🏥 Instead of pills, prescribe connection. In Japan, a groundbreaking experiment is underway — using the metaverse to combat loneliness and isolation as a new form of healthcare. A team of 35 medical professionals and creators has joined forces to transform passive spectators into "heroes" of their own story, linking virtual adventure to real-world wellbeing. Here's how the world's most aged society is pioneering metaverse-powered medicine.
What Is "Social Prescribing"? — Healthcare Beyond Medication
Have you heard of "social prescribing"? Born in the United Kingdom, this healthcare concept takes a radically different approach to treating illness. When a patient's problems stem from social isolation rather than a biological cause, doctors "prescribe" community connections instead of medication.
Picture an elderly patient complaining of insomnia. A typical doctor might hand out sleeping pills. But what if the real cause is spending all day at home with no reason to go outside? Under social prescribing, the doctor might connect that patient with a local gardening group or volunteer activity. The result: more physical activity, renewed purpose, and better sleep — all without a single pill.
In the UK, specialized workers called "link workers" serve as bridges between medical care and community resources, and the system is already well established. Japan launched its own Social Prescribing Lab in Kawasaki in 2018, and the concept is gradually gaining traction across the country.
Japan's Loneliness Crisis — A National Emergency
Social prescribing is attracting attention in Japan for a very urgent reason: the country faces a profound loneliness crisis.
According to a national survey by Japan's Cabinet Office, roughly 40% of respondents reported feeling lonely. In 2021, Japan became only the second country in the world (after the UK) to appoint a Minister for Loneliness and Isolation. By April 2024, the Loneliness and Isolation Countermeasures Promotion Act came into effect. Perhaps most strikingly, 2025 estimates suggest that over 20,000 people per year die alone at home, their deaths undiscovered for eight or more days — a phenomenon known in Japanese as "kodokushi" (孤独死), or "lonely death."
In the world's most aged society, the number of elderly people living alone continues to climb. As their outings decrease and social connections fray, the risk of not only physical decline but also cognitive impairment and depression rises sharply. Traditional medicine alone cannot address these root causes. What's needed isn't a prescription pad — it's a prescription for human connection.
The Metaverse as a "New Place to Belong"
This is where the metaverse enters the picture as a potential platform for social prescribing.
The metaverse refers to three-dimensional virtual spaces built on the internet, where users interact through digital representations of themselves called "avatars." Accessible via smartphones, PCs, or VR headsets, these spaces are used for everything from gaming and events to business meetings.
Why is the metaverse particularly suited for social prescribing? First, it transcends physical limitations. People in wheelchairs or bedridden patients can move freely in virtual space. Second, it offers anonymity. Behind an avatar, people are freed from real-world concerns about age, gender, or appearance, making it easier for shy individuals to communicate. Third, it erases distance. Whether you live in a remote rural area or are hospitalized, an internet connection is all you need to connect with people worldwide.
35 Experts Create "Virtual Brave Beat"
These possibilities are being put into practice through a participatory adventure opera called "Virtual Brave Beat" (バーチャル英雄譚), scheduled for February 21, 2026.
Hosted on "cluster" — Japan's largest metaverse platform — the event is organized by Wear Hoshino of the PORTAL project. Hoshino is a physical therapist who also holds qualifications as a counselor and VR specialist. Known as a "medical metaverse evangelist," he has published 10 academic papers, conducted research at university hospitals, and presented at international conferences — all focused on bridging medicine and virtual worlds.
The project brings together a team of 35 people with diverse expertise, from healthcare and welfare professionals to V-singers (virtual performers) and VR dancers.
The defining feature is that spectators aren't treated as passive consumers — they become the heroes driving the story. In conventional metaverse events, participants typically just watch performances, much like attending a real-world concert. Even though everyone shares the same virtual space, a wall remains between performers and audience, and the experience fades quickly as "one-time entertainment."
In Virtual Brave Beat, every participant can influence the story's direction through item distribution, voting, and interactive triggers. Dramatic moments like "falling to the dark side" use metaverse-specific features to create deep immersion. The design ensures participants feel genuine agency — the sense that "my actions changed the story."
Why does this matter for healthcare? Because stepping into the role of a "hero" helps people break through real-world barriers like shyness and anxiety, naturally encouraging active communication. This boost in self-confidence ripples into daily life, improving overall wellbeing. In other words, the event is designed not as a one-time entertainment "dot" but as a "line" connecting to everyday health.
Japan's Medical Metaverse — A Growing Landscape
Virtual Brave Beat is just one piece of a rapidly expanding metaverse healthcare landscape in Japan.
Juntendo University and IBM established a "Medical Metaverse Joint Research Lab" to develop healthcare services in virtual spaces. Their "Juntendo Virtual Hospital" lets patients explore the hospital as avatars and experience treatment procedures virtually, making the informed consent process more effective. In the mental health field, clinical trials are underway using VR headset data to screen for anxiety disorders — conditions that often go undiagnosed because many sufferers don't recognize them as an illness.
Medical VR company Holoeyes has obtained medical device certification for its service that converts CT and MRI data into 3D models for pre-surgical simulation and physician training. Leveraging Japan's world-leading expertise in 3D medical imaging data, the company is expanding globally.
In the city of Echizen in Fukui Prefecture, a "Metaverse Mental Health Room" was launched where people experiencing social withdrawal can consult with doctors anonymously through avatars. Reports suggest that the virtual environment makes it significantly easier for people to open up about issues they can't discuss face-to-face.
JollyGood Inc., in partnership with Otsuka Pharmaceutical, has deployed VR social skills training for developmental disorders across more than 200 medical institutions nationwide, helping patients with reintegration into society and even employment support.
Why Japan? — Because Being the "Most-Aged Society" Creates Urgency
Japan's domestic metaverse market is projected to reach approximately $6.7 billion by fiscal year 2026, with the healthcare sector expected to be a key growth driver. Globally, the healthcare metaverse market is estimated to exceed $70 billion by 2030.
Challenges remain, of course. Digital literacy among the elderly, safety and privacy safeguards, regulatory frameworks, and above all, building a robust body of academic evidence showing that metaverse experiences genuinely improve health outcomes — all of these need continued work.
Yet precisely because Japan is the world's most aged "problem-advanced nation" (課題先進国, "kadai senshin-koku" — a Japanese concept meaning a country that faces societal challenges before others), it has the strongest motivation to accelerate real-world deployment of metaverse medicine. The prescription for loneliness in a super-aged society might not come in a pill bottle — it might come through a virtual world where everyone can be a hero.
How does your country address elderly loneliness and social isolation? Do you think using the metaverse for healthcare and welfare could work where you live? We'd love to hear about the situation in your country!
References
- https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/1432796
- https://note.com/calm_roses440/n/ne8b71a1367c7
- https://goodhealth.juntendo.ac.jp/medical/000319.html
- https://www.ibm.com/jp-ja/think/insights/ic-healthcare-utilizing-medical-metabases
- https://www2.deloitte.com/jp/ja/pages/technology/articles/dd/mvrs-predictions2023-lshc.html
- https://www.cao.go.jp/kodoku_koritsu/torikumi/jutenkeikaku/pdf/jutenkeikaku.pdf
Reactions in Japan
Did a double-take hearing a physical therapist is a medical metaverse evangelist. But rehab professionals look at patients' entire lives, so this kind of thinking actually makes perfect sense. Rooting for them.
First time hearing about 'social prescribing.' Surprised it's already institutionalized in the UK. Japan's 3-minute consultations that just hand out pills could really use this concept.
I can personally vouch that the metaverse helps with loneliness. My mental health clearly stabilized after I started talking to people on VRChat every night. Many mock it, but having a place to belong matters.
My grandma lives alone and just watches TV all day. Something like this could change her world, but she can barely use a smartphone, so it's not really realistic...
As a home-visit nurse seeing elderly people living alone daily, I see firsthand how loneliness erodes health. I don't think the metaverse is a cure-all, but it's a valid option. The key is lowering the barrier to entry.
Honestly, I think many people still find 'healthcare via metaverse' suspicious. But with 10 published papers and international conference presentations, this isn't just a whim. Hope they keep building solid evidence.
They say the metaverse cures loneliness, but you're just sitting behind a screen. Just go meet real people, honestly.
I keep hearing stories of school-refusing kids finding their place in the metaverse and recovering. It could work for isolation across all ages, not just the elderly. My kid loves cluster too.
Over 20,000 lonely deaths per year — that number is shocking. With a problem this big, we should use whatever works, VR, metaverse, anything. No time for pride.
I once let a facility resident try a VR travel experience. An elderly man who's usually expressionless said 'Wow!' with a huge smile, and I nearly cried. That's when I started believing in the power of technology.
When I hear 'trillion-yen metaverse healthcare market,' it reeks of business opportunity. Is this really for patients, or just for profit? We need discerning eyes.
Working in psychiatry, I see many patients too afraid of face-to-face visits. Consulting through metaverse avatars could dramatically lower the barrier for that crucial first step.
The Virtual Brave Beat concept is cool. Being part of the story instead of just watching is definitely a metaverse strength. Gamification × healthcare might be a great match.
Isn't it a bit rude to assume the elderly can't use the metaverse? My 70-something dad plays Fortnite with his grandkids. It's all about the UI design.
There was a paper showing cluster's AI agents doubled new user retention rates, right? It's reassuring that the platform itself is investing in serious research.
I get the criticism that people are just 'escaping' into the metaverse, but having a refuge is what keeps some people alive. Not everyone can be strong in the real world.
I've studied the UK link worker system for a decade, and integrating the metaverse into social prescribing is a logical next step. What impresses me most about Japan's approach is the academic backing — many VR wellness projects lack proper evidence.
In Sweden, we've introduced digital cafés for elderly isolation, but they're still limited to 2D video calls. The metaverse approach of creating a 'sense of being together' in 3D space goes further. Could easily be adapted for Scandinavia.
China's metaverse market is huge but heavily skewed toward entertainment and e-commerce. Japan's focus on healthcare and wellbeing is refreshing. As China's population ages rapidly, this is worth studying closely.
In rural India, elderly people are completely isolated, but smartphone penetration is high. Japan's model of anonymous doctor consultations via metaverse could fill a gap in India's telemedicine landscape.
I'll be honest — I'm still skeptical about metaverse healthcare. Elderly people wearing headsets for immersive healing? Wouldn't investing in community centers be a safer bet?
In Brazil, we don't even have a term equivalent to 'kodokushi' (lonely death), but the problem of elderly people living alone is definitely growing. There's a lot to learn from Japan's legislative approach with their Loneliness Act.
Social isolation is serious in France — the 2003 heatwave that killed 15,000 elderly is still a living lesson. The metaverse is interesting as a new tool, but ultimately, what people need is human warmth.
In Nigeria, most areas can't even get a stable internet connection. Metaverse healthcare looks like a developed-world luxury. But if infrastructure improves in the future, it could be key to solving Africa's medical access gap.
South Korea's aging speed rivals Japan's. VR-based dementia prevention programs are being studied here too, but linking it with the concept of 'social prescribing' is novel. A Japan-Korea joint study would be fascinating.
The VA in the US has seen results using VR for PTSD treatment. The hypothesis that becoming a 'hero' in the metaverse boosts self-esteem aligns well with gamification research. Solid theoretical foundation.
I've used VR reminiscence therapy experimentally in German care facilities. Dementia patients reliving past travel experiences sparked surprisingly lively conversations. Japan's initiative operates at an impressive scale.
Singapore is a small country but aging rapidly. Discussion about incorporating metaverse healthcare into our Smart Nation initiative has just begun. Japan's experimental efforts are a valuable reference.
Italy's aging rate is second only to Japan, but there's strong tech resistance. Churches and bars have served as gathering places for the elderly, but even those are reaching limits. The metaverse may not be a cultural fit, but it's worth exploring.
Love that the 35-member team includes VR dancers and virtual singers alongside medical professionals. This interdisciplinary approach that doesn't stay confined to healthcare is the true essence of social prescribing.
Digital health is a priority area in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Japan's Holoeyes technology is already being used in Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to Japan as a partner in sharing metaverse healthcare expertise.