In 1936, General Teraiichi Derauchi raised concerns about the declining national physical fitness during a regular assembly. This statement paved the way for the establishment of the Welfare Department in 1938. The recognition of the national physical fitness decline as an urgent issue by the army emerged around the mid-1930s. The army had been continuously analyzing the results of conscription examinations. Experiences utilizing the results of conscription examinations in the “Excellent Excellent young man Village Award(優良壯丁市町村表彰)” project conducted by the Asahi Shimbun in 1934, along with the appointment of Chikahiko Koizumi(小泉親彦) as the Director of the Medical Officer, prompted a re-evaluation of the physical fitness issue among servicemen. Subsequently, Koizumi's analysis of the national physical fitness issue led to General Koizumi's remarks. Subsequently, through academic research and mass media, the issue spread socially. Initially, the “Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(日本學術振興會)” established a related committee to initiate scientific examination. The research findings highlighted the necessity for accurate data to assess the nation's physical fitness. These academic research results provided a policy definition for 'physical fitness' and laid the groundwork for the National Physical Fitness Law(國民體力法) enacted in 1940. Asahi Newspaper(朝日新聞社), a prominent mass media outlet, provided a platform for the formation of societal consensus on the issue of national physical fitness. Particularly noteworthy is the 'National Physical Fitness Improvement Symposium(國民體力向上座談會)' held in June 1937. Government officials, along with experts from various fields including academia, labor, and sports, attended this symposium to discuss the causes of the decline in national physical fitness and potential improvement measures. Not only were policy perspectives discussed, but also vividly conveyed were the issues faced in practical settings. As a result of these processes, societal awareness of the issue of national physical fitness spread, and there was a growing chorus calling for alternative solutions to address it. The discussions and awareness spread at the societal level would go on to have a significant impact on the subsequent policy-making process. In other words, the national importance of the issue of national physical fitness, symbolized by the establishment of the Welfare Department during the wartime period, was shaped not only by political responses but also by the convergence of societal interest and awareness.