Visualizing Your "Future Self" in Just 120 Minutes — How Fujifilm NURA is Transforming Preventive Healthcare: Bringing Japan's "Ningen Dock Culture" to India

1. Why is Fujifilm, a former camera manufacturer, conducting AI health screenings in India?

Fujifilm, once a global leader in photographic film, now derives about 30% of its revenue from healthcare, presenting itself as a "medical tech company." This includes CT, MRI, and mammography imaging devices, supported by image processing and AI technologies. One of the culminations of these efforts is the AI health screening center "NURA" being rolled out in India.Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

An article by India's economic media outlet NDTV Profit introduces NURA as "a new use case for preventive healthcare utilizing AI." NURA's highlight is a full-body health check completed in 120 minutes. The comprehensive health check, including CT and various tests, is completed in about two hours, with a doctor explaining the results using a large touch panel on the spot—this is the core of the NURA experience.NDTV Profit

2. Bringing Japan's "Ningen Dock Culture" to India—The Background of NURA's Birth

In 2021, NURA launched its first center in Bengaluru as a joint venture between Fujifilm and India's medical group "Dr Kutty’s Healthcare."NDTV Profit

There are two gaps underlying this initiative.

The first is the **"longevity gap."** According to WHO statistics, Japan's "healthy life expectancy" (the period one can live healthily without needing care) is among the highest in the world, whereas India still has a significant gap. One of the elements supporting Japan's longevity is the "preventive healthcare culture" symbolized by corporate health checks and Ningen Dock.Prodwrks - Space for People and Products

The second is the **"medical access gap."** In emerging countries, including India, the five-year survival rate for cancer is significantly lower than in developed countries, largely due to "late detection." In India, the five-year survival rate for cancer patients is about 30%, and there is a lack of regular screening culture and facilities, as pointed out by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

"How can we adapt Japan's preventive healthcare approach to the realities of emerging countries?" One solution Fujifilm proposed is the **"120-minute preventive healthcare experience" fully utilizing AI and imaging diagnostics.**

3. The 120-minute "hospitality health check"—Inside the NURA Center

Based on NDTV articles, blogs, and reviews from actual visitors, a day at NURA unfolds as follows.NDTV Profit

• Complete consent forms and a brief medical questionnaire at reception

• Proceed to a calming lobby with Japanese-inspired elements

• A concierge-like staff member accompanies each person, guiding them through the examination floor

• Change into a special gown (often described as "kimono-style" inspired by Japanese attire)

• Proceed through basic measurements like height, weight, and blood pressure, followed by blood tests, CT scans, mammography, cervical exams, etc., with almost no waiting time

• After the tests, change back and wait a few minutes before heading to the explanation area with a doctor

• Images of your organs and body composition data are displayed on a large touchscreen, with the doctor explaining each one

• A detailed report booklet of about 40-50 pages and an online PDF are provided on the same day

A blog for Japanese expatriates in Gurgaon who used NURA mentions that **"the flow was more organized than a Japanese Ningen Dock, and the tests were completed in about an hour and a half, with detailed explanations given on the spot."** The ability to take home the test results on the same day and view them online anytime is often highlighted on social media as having "incredible speed."India Info Fair

NDTV's article contrasts NURA with the "long waiting times" and "dreary atmosphere" of typical hospitals, highlighting NURA's aim for tranquility akin to "Japanese Zen gardens" and "hotel-like" service. By designing it as a "space to welcome guests" rather than a "consultation room," they are trying to transform preventive healthcare into an experience people want to have.NDTV Profit

4. What is AI doing?—Image diagnostics to reduce "misses"

So, what is the role of AI at NURA? NDTV's article introduces the case of breast cancer screening. In traditional mammography, early small lesions might be interpreted as "no problem" and only diagnosed as cancer during later follow-ups.NDTV Profit

With AI, slight density differences or shape irregularities in the same image are highlighted as "areas of concern," prompting doctors to recheck.Fujifilm explains that it has developed these detection algorithms based on its long-standing image processing technology and vast medical image data.Prodwrks - Space for People and Products

Furthermore, according to Fujifilm's technology introduction, NURA combines **ultra-low-dose CT and AI image processing (e.g., REILI, PixelShine)** to assess the condition of multiple organs like the lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart at once while minimizing radiation exposure. AI serves as the "initial assessor," with the final diagnosis made by specialists—this "AI as a doctor's assistant" framework is also emphasized in NDTV's article.Prodwrks - Space for People and Products

5. Price and Business Model—Positioned as a "50 Rupees a Day Investment"

NURA's pricing is designed with the general income level in India in mind. According to NDTV, the full-body health check package is explained as roughly 50 rupees per day (approximately 18,000 rupees or around 200 dollars annually).NDTV Profit

In an interview with an Indian startup media, NURA's founder Masaharu Morita stated, "We have the slogan 'fairness, accessibility, and affordability.'" He pointed out that if it becomes too expensive, it won't function as preventive healthcare.Prodwrks - Space for People and Products

Currently, NURA has centers in Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Calicut in India, with plans to expand to other cities like Chennai and Pune.Prodwrks - Space for People and Products

Global expansion is also underway, spreading to Mongolia, Vietnam, Dubai, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and more. Fujifilm aims to establish 100 centers worldwide utilizing NURA's expertise by 2030.Fujifilm

The "NURA Global Innovation Center," opened in December 2024 in Kerala, India, functions not just as a health screening center, but also as a training hub for doctors and technicians, a remote reading center for images sent from various NURA locations, and a data aggregation point for AI development.Fujifilm

Furthermore, at the four-year anniversary of its opening, NURA in Bengaluru reported that it had screened over 20,000 people and identified more than 1,500 potential life-threatening risks early. These figures often become a topic of discussion on social media, with mentions of "cases where lives were actually saved."linkedin.com

6. Data and Blockchain—The Concept of "Turning Medical Data into Assets"

Another important aspect of NURA is the "Digital Trust Platform (DTPF)" initiative. Fujifilm is trialing a system for sharing medical data using blockchain in a project spanning Japan and India.Fujifilm Holdings

The key point is that anonymized health screening data is securely shared with research teams with the consent of the examinee, and the analysis results are fed back to the examinee. The aim is to predict disease risks from accumulated health screening data in the future, allowing individuals to treat their medical data as "their own asset."Fujifilm Holdings

While this is attractive in terms of data utilization, it is also an area prone to concerns about **"how far one's health information will be used" and "how it will be used for AI learning."** As discussed later, there are quite a few voices on social media expressing concern about this point.

7. The "Reputation" of NURA as Seen on Social Media

Evaluations of NURA can be seen not only on official sites and press releases but also in more vivid forms on social media and review sites.

7-1. Positive Voices—"I Can't Believe How Much They Can Tell in Two Hours"

Several blogs and information sites for Japanese expatriates across India have published accounts of their experiences undergoing health checks at NURA. They highlight

• the ability to complete everything online from booking to medical questionnaires

• the minimal dietary restrictions on the day of the check, and the almost zero waiting time during the tests