Reframing nursing care with the “New 3K”
Sompo Care’s original manga, titled “Detailed Study! Working in Nursing Care: Spreading Happiness!” aims to transform the conventional 3K image of nursing care. In Japanese, 3K refers to “kitsui” (difficult); “kitanai” (dirty); and “kiken” (dangerous). Our manga reinterprets the 3K image of the profession as “kaeteiku” (to improve); “kachi-aru” (of value); and “kando-dekiru” (with inspiration).
In an aging Japan, securing nursing care personnel is urgent for its future. Sompo Care is thus encouraging young children to take an interest in nursing care by conveying how meaningful and rewarding it is.
The manga that we developed to that end was published as part of Kodansha BECK’s Social Field Trip manga series. Sompo Care’s president, Takamitsu Washimi, wants to teach children about nursing care. He enlisted many people to ensure that our manga clarifies what nursing care involves, why it is rewarding, and how the body ages. The manga aims to portray nursing care to children as a dream job.
Nursing‑care professionals and manga artists collaborated to make the content easy for children to understand while communicating nursing care’s profound nature and the latest technologies used in the field.
Recognition and distribution of the manga
Sompo Care’s manga is not sold in bookstores. It was donated to around 20,000 elementary schools and 3,000 public libraries within Japan. And its reach continues to expand.
Presentation to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike
At a ceremony at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in December 2024, Sompo Care president Washimi presented a copy of our manga to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. Governor Koike expressed the expectation that “2025, when an enormous number of Japan’s baby boomers reach age 75, will see Japan become a super‑aged society and make securing nursing care personnel all the more important.” President Washimi, in turn, spoke of his desire to give nursing care the new 3k image and make it into a profession that children dream of. He also introduced Sompo Care’s wide‑ranging initiatives, including its “Care Support Center” pavilion at KidZania Tokyo and its children’s cafeterias.
By reading this manga, I hope children will understand the importance of nursing care and the need for care workers.
Yuriko Koike
Governor of Tokyo
Teaching and listening to students nationwide
After elementary schools across Japan receive the manga, they hold classes guested by Sompo Care and also sessions where students present on what they’ve learned. Matsubara Elementary School, for example, in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, held a guest class for fourth graders themed “Let’s learn about nursing care work.” Fourth graders at Syoho Elementary School, in Kyoto City, gave presentations about their hands‑on study at a Sompo Care facility. Seeing children delve into and eagerly ask questions about the ingenuity and technologies of nursing care settings strongly impressed everyone involved.
Receiving moving messages from sixth graders
We’ve also gotten heartwarming feedback from children who have read our manga. Sixth grader Tamaki shared that she “realized that nursing care means slowly and patiently helping individuals with things they can no longer do on their own,” revealing a thorough understanding of the essence of nursing care. Children also ask pointed questions from their unique perspectives, expressing surprise, for example, at the latest technologies in nursing care settings and concern for safety during disasters. We provide detailed responses from Daisuke, a character in the manga, to enhance their understanding.
Taking the message global
Nursing care is an important issue amid an aging Japanese society. Our manga, which was first produced in Japanese, has been read by many people within Japan.
But the core idea and the reason for producing the manga are not unique to Japan. In that regard, an English edition was produced to spread the appeal and importance of nursing care to a broader audience. Our hope is that the English edition will familiarize people worldwide with nursing care and with Sompo Care’s new 3K. By crossing language barriers, we hope to introduce to more children the value and potential of jobs in nursing care.
