"Family Member Won Nobel Prize": Japanese Ophthalmology Clinic's Closure Notice Impresses Netizens

A Japanese ophthalmology clinic has drawn attention after announcing a temporary closure, citing "a family member winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and attending the award ceremony" as the reason.

On December 9, a photo of a closure notice posted at the entrance of Sumireno Ophthalmology Clinic, located in the Osone shopping district in Kita Ward, Nagoya, spread across Japanese social networking services (SNS).

Sumireno Ophthalmology Clinic in Nagoya, Japan, posted a notice that it will be closed for one week due to the attendance of Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, a family member and Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, at an award ceremony. Screenshot from Japanese SNS and Doctor Map

The notice reads, "A family member has received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. We will be closed from December 5 to 13 as we are traveling to Stockholm, Sweden, to attend the award ceremony." It continues, "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our patients and ask for your understanding."

Earlier, in October, the Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden selected Shimon Sakaguchi, a distinguished professor at Osaka University and an authority in immunology, as the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He discovered the 'regulatory T cell,' which helps suppress autoimmune responses.

Regulatory T cells serve as the "brakes" of the immune system, preventing excessive immune responses from attacking healthy tissues. This concept is especially familiar to the public in Japan, as it inspired the popular medical anime "Cells at Work."

Local internet users responded positively, commenting, "Such a happy occasion definitely warrants closing the clinic," "You can feel the pride for their family in the notice," and "They must be so proud." Korean internet users also expressed envy, saying, "When will Korea experience such an honor?" and "Hopefully, there will be good news from Korea soon."