Toward an Understanding of the Healthcare System in Japan: A Co-Constructed Account

Through an experimental approach, that incorporates a Japanese form of academic dialogue known as taidan, this article sets out to capture how an experienced British anthropologist of Japan draws on their own experiences as a patient to learn from a Japanese "key informant," what they believe constitute the key elements for understanding the healthcare system in Japan. This approach is intended to make more transparent the process through which anthropologists produce their accounts by highlighting the "voice of the informant" alongside that of the anthropologist.