Odaicho, Mie Prefecture, Officially Introduces 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online'

Kids Public Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Naoya Hashimoto) has partnered with Odaicho, Mie Prefecture (Mayor: Hiromi Kamise), to officially launch its 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' service for Odaicho residents starting April 1, 2026 (Wednesday).

Odaicho conducted a trial introduction of this service from October 2025. Based on the usage during this period and feedback from residents, the service has been officially adopted for the 2026 fiscal year.

'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' is a service that allows users to consult with over 250 affiliated pediatricians, obstetricians, and midwives online, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The 'Pediatrics Online' service began in 2016, and currently has approximately 150,000 registered users, has been introduced in over 230 municipalities, and has accumulated over 300,000 consultations.

Odaicho faced challenges in its support system for pregnant women and child-rearing families, as there are no medical institutions specializing in obstetrics and pediatrics within the town, requiring residents to travel outside the town for examinations.

Through our service, we aim to provide an environment where residents can easily consult with specialists online, thereby reducing the burden of travel, alleviating feelings of isolation and anxiety, and supporting online health and medical consultations to ensure safe pregnancies, childbirths, and child-rearing.

■ Background of Introducing 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online'

Utilizing 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' to reduce the burden of out-of-town medical visits. Supporting pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Odaicho has implemented various child-rearing policies, such as providing childbirth celebration money and health nurses visiting families with infants around two months old through the 'Hello Baby Visit' program. In April 2025, the town also established the 'Children and Family Support Center' as a comprehensive consultation service providing seamless support from pregnancy onwards.

This official introduction aims to complement the face-to-face support provided by the center and further enhance the consultation system, including during nights and holidays.

■ Key Factors in the Official Introduction

• High User Satisfaction

  During the trial period of 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online', users provided feedback such as:

  ・"It was very helpful to receive detailed explanations."

  ・"When I go to the hospital with my child, it's difficult to talk and listen to the doctor properly. Being able to review the information in writing at any time, getting guidance on when to seek medical attention, and advice on how to handle things at home, made me want to use the service again if needed."

  Such comments indicated high satisfaction and an intention for continued use.

• Reduced Travel Burden for Out-of-Town Medical Visits During Off-Hours and Holidays

As there are no medical institutions specializing in obstetrics and pediatrics within the town, access to emergency medical care, especially on holidays and at night, was considered a significant challenge.

The 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' system, which allows consultation with specialists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for guidance on when to seek medical attention, contributes to reducing the travel burden and anxiety for pregnant and child-rearing families, and helps create an environment where they can safely experience pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.

• Promotion of Preconception Care

'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' also offers consultations on health for a wide range of generations, from preconception care (health management before pregnancy) to menopause.

By introducing this service, we will provide comprehensive support not only for child-rearing generations but also for women and families throughout all stages of life.

Together with Odaicho, our company will promote the utilization of ICT in maternal and child health, contributing to the further enhancement of health support for all town residents.

■ About the 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online' Services Available in Odaicho, Mie Prefecture (Partial List)

Pregnant residents and child-rerearing families in the town can consult with pediatricians, obstetricians, and midwives online for free.

• Anytime Consultation

  Questions are accepted via text 24 hours a day, and doctors and midwives will send text responses within 24 hours in principle.

• Nighttime Consultation

  Available for LINE message chat and video calls on weekdays from 6 PM to 10 PM (10-minute slots by reservation). Reservations can be made up to 15 minutes before the consultation starts.

• Daytime Midwife Consultation

  You can consult with a midwife via LINE message chat without a reservation on weekdays from 1 PM to 5 PM.

• Search Everyone's Consultations

  You can search and view past consultations submitted to our company, along with the responses from doctors and midwives.

■Comment from Odaicho, Mie Prefecture

Odaicho's 3rd Comprehensive Plan sets "creating a town where everyone from children to the elderly can live vibrantly" as its basic goal. Within this, strengthening the system to provide seamless support from pregnancy and creating an environment where child-rearing can be done with peace of mind are among our initiatives.

With the introduction of 'Obstetrics and Pediatrics Online', we aim to establish a system where consultations can be made at any time to suit everyone's lifestyle, further enhancing child-rearing support.

There are areas within the town where it takes about an hour one way to reach a medical institution, which has been a significant burden for pregnant women and those raising children.

However, by using this service, residents can consult with specialists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from the comfort of their homes, which we expect will reduce their burden and provide great peace of mind.

Furthermore, information on "child development support," which is frequently requested, can also be freely viewed within this service.

We encourage parents to utilize this tool to learn at their own pace and deepen their knowledge. We will continue to strive to be a town where everyone can raise children with peace of mind.

■About Odaicho, Mie Prefecture

■ About Kids Public

Established in 2015 by pediatrician Naoya Hashimoto. In May 2016, 'Pediatrics Online' was launched as an online remote health and medical consultation service.

In 2017, obstetrician Daisuke Shigemi joined, and the following year 'Obstetrics Online' was launched. In 2023, 'Daytime Midwife Consultation' began operations. With over 150,000 registered users and over 300,000 cumulative consultations, a key feature is the establishment of a system allowing online consultations with over 250 pediatricians, obstetricians, and midwives.

The service offers a wide range of consultation channels, including 'Anytime Consultation' where users can consult with medical professionals via text 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 'Nighttime Consultation' for 10-minute video calls with medical professionals, and 'Search Everyone's Consultations' which allows searching over 40,000 consultation cases and responses created by doctors and midwives. The service has been introduced in over 230 municipalities, and the company is also focusing on demonstration experiments, effectiveness verification, and research through online consultations.

By utilizing ICT, the company is committed to providing seamless support from pregnancy through child-rearing, contributing to the realization of a society where everyone can grow up healthy.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: Kids Public Inc.

Location: 5F SK Mitoshirocho Building, 11-8 Kanda Mitoshirocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Naoya Hashimoto

Established: 2015

Number of Employees: 35 (as of December 2025)

Number of Affiliated Medical Professionals: 267 (as of December 2025)

URL: https://kids-public.co.jp/

■ Contact for this press release

Kids Public Inc. Public Relations: Haruyama, Murakami

TEL: 050-1732-0536

Email: pr@kids-public.co.jp