Objective: Japan is seeing a rapid increase in the numbers of migrant workers from Asian countries amidst a rapidly aging population and declining birthrate. The notebook of personal health record (nPHR) system is a Japanese occupational health service that supports those formerly employed in hazardous work, including migrant workers. This review outlines the structure, scale, and importance of the nPHR scheme and explores Japanese medical institutions that conduct health checkups for former workers with nPHR, offering insights into the potential applicability of similar systems in migrant workers’ home countries. Methods: Information on Japanese and international laws and Japanese statistical data was obtained from government websites. Studies of workers with nPHRs were reviewed using the ICHUSHI database. Results: This review outlines the nPHR scheme established under Japanese legislation, summarizing its framework, issuance requirements, and post-retirement health checkups for 15 designated agents/works. In terms of scale, a gradual decline in newly issued nPHRs for major agents/works has been observed in recent years. The system’s importance is highlighted through a review of studies involving former workers with nPHRs and an international comparison of post-retirement health checkup systems. Conclusion: Because of the relatively small number of patients with nPHRs, public hospitals are candidates that could be contracted as medical institutions in migrant workers’ home countries. Over the past 2 decades, three additional agents/works have been included in the system, and the requirements for asbestos-related nPHRs have been expanded, indicating that the system is actively adapting to evolving occupational health needs.

Global labor mobility has intensified, positioning Indonesia as one of Japan’s fastest-growing sources of migrant workers under the Technical Intern Training and Specified Skilled Worker schemes. However, the transition of health surveillance mechanisms — particularly Japan’s Notebook of Personal Health Record (nPHR) — remains challenging once workers return home. We examined Indonesia’s readiness to adopt a standardized returning health checkup system aligned with Japan’s nPHR framework. In addition, we summarized the available resources and hospital data and analyzed policy, infrastructure, and resource preparedness across health facilities, identifying facts in standardization, financing, and specialist availability. We propose integrated digital health solutions for returning migrant workers.