OBJECTIVES: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan aims for the introduction of Health Technology Assessment in FY2016. Compared to foreign countries, a lack of resources for conducting the analysis has been pointed out in Japan. However, pharmaceutical and medical device industries are urged to seek practical approaches utilizing best available resources. The objective of this study was to review articles for cost-effectiveness analysis of major depression disease (MDD) and to evaluate analytical approaches that can be applied to Japanese environment. METHODS: The literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and JDream III. Inclusion criteria are studies of 1) treatment for MDD, 2) cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), 3) published in the past 10 years. Studies were assessed for the followings: country, model structure and simulation method, time horizon, perspective, source of key parameters, results, and key drivers determined from sensitivity analysis.  RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were reviewed in details. Markov (6 articles) and decision-tree (8 articles) models were adopted, and time horizon were relatively short, ranging from 8 weeks to 5 years. Thirteen studies included costs of productivity loss. Costs were based on literature or expert opinion in 21 studies. Utility scores were referred to other studies (17 articles). Parameters which became key drivers for these analyses varied among studies.  CONCLUSIONS: Data collection methods adopted in prior studies were considered applicable to CEA for UC treatment in Japan. Cost data can be obtained not only from questionnaire survey to doctors but commercial database. Because evidence on utility scores of Japanese population is still limited, further studies will be needed, especially on MDD patients in depression, remission, and relapse phase of treatment.