This post was originally written in 2024. I have added new updates from 2025 and 2026 at the bottom.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I have extensively covered the work of the esteemed Japanese hair loss researcher Dr. Junji Fukuda for over ten years. Among the posts that I have written in relation to his team\u2019s work at Fukuda Lab<\/a>\u00a0include the following:<\/p>\n February 21, 2024<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Reader \u201cTheo\u201d just sent me a link to a very interesting diary of a hair transplant surgeon from Japan<\/a> who just visited the Fukuda Lab.<\/p>\n Note that while Dr. Fukuda is based at Yokohama National University, the research seems to be taking place at Kanagawa Life Innovation Center (per the above link). One of the images also mentions the Kanagawa Center for Clinical Research & Strategy (KCCR). Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. Check out this PDF of the regenerative medicine sector<\/a> at Kanagawa Prefecture.<\/p>\n From this visit and summary, I learn some very interesting things. There are three distinct methods in which Dr. Fukuda is pursuing hair regeneration. I mentioned them in my past lengthy post too, but now we have more clarity.<\/p>\n \u201cDermal papilla cell transplantation is about to begin in Japan.<\/span>\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Transplantation of dermal papilla cells (via stratified culture). I assume that the \u201cstratified cuture\u201d in the translation means 3D culturing. Dr. Fukuda mentions that Shiseido already conducted a clinical trial using 2D culturing. In this method, cells are are lined up on a flat surface when culturing, but it only resulted in a 5% increase in hair volume. The 3D method will likely be superior and the clinical trials are about to finally begin! It is hoped to be \u201cput into practical use within five years\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this will take some time.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The creation of hair follicle primordia means generating hair from scratch. i.e., hair multiplication. I previously discussed the Yokohama team\u2019s process of achieving this via increasing and mixing epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. These then form \u201chair follicle primordia<\/em>\u201c that are transplanted to the same donor\u2019s scalp in order to regenerate hair in thinning regions of the scalp.<\/p>\n Per the latest feedback from Dr. Fukuda, while this process has already been proven by them in mice, human hair is a different animal. Once the primordium tissue is transplanted to human heads, the direction and length grow haphazardly. He thinks that this will take some time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will likely take more than 10 years before it can be used in humans.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The final method is in vitro regenerated hair follicle transplantation (also called organoid). In this process, hair follicles are regenerated outside the body, lengthened by almost 100%, and then transplanted into the scalp. Per Dr. Fukuda, it will likely take more than 10 years before it can be used in humans.<\/p>\n In March 2023, Dr. Fukuda and his Yokohama team published an important hair regeneration related study. They made an improvement in the expansion<\/a> of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and dermal papilla cells via the use of a newly designed microwell array device.<\/p>\n Update: April 18, 2024<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n New Junji Fukuda interview given to Tokyo Television<\/a>. Someone please translate it into English if you know Japanese. Not yet on YouTube.<\/p>\n Update: June 15, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Yet again, Tokyo TV visited world renowned hair loss researcher Dr. Junji Fukuda at Yokahama National University. A Japanese reader posted a link to the full video in the comments, but it did not load for me. However, I managed to find two of the segments on YouTube. You can turn on English captions in the videos. The Japanese viewer comments underneath the first video are funny.<\/p>\n Update: June 12, 2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n A number of new updates in recent months.<\/p>\n In December 2025, Dr. Fukuda gave an interesting interview<\/a>. He said that his team\u2019s initial goal is to popularize hair regeneration therapy, thereby establishing the necessary infrastructure (such as cell processing facilities). In the future, they aim to expand this technology to regenerative medicine for various organs, in particular, the liver. Quote:<\/p>\n \u201cHair is naturally formed by two types of cells (epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells) exchanging information with each other. We are challenging ourselves to unravel the mechanism of this \u201cinteraction\u201d and completely reproduce it in a culture dish. In fact, most of the organs in our bodies are formed by the interaction of these two types of cells.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Of note, Dr. Fukuda is described as the President and CEO of TrichoSeeds, a company he co-founded several years ago. He also continues to work at Yokohama National University via Fukuda Lab as a professor and researcher.<\/p>\n In March 2026, Dr. Fukuda co-authored a paper on the potential of employing<\/a> hiPSC-derived ectodermal precursor cells in hair follicle organoid cultures in hair regenerative medicine.<\/p>\n In April 2026, it seems like the Fukuda Lab got some funding<\/a> from Beyondge Capital (Japan). Also in April 2026, Dr. Fukuda gave a presentation<\/a> titled: \u201cTreatment of male pattern baldness using microRNA produced by human papilla cells in stratified culture.\u201d<\/p>\n In April, Dr. Fukuda and his team authored yet another paper. They discuss their findings about the correlation between reduced CD200 expression<\/a> and increased hair regenerative capability of cultured hair follicle bulge cells. Quote:<\/p>\nA Visit to Fukuda Lab at Yokohama National<\/h2>\n
1) Dermal Papilla Cell Transplantation<\/h3>\n
\n
2) Transplantation of Hair Follicle Primordium<\/h3>\n
\n
3) Transplantation of Regenerated Hair Follicles in Vitro (Organoids)<\/h3>\n
Other Notes<\/h4>\n
![\"Fukuda](\"https:\/\/www.hairlosscure2020.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Fukuda-Lab-Hair-Research.webp\")
Naohiro Uchida, Director of Almo Plastic Clinic Hair Transplantation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"Junji](\"https:\/\/www.hairlosscure2020.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Junji-Fukuda-TV-Interview.webp\")
Yet Another Visit to Fukuda Lab<\/h3>\n
\n
\n