Food poisoning is a serious threat to public health. During the past decades, society has undergone significant lifestyle changes, including the use of new methods for processing and preparing foods. Surveillance of food poisoning has been emphasized because of the centralization of food production and increased international trade and tourism. The responsibility for food safety has moved from individuals to industries and governments, and these changes have created the potential for outbreaks of food poisoning. In this paper, I provide an overview of the current trends in food poisoning in Japan from 2006 to 2015, focusing on prevalence and mortality with respect to food preparation facilities, causative agents and the food sources involved. This review is based on food poisoning statistics collected in Japan, published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan. An English version of all figures and tables in this paper is presented in the Appendix.
