When we think of the future of hospice care in Japan, we will find it important to enhance the quality of care as well as to increase the number of hospice care units. Thus it is exceedingly important that we consider carefully both the quality and the quantity of hospice care. Also we will strive to help the entire hospice movement grow stronger in quality as well as in quantity. The quality, rather than the quantity, is certain to become the essential factor of hospice care in the future. This is confirmed by the history of hospice in the advanced nations of today. We hope to keep in close touch with other countries and to make whatever contribution is possible to the development of hospice care throughout Japan and the rest of the world.