Researchers trace the origin of Japan's traditional kampo medicine

Researchers trace the origin of Japan's traditional kampo medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for centuries. With a nearly 3,000-year history dating back to the early Zhou Dynasty, it has been integrated into China's current medical system. Traditional practice involves the use of plants, animals and minerals. It works on the principle of maintaining the delicate balance between “Yin” and “Yang” – the opposing but interrelated forces said to be at the core of all creation – to prevent disease and maintain health. TCM originated in China and is now widely used, including in Japan.

It has long been believed that TCM was introduced to Japan by the monk Jianzhen, or Ganjin, who visited Japan in the 8th century to spread the teachings of Buddhism at the invitation of two Japanese clerics. Yangzhou-born monk Jianzhen was versed in TCM and proficient in Buddhism. When he arrived in Japan in 753 AD, he is said to have carried with him 36 types of herbal medicines, each with different pharmacological effects and recipes for different combinations to treat a variety of diseases. Whether Jianzhen imparted his pharmacological and medical knowledge in addition to his Buddhist teachings and thus influenced existing traditional Japanese medicine remains controversial.

Now researchers from Japan and China, led by Professor Toshihiko Matsuo of Okayama University's Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, have conducted a comprehensive review of the available Chinese, Japanese and English literature to shed light on this long-standing mystery. The team consisted of Shihui Liu, former assistant professor at Okayama University, visiting scholar Chie Matsuo and senior assistant professor Takumi Abe, both from Okayama University. Their article, published in the journal Compounds on October 18, 2022, offers interesting insights into the life of Jianzhen, seen through the lens of his ethnopharmacological knowledge.

On his journey to Japan, Jianzhen collected and brought back things he found along the way, such insignificant things as stalactites and zixue (a TCM component), while he also brought back traditional ingredients from China, including musk, agarwood, snail, rosin, dipterocarp, fragrant bile, benzoin resin, incense, Dutch pipe root, Pistacia lentiscus, Piper longum, Terminalia chebula/haritaki, asafetida, sugar, sucrose, 10 bushels of honey and 80 bunches of sugar cane. In their article, researchers reviewed the 36 herbal medicines and their therapeutic effects that were brought to Japan. Local lore suggests that Jianzhen also carried with him a book called Jianshangren (Holy Priest Jianzhen)'s Secret Prescription, which has been lost for centuries. The team also reports that they managed to track down a copy of another book containing the same recipes.

Interestingly, their results show that Jianzhen recipes form the basis of herbal medicine in Japan, known as Kampo. The practice of herbal medicine is deeply integrated into the fabric of Japan's current healthcare system. Kampo medicines are prescribed alongside Western medicine and modern medicines and are covered by national health insurance reimbursement.

"People in Japan can purchase Kampo medicines as over-the-counter medicines from pharmacies. This unique system in Japan has a long history of systematic prescription of Kampo medicines and has its origins in Jianzhen's prescription in the 8th century," Prof. Matsuo states with much excitement.

He hopes to spread Kampo medicine beyond Japan. “People in other countries also have the option of using Kampo medication in combination with Western medications.” His inspiration for saying this may be Jianzhen again. "Jianzhen is one of the first to bring traditional Chinese medicine to Japan. He is considered the ancestor of Kampo medicine, who shaped traditional Chinese medicine to suit the needs of the Japanese people," reflects Prof. Matsuo. In the era of globalization, the journey of traditional medical knowledge that took 11 years to reach from China to Japan can be completed in less than 11 seconds with the click of a button.

We live in this hope.

Source:

Okayama University

Reference:

Liu, S., et al. (2022) Traditional Chinese Medicines and Prescriptions Braved from China to Japan by a Monk (Jianzhen, Japanese: Ganjin): A Historical Review. Connections. doi.org/10.3390/compounds2040022.

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