guidance of Mrs. Getzlaff, followed by Roby Peck of New England, who took over in 1930. In 1931, four of these nurses graduated. Tomino Itagaki and Sakuyo Wakabayashi, members of the first graduating class, were still working at the hospital in 1965. Initially, students were admitted every two or three years. The school was closed in 1943 when the hospital ceased operations, but it was revived in 1948 when the hospital reopened. At that time, the faculty included Ernestine Gill and three Japanese nursing instructors. In 1952, the school was accredited by the government as a class A nursing school. Each year, approximately 15 students were admitted to a three-year program designed to prepare them for government examinations. By the spring of 1974, a total of 321 nurses had graduated. In April 1974, the School of Nursing became part of Saniku Gaukin College, transitioning into one of its academic departments.¹²

More Recent Developments

In 2005, Tokyo Adventist Hospital became an official medical corporation and opened Tokyo Adventist Clinic nearby to accommodate the growing number of outpatients. The hospital also implemented electronic medical records that year.¹³

In 2007, a new seven-story main building was completed, replacing the old wing built immediately after World War II.¹⁴ This modern, earthquake-proof building successfully withstood the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, which claimed over 20,000 lives, primarily due to the tsunami.

In 2017, Tokyo Adventist Infertility Clinic (Megumi Clinic) was established 500 meters from the main hospital campus.¹⁵

In May 2020, the Dental Department moved from the main hospital to the newly opened Adventist Dental Clinic, located just 50 meters to the north. The clinic features 10 dental chairs and offers orthodontics, endodontics, pedodontics, and general dentistry services.¹⁶

In December 2021, a new medical facility, Wellfirm Clinic, began serving the local community, primarily focusing on home visit care.¹⁷

The COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and continues to impact us. In response, we established a PCR-test center, a Fever Clinic, a special emergency room for potential COVID-19 patients, a 27-bed COVID-19 ward, and a Vaccination Center to support the local community.

In 2023, after years of dedicated effort, Tokyo Adventist Hospital received certification from the Joint Commission International (JCI), a global organization that evaluates healthcare facilities. JCI uses international standards to assess medical institutions, focusing on continuous improvement in care quality and patient well-being. The JCI certification represents not just the achievement of a goal but the beginning of a new chapter, according to the hospital leadership. They emphasized their continued dedication to serving each patient in alignment with their core values of "caring for each individual with the compassion of Christ for the restoration of both mind and body." The hospital leaders reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to improving patient safety and the quality of medical care.¹⁸

All employees remain committed to advancing medical evangelism and fulfilling our mission: “To make man whole through Christ’s love.” This love has been evident throughout the hospital's history, not only in the exceptional medical care provided but also in the hospital's involvement in numerous humanitarian and welfare projects, both within Japan and internationally.¹⁹

Presidents (CEOs from 2006)

E.E. Getzlaff (1929-1933), Paul V. Starr (1933-1940), E.H. Olson (1940-1941), S. Kitamura (1941-1943), K. Tamaki (1943-1945.2), Closed (1945.2-1947.11), E.E. Getzlaff (1947-1950), C.E. Syphers (1950-1957), N.C. Woods, Jr. (1957-1960), R.A. Nelson (1960-1964), N.C. Woods, Jr. (1964-1965), C. Delmar Johnson (1965-1970), Haruo Ichinose (1970), Takaharu Hayashi (1970-1974), C. Delmar Johnson (1975-1981), Takaharu Hayashi (1981-1993), Yasushi Inagaki (1993-2000), Kazuhiko Hongo (2000-2013), Tetsu Hayasaka (2013-2018), Toshihiro Nishino (2018-present).

Sources

“Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin no Rekishi,” in the home page of Tokyo Adventist Hospital. www.tokyo.eisei.com/guide/history/.

Kajiyama, Tsumoru. Shimeini Moete: Nihon Sebunsudeadobenchisuto Kyoukaishi (“The History of Japanese Seventh-day Adventist Church”). Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan: Fukuinsha, 1982.

Peck, Roby W. "History of Our Medical Work in Japan." Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1932.

Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. Second revised edition. Hagerstown, Maryland: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996. S.v. “Tokyo Adventist Hospital.”

“Tokyo Adventist Hospital Receives Important Accreditation.” Adventist World, August 22, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://www.adventistworld.org/tokyo-adventist-hospital-receives-important-accreditation/.

Notes

1. “Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin no Rekishi” in the home page of Tokyo Adventist Hospital. www.tokyo.eisei.com/guide/history/.↩

2.  Roby W. Peck, "History of Our Medical Work in Japan," Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1932, 6.↩

3. Tsumoru Kajiyama, Shimeini Moete: Nihon Sebunsudeadobenchisuto Kyoukaishi (“The History of Japanese Seventh-day Adventist Church”) (Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan: Fukuinsha, 1982), 304. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. “Tokyo Adventist Hospital.”↩

4. Kajiyama, 306.↩

5. Ibid., 309.↩

6. Ibid., 310, 311.↩

7. Ibid., 491.↩

8. Ibid., 492-494.↩

9. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. “Tokyo Adventist Hospital.”↩

10. “Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin no Rekishi” in the home page of Tokyo Adventist Hospital. www.tokyoeisei.com/guide/history/.↩

11. Ibid.↩

12. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. “Tokyo Adventist Hospital.”↩

13. “Tokyo Eisei Adventist Byoin no Rekishi” in the home page of Tokyo Adventist Hospital. www.tokyoeisei.com/guide/history/.↩

14. Ibid.↩

15. Ibid.↩

16. Ibid.↩

17. Ibid.↩

18. “Tokyo Adventist Hospital Receives Important Accreditation,” Adventist World, August 22, 2023, https://www.adventistworld.org/tokyo-adventist-hospital-receives-important-accreditation/.↩

19. For example, during the Kobe earthquake in 1995 (“Adventists and ADRA in Kobe During Quake,” The Record, February 11, 1995, 10). See also, Atsushi Hirota, “Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Adventist Hospital Serving the City for 90 years,” Mission to the Cities, October 3, 2019, accessed February 10, 2025, https://missiontothecities.org/tokyo,-japan-tokyo-adventist-hospital-serving-the-city-for-90-years.↩