Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido, to Introduce 'Obstetrics and Gynecology/Pediatrics Online' Service from July 1

Kids Public Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Naoya Hashimoto) has begun providing its service, 'Obstetrics and Gynecology/Pediatrics Online,' as a service for residents of Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido, starting July 1, 2026, in response to a request from the city.

By establishing an environment where residents can easily consult with obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, and pediatricians via smartphones and other devices, we aim to support the creation of a city where people can feel secure in pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.

Background of the Introduction of 'Obstetrics and Gynecology/Pediatrics Online'

Ashibetsu City is promoting the establishment of a seamless support system from pregnancy through childbirth and child-rearing to realize an 'environment that is easy to raise children.' The city has focused on creating an environment where children are nurtured by the entire community, including the implementation of generous child-rearing support measures and personalized support services by public health nurses. They have been working to build a city where future generations can grow up healthy.

In addition to the nationwide issue of population decline, Ashibetsu City faces challenges in maintaining maternal and child health and pediatric medical care systems unique to rural areas, such as the decrease in local medical institutions and the concentration of medical resources in urban areas. Furthermore, the recent trend of nuclear families has increased the daily anxiety and isolation of child-rearing households, who feel there is 'no readily available environment for consultation.' Therefore, how to provide a 'seamless and comprehensive child-rearing support system' that addresses minor concerns about children's health and diverse parenting challenges, and provides peace of mind, even in rural areas, has been an important consideration.

To meet this need, Ashibetsu City will now utilize 'Obstetrics and Gynecology/Pediatrics Online,' an online health and medical consultation service that allows access to obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, and pediatricians regardless of location or time. This introduction will provide an environment where parents can easily receive professional advice from obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, and pediatricians via smartphones and other devices, aiming to alleviate some of the anxieties and questions parents may have, further support pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing in Ashibetsu City, and contribute to the realization of 'a warm city where children shine and smiles abound.'

About Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido

Ashibetsu City is located almost in the center of Hokkaido and has built an urban environment in harmony with its rich nature, with approximately 88% of its vast area covered by forests, making it one of the largest in the prefecture. In addition to developing the city as a 'Village of Falling Stars,' certified by the Ministry of the Environment (then the Environment Agency) for its beautiful night sky and clear air, the city boasts a rich culture and vitality, including its history as a former coal mining town and the traditional 'Kensuke Yamakasa,' the only one recognized as 'Northern Yamakasa' from Hakata.

The city sincerely addresses the social background of population decline and aging population with fewer children. Starting in fiscal year 2025 (Reiwa 7), they will launch the '3rd Ashibetsu City Children and Child-rearing Support Project Plan' and work to build a seamless support system for families raising children. The introduction of online health and medical consultations in this project aims to realize 'a city that is easy to raise children' and serves as an advanced model for local governments to support the physical and mental health of Ashibetsu's children and their parents by effectively utilizing ICT, thereby enhancing the peace of mind of citizens.

About the 'Obstetrics and Gynecology/Pediatrics Online' Service Available in Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido (Partial)

Residents of Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido, can consult with pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, and midwives online free of charge.

◯ Consult Anytime: 24 hours a day, every day A question-and-answer style consultation where messages can be sent via a website form. Doctors and midwives will provide text responses within 24 hours as a general rule.

◯ Nighttime Consultation: Weekdays 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM A 10-minute reservation-based consultation with obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, or pediatricians. Available via LINE chat or video call, with reservations possible up to 15 minutes before the consultation begins.

◯ Daytime Midwife Consultation: Weekdays 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Available for LINE message chat with a midwife without reservation. Consultations can be held at length without worrying about the time.

◯ Search All Consultations Features reliable consultation examples created by doctors and midwives. You can search for consultations similar to your concerns from past cases.

Comment from Mr. Makoto Kitamura, Mayor of Ashibetsu City, Hokkaido

In recent years, consultations regarding children's health issues and child-rearing have become increasingly diverse. With the concentration of medical institutions in urban areas, I feel the importance of online consultations is growing in rural areas, which continue to experience population outflow, allowing for expert advice on minor health concerns during child-rearing.

I hope that through this project, parents will be able to receive professional advice easily, and that their anxieties and questions will be alleviated even slightly.

I sincerely hope that this project will contribute to protecting the health of Ashibetsu's precious children, who will carry on our future.

Starry sky spreading over Ashibetsu, the 'Village of Falling Stars'

About Kids Public

Founded in 2015 by pediatrician Naoya Hashimoto. In May 2016, 'Pediatrics Online' was launched as an online remote health and medical consultation service. In 2017, Daisuke Shigemi, an obstetrician and gynecologist, joined, and 'Obstetrics and Gynecology Online' was launched the following year. In 2023, 'Daytime Midwife Consultation' began operation. The cumulative number of consultations exceeds 300,000, and the company has established a system for online consultations with over 250 pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, and midwives. They offer a wide range of consultation services, including 'Consult Anytime,' where users can consult with medical professionals via text 24/7/365, 'Nighttime Consultation,' where users can consult with medical professionals via 10-minute video calls, and 'Search All Consultations,' which allows users to search over 40,000 consultation cases and answers created by doctors and midwives. They have a track record of implementation in over 230 municipalities and are also focusing on demonstration experiments, effectiveness verification, and research through online consultations. By utilizing ICT, they are working to provide seamless support from pregnancy to child-rearing and contributing to the realization of a society where everyone can spend their developmental years healthily.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: Kids Public Inc.

Location: 5F, SK Midoricho Bldg., 11-8 Kanda-Midoricho, 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 Inquiries Regarding This Press Release】

Kids Public Inc. Public Relations: Haruyama / Murakami

TEL: 050-1732-0536

Email: pr@kids-public.co.jp