Fukui Prefecture is known nationwide as “Japan’s Happiest Prefecture,” boasting a stable living environment with a high rate of dual-income households and homeownership. However, when looking at the medical field, a clear “bifurcation” is evident: a concentration of physicians in the Reihoku area, centered around Fukui City, and a shortage of doctors and successors in the Okutsu and Reinan areas. Considering future population decline and aging, third-party succession (M&A) is a crucial strategic option for the managers of hospitals, medical corporations, and clinics in Fukui Prefecture to preserve the light of regional healthcare. M&A Medical deeply understands the unique medical needs and geographical characteristics of Fukui Prefecture and supports optimal business succession.

Fukui Prefecture’s Medical Market and Statistical Characteristics

According to surveys by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of medical institutions in Fukui Prefecture is around 60 hospitals and approximately 650 general clinics. While the number of physicians per 100,000 population tends to be above the national average, the reality is a concentration around Fukui City, making regional disparities a challenge. Furthermore, Fukui Prefecture’s aging rate exceeds 30%, increasing at a pace faster than the national average. The rise in single elderly households, in particular, heightens the importance of home healthcare and collaboration with long-term care services, strengthening the demand for facilities capable of “medical-care integration” in M&A.

Four Secondary Medical Zones and Regional Characteristics in Fukui Prefecture

To understand Fukui Prefecture’s healthcare environment, it is essential to grasp the characteristics of “Reihoku” and “Reinan,” which are geographical divisions, and the four further subdivided secondary medical zones.

• 1. Fukui/Sakai Medical Zone (Fukui City, Awara City, Sakai City, etc.)
  This is the prefecture’s largest population center, with a high concentration of facilities ranging from advanced acute care hospitals to specialized clinics. In the M&A market, there is a strong demand for the transfer of clinics with high patient attraction, and a high level of interest from medical corporations outside the prefecture.
• 2. Okutsu Medical Zone (Ono City, Katsuyama City)
  This is a mountainous region facing rapid population decline and aging. Collaboration with public hospitals is essential, and succession in a “community-based integrated care model” is sought to prevent clinic closures.
• 3. Tannan Medical Zone (Sabae City, Echizen City, Echizen Town, etc.)
  This is a region with a strong manufacturing industry and a stable working population. Demand for occupational health services and rehabilitation is stable, and there are signs of consolidation by medium-sized medical corporations.
• 4. Reinan Medical Zone (Tsuruga City, Obama City, Wakasa Town, etc.)
  This area has strong ties with Shiga and Kyoto Prefectures. Due to its geographical separation from Reihoku, a self-contained medical system is required. Cases where clinics are transferred due to a lack of successors are increasingly becoming opportunities for corporations seeking to expand their reach.

Typical M&A and Business Succession Patterns in Fukui Prefecture

Traditionally, succession of medical institutions in Fukui Prefecture was primarily within families. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing number of cases where physicians’ children remain in university hospitals or core hospitals in urban areas (such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya) and do not return to Fukui. This has led to the following three typical patterns:

① “Profit Base Succession Type” for Urban Clinics

In the central areas of Fukui City and Sakai City, when the directors of clinics in good financial standing consider retirement, there is active “acquisition by younger doctors as an alternative to new establishment.” The benefit of avoiding the risks of starting from scratch and inheriting an existing patient base is significant.

② “Regional Healthcare Continuation Type” in Reinan/Okutsu Areas

This involves clinic directors who feel a sense of mission, thinking, “If I leave, healthcare in this region will stop,” transferring their clinics to medical corporations inside or outside the prefecture. By continuing operations as a branch of a medical corporation, physician dispatch becomes stable, and local residents can continue to receive care with peace of mind.

③ “Diversification and Dominant Strategy” by Medical Corporations

Centered in the Tannan area, medical corporations that have attached long-term care facilities are acquiring nearby private clinics to expand their share in home-visit medical services. This strategy responds to the demand for “at-home end-of-life care,” supported by Fukui Prefecture’s high homeownership rate.

Smooth M&A Process in Fukui Prefecture

Transferring a medical institution requires not only legal procedures but also delicate processes such as maintaining staff employment and considering patient needs.

Support for Fukui Prefecture Provided by M&A Medical

M&A Medical, operated by CentralMedience Inc., is an M&A support institution certified by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, providing consulting services specialized in Fukui Prefecture’s medical field. We are not merely intermediaries but partners who connect the “trust from the community” built by chairpersons and directors to the next generation.

We propose succession plans that consider location evaluations in light of Fukui’s unique “car-centric society,” competitive situations with neighboring medical institutions, and, most importantly, the feelings of the staff working in Fukui. If you are considering a transfer or wish to acquire a facility in Fukui Prefecture, please feel free to consult with us. We will protect your confidentiality and think together about the future of your institution.