The government plans to market medical services to wealthy tourists for income to help offset the rising costs of the aging society, according to a government report.

The nation should target rich visitors from Asia and the Russian Far East to turn its health care industry "from a cost center to a profitable one," the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.

The government plans to start the project in September with 10 of the nation's biggest hospitals, including the National Cancer Center and Keio University Hospital in Tokyo, while travel and translation companies will help coordinate tour packages, METI said.