The Japanese Mortality Database is a comprehensively-reorganized mortality database that is optimized for mortality research and consistent with the Human Mortality Database. This database is provided as a part of the research project “Demographic research on the causes and the socio-economic consequence of longetivity extension in Japan” (2011-2013), "Demographic research on longevity extension, population aging, and their effects on the social security and socio-economic structures in Japan" (2014-2016), "Comprehensive research from a demographic viewpoint on the longevity revolution" (2017-2019), and "Modeling and Comprehensive Analysis of Population, Economy and Society of Ultra-Longevity" (2020-) at the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The Japanese Mortality Database is designed to provide the life tables to all the people who are interested in Japanese mortality including domestic and foreign mortality researchers for the purpose of mortality research. Especially because we have structured it to conform with the HMD, our database is suitable for international comparison, we put emphasis on the compatibility with the HMD more than our country’s particular characteristics. Therefore, the life tables by JMD do not necesarlily exhibit the same values as ones by the official life tables prepared and released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare according to the different base population or the methods for estimating the tables. When doing things other than mortality research, if life table that statistically displays our country’s mortality situation is necessary, please use the official life table that has been prepared by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

At the present time, we offer the data for All Japan and by prefecture. The project team is studying the methodology for estimating life tables along with data preparation. Therefore, the data may be updated when a new methodology is adopted. Please refer to "Methods" for further information.