In addition to the factors that directly lead to diseases, the daily living environment and social structural factors all have an impact on health. The World Health Organization defines it as social determinants of health (SDH). With the rapid development of the social economy and the increasing severity of health inequality, healthcare workers need to have a deep understanding of the meaning of SDH and be proficient in applying it to their work, in order to master evidence-based interventions to address these issues. In 2016, Japan incorporated SDH related content into the curriculum objectives that medical students need to achieve before graduation and achieved certain results. This article introduces the current status of the application of SDH course objectives, course content, course evaluation and student feedback in the medical departments of Japanese universities, and elaborates on the significance of incorporating SDH into clinical teaching. It aims to provide reference for the localization of SDH in medical clinical teaching in China by drawing on foreign experience.