Japanese prosecutors have officially charged Dr. Kyi Chan Ko, a 41-year-old Myanmar cosmetic surgeon, for allegedly performing medical treatments and surgeries without a valid Japanese license.
According to reports from Japanese news agencies on 25 March, authorities have simultaneously decided not to prosecute a second individual, 30-year-old Saw Win Naing, who was arrested alongside the doctor during the initial investigation.
Dr. Kyi Chan Ko and Saw Win Naing were taken into custody on suspicion of performing five separate medical procedures on three Myanmar women in their 30s. The surgeries, which included upper eyelid and double eyelid procedures, were allegedly conducted between May 2025 and February 2026 at residential buildings in Tokyo’s Koganei and Musashino Districts.
The case was brought to the attention of the police after one patient, who underwent surgery in June 2025, reported persistent difficulty opening her eyes following the operation.
While Saw Win Naing has reportedly admitted to the charges, Dr. Kyi Chan Ko has denied performing any medical treatments.
U Myint Swe, chairman of the Federation of Workers’ Union of the Burmese Citizen in Japan (FWUBC), suggested that Saw Win Naing may have been acting as a part-time assistant, which could explain the decision to drop the charges against him while proceeding with the indictment of the primary surgeon.
“People should not perform professional work in Japan without the proper license,” U Myint Swe said, emphasizing that Japan’s strict enforcement of professional medical standards allows no room for the informal practices sometimes seen in Myanmar.
Dr. Kyi Chan Ko is a graduate of the University of Medicine, Mandalay, and previously earned a doctorate in cosmetic medicine from a private institution in Tokyo.
Despite his academic background, Japanese law requires a specific national medical license to practice surgery within the country. Investigations revealed that the complainants connected with the doctor through Facebook, paying between 120,000 and 190,000 Japanese yen – equivalent to approximately 3 to 5 million Myanmar kyats (US$1,428 – $2,380) for the unlicensed procedures.
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