Does a Multi-Dimensional Concept of Health Include Spirituality? Analysis of Japan Health Science Council’s Discussionson WHO’s ‘Definition of Health’ (1998)

The Health Science Council of Japan proposed to include the term ‘spirituality’ in WHO’s ‘definition of health’ over three meetings. However, no consensus on the proposal was achieved. This study uses the minutes of the meetings to explore the members’ implicit understanding of ‘health’, varied interpretations of ‘spirituality’, and reservations against the inclusion of ‘spirituality’ in the official definition of health. By analyzing the Japanese perspective on the subject, this study seeks to contribute to the conceptual definition of ‘health’ and elucidate the challenges involved in incorporating ‘spirituality’ as a dimension of health in the field of contemporary medical care.