Healthcare contexts

Healthcare context

            In Japan, when it comes to healthcare, we tend to lean more towards Western influences than towards religious medicine. Although we have recently started primarily using Western medicine while also continuing with religious aspects, such as Shintoism and Buddhism. As my previous blog mentioned, the most influential and practiced religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. Buddhism primarily focuses on the end of life, as it teaches that life continues in a cycle after death, into rebirth. On the other hand, Shintoism is more about current life and emphasizes purity and cleanliness, which is why we can see handwashing at shrines. This is practiced by washing away all the negativity but also seen as spiritual hygiene.

            Religious/Magico approaches:

-        In Shinto, illness is seen as impurity or imbalance

-        In Buddhism, illness is not necessarily seen as something magico, but not in a supernatural sense

        



Traditional medicine in Japan was adapted from traditional Chinese medicine called Kampo, which was adapted and is still used to this day. Kampo is Japan’s system of herbal medicine. The three substances are Ki, Ketsu, and Sui. Ki, also known as energy, is seen as the driving force of both physical and mental functioning. Ketsu or blood is closely associated with the definition of blood, and without it, you will likely feel dizzy. Finally, Sui, also known as fluid, is closely referred to body fluids outside of blood.

Upon researching the commonly prescribed formulas are Kakkonto: used for common cold, Shoseiryuto: used for asthma and rhinitis,  and Maoto is used for influenza.

-        Kakkonto uses the following herbs:

o   Kuzu root

o   Ephedra

o   Cinnamon Twig

o   Peony Root

o   Licorice Root

o   Ginger

o   Jujube

-        Shoreiryuto includes the following:

o   Ephedra Sinica

o   Peony Root

o   Glycyrrhiza

o   Processed Ginger

o   Cinnamon Bark

o   Asiasarum Root

o   Schisandra Fruit

o   Pinellia Tuber

-        Maoto includes:

o   Chinese Ephedra

o   Glycyrrhiza

o   Cinnamomum cortex

o   Ephedra Herba

Something I found interesting among all of these common formulas is how they all have Ephedra in them, so what is Ephedra? It’s a shrub well known for its green stems and jointed stems. It is well known to provide respiratory relief, weight loss, and better athletic performance.

            Holistic approaches:

-        Kampo is used as a plant to treat things like fatigue, colds, and hormonal balance.


The scientific approach, I can personally relate to this one through my experience. When living in Japan, visiting my grandma at a retirement home, I remember my mom saying, “Little healthy kids can’t get sick because hospitals here are meant more for the elders.” Hearing this, it was a culture shock, as in America, there is a wide acceptance of kids going to the hospital. That being said, the scientific healthcare in Japan has been adopted by the Western approaches since WWII.

            Scientific approach:

-        Universal healthcare

-        Hospitals and clinics use modern, evidence-based medicine.


When it comes to death, in Japan, it is seen as a natural and very normalized part of life, as I mentioned above. In Buddhism, rebirth comes with karma, depending on how good or bad the person has been in their previous life, how well their life is currently, and vice versa. This can be seen as positive or negative or give the person the motivation to do better in their next life, regardless of the circumstances.

If my friend is working in a non-governmental organization, I think reminding them that not being direct is always important, and adapting indirect communication styles will take you a long way. Doing this will help with understanding the miscommunication that will happen more frequently in the early stages. Creating a space that is more comfortable between each other, an extra step you can take is to ask follow-up questions, to make sure you’re not overstepping boundaries. Doing these steps will help you be able to understand nonverbal cues such as hand gestures and body movement, as these are very prominent in Japan.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Blanch, L. (2013). Healthcare Beliefs of the Japanese | Synonym. Synonym.com. https://classroom.synonym.com/healthcare-beliefs-japanese-12859.html

ChatGPT. (2025). ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/c/69e938b2-a108-83e8-b2f2-78e583160c58

Ephedra | Description, Distribution, Major Species, & Uses. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/Ephedra

Shoseiryuto. (2014, March 22). Japanese Kampo and Chinese Medicine Herbs and Formulas. https://kampo.ca/herbs-formulas/formulas/shoseiryuto/

What Are the Effects of Kakkonto? Recommended Japanese Kakkonto Products. (2015). Dokodemo.world. https://dokodemo.world/en/feature/297/

Wikipedia Contributors. (2026, April 19). Mao-to. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

(2026). Scienceinsights.org. https://scienceinsights.org/what-is-kampo-medicine-uses-safety-and-more/

 

ChatGPT was used to help me understand further the Religious, Holistic, and Scientific aspects of Japan (the bullet points).

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