SpecialArticle 1

Pandemics & Our Environment– a Historical Perspective
By Mohan Gopal

Author Mohan Gopal

Introduction
Diseases have been around from the time life appeared on the planet.
Everything that is born must die one day and diseases are one of theseveral ways by which this mechanism of birth and death is maintainedin nature. Diseases that go beyond local coverage and affect livingorganisms across a larger area in a certain span of time become termed
as epidemics. When these go across even larger swaths of the world,
largely globalized, they become pandemics.
Given that diseases – whether they have been directly induced bynature or indirectly by the acts of one of nature’s creations, the humanbeing – have been around for quite a while, what is the effect that they
have historically had on the onerous role played by humans on theenvironment? This article explores this aspect by looking at examples
mostly from Japan, which can be extrapolated to a considerable extent
to other parts of the world.
Nobody wants to fall sick – except, perhaps in a mild manner,children who would like to avoid school for a few days or adults who
may wish to do the same by taking sick leave at work. In the ancientIndian holistic medical system of Ayurveda, disease is defined as animbalance in the perishable body-mind complex that can up to limits be
set right or at least alleviated through appropriate medicine, food andyogic methods. Mankind has through thousands of years of living withdisease tried to cope with it in many ways. At an ever-increasing pacethis continues, with medical issues that have yet to be resolved andothers that pop up fresh.
Mankind’s response to disease has been an eclectic combination of
the environmental, medicinal, religious and spiritual.

Japan’s Epidemiological Heritage
In the year 735 AD, smallpox became the first recorded epidemic in
the history of Japan. According to Akihito Suzuki in his paper“Smallpox and the Epidemiological Heritage of Modern Japan: Towards
a Total History” (Medical History, 55, 2011), it raged for a couple ofyears and is estimated to have decimated a third of the country’spopulation. Over the next five centuries, 28 smallpox epidemics wererecorded at intervals ranging from 13 to 24 years, until at last it became
more localized, acquiring endemic status during the Edo Period in the1800s. Suzuki refers to smallpox as laying the epidemiological heritageof Japan, calling this the basis on how the state dealt with subsequent
epidemics that struck, including measles and cholera, right up tomoulding modern health policy, pretty much as the plague laid theepidemiological heritage for Europe.
To handle smallpox and restore the well-being of the people andcountry, the then Emperor Shōmu ordered the construction of the Great
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Buddha in the capital city of Nara. There were many more state
temples, the Kokubunji, which were established across the country toworship the Buddha and seek divine grace to mitigate the effects of thepestilence. In addition to seeking divine help, economic andenvironmental measures were taken to ease the devastating situation.
Over the years that followed, efforts were made to assuage theunseen spirits that were thought to be behind the diseases. The Gion
festival in Kyoto has its roots in this andPhoto 1: Author
continues to be celebrated to this day,though ironically it was suspended in2020 to discourage social proximity.
Another ironic similarity is the temporary
closure of the small purification tanks at
the entrances of temples and shrines. The
scientific concept behind having thesewas as a protection against disease while
Closed purification tank at Miho Shrine,
congregating in large numbers (Photo 1). Shimizu, Shizuoka Pref.

Gion & Gozu-Tenno
About 100 years after smallpox was first recorded in Japan, a deity
originally imported from India was propitiated to ward off the recurring
epidemics, the ox-headed Gozu-Tenno. To quote from RodsShinto.com,
Gozu-Tenno is the Hindu god Gayagriva, who like many other gods ofHindu origin eventually came to be worshipped in Japan. Gayagriva, as
an incarnation of the supreme Godhead Mahavishnu, is a protector
from disease. Gozu (牛頭) literally means “ox-head”, and it could berelated to a mountain of that name in southern India which is supposed
to have produced a species of sandalwood with unparalleled fragrance
lauded in Buddhist texts and stories as the raw material for the finest
incense; a wood that is used for carving divine images and incremations, and has medicinal properties. With such impeccablecredentials for healing, Gozu-Tenno had an important role to play inJapan.
At some early point in time, Gozu-Tenno was welcomed into Shinto
as the Japanese god of storms, Susanoo-no-Mikoto. According to theEncyclopedia of Shinto, “With origins as a spirit causing disease, GozuTenno was in time transformed into a tutelary that protected hisworshipers from epidemics, and further, as a deity of justice and truth.”Interestingly, in the Hindu pantheon, this is attributed to Yama, the godof death. The syncretism of Hindu-Buddhist-Shinto was once again
complete.
Tokyo-based DJ and broadcaster Peter Barakan describes Susanoono-Mikoto’s role as subduer of the spirits of disease in an NHK World
commentary, https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/
video/2032212/ (Photo 2). In this program, Barakan talks to art
https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/

Photo 2: Soga, copy of work by Katsushika
Hokusai, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

historian Yamamoto Satomi, whospecialises in the subject ofdisease and its impact on people
as expressed through the mediumof art. She elaborates on how
many festivals, including theSusanoo-no-Mikoto subduing Spirits offamous Sumida River summer
Diseasefireworks show in Tokyo, can betraced to steps taken to ward off disease.
Gozu-Tenno’s headquarters was the Gion area in Kyoto, theequivalent of Gayagriva’s principal location at the Jetavana monastery innorthern India. The newly established Meiji government in 1868
deemed it politically savvy to officially separate the centuries-old
syncretism of Buddhism and Shinto. The Gion Shrine was one suchplace that was targeted, but the tradition continues as a purification
ritual in summer under an alias at the Yasaka shrines that dot thecountry, the principal one being the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. The
concept of the Gion festival is celebration, including a float processionof Gozu-Tenno, a method of placating vengeful spirits and turning theminto protective deities.

Chofukujuji
Photo 3: Author
For protection against disease,
Chofukujuji temple in the Chonanarea of Chiba Prefecture about 90
kilometers from central Tokyo, wasfounded 1,200 years ago by theBuddhist monk Ryogen, also
known as Ganzen Daishi andChofukujuji Temple, Chonan, Chiba Pref.
Tsuno Daishi (the Great HornedMonster) (Photo 3). It is said that the venerable monk transformed
himself into a devilish monster and frightened away spirits that transmit
epidemics. Prayers are offered here and silk amulets embroidered with
an image of the great master are available for purchase.

Protecting Our Environment
While prayers, rituals and festivals play a valuable role in giving
succour to mankind in coping with pestilence, the importance ofcoupling these with actions to protect the environment and advances inmedicine is paramount. Pandemics have often led to a resurging nature
and advancement in hygiene awareness. In Japanese tradition, thespirits behind pandemics are often depicted as gods of world renewal(Yonaoshi-no-Kami), showing a deep underlying veneration for nature
along with all that it brings.
In an article titled “Pandemics and the Global Environment” (ScienceAdvances, July 2020) by eminent environmental and natural history
researchers Kip Hodges and Jeremy Jackson, they say that pandemics
remind us that Earth itself is a complex, dynamical system. No process
in such a system – including the spread of disease – is truly
independent of other processes.
In the years after World War II, Japan went into a frenetic mode torebuild the devastated country. While this indeed led to themindboggling result of an economic and technological wonderland, theenvironment took a heavy blow. Diseases like Minamata disease,

Yokkaichi asthma, Itai-itai disease and many other health problems
caused by industrial effluents raged in the 1950s and 1960s, until
legislation and serious efforts to stop this disastrous trend were taken
thereafter.
Japan recovered remarkably from the damage caused during theindustrial boom. Realising the health hazards, with
Photo 4: Author
equal zeal an ecological revolution of sorts occurred
backed by legislation and intent. Forests wererestored, rivers revitalised, emission controls
implemented, and greenery mandated in urban
areas. Pollution levels dropped dramatically. At thenorthern end of the Izu Peninsula – known for its
views of Mt. Fuji – is an area which suffered duringindustrialization. Today, in the geologicallysignificant town of Mishima, flows the Gembegawa
Gembegawa’s revival
River completely revitalised (Photo 4). In a series by
Ishi Hiroyuki, a scholar who has researched environmental degradationin the world, he travels around Japan throwing light on its recovery
from industrial damage (https://www.nippon.com/en/series/
remarkable-recovery-the-modern-history-of-japan%E2%80%99senvironment/).
In her book Pandemic (Macmillan, 2016), author Sonia Shah argues
that mankind plays a key role in enhancing the possibility of pandemics.
We use up natural forested land for our cities, mines and farms,
destroying wildlife habitats. On top of this wildlife farming – catchingwildlife to be kept and sold in utterly unhygienic conditions – further
aggravates the situation. While great strides in medicine have helped
considerably in curing traditional bacterial diseases, we have to
combine these with strong steps towards changing the fundamental
relationship between us and nature.

Conclusion
About 200 km from Tokyo is the cityof Shizuoka, a port town on Suruga Bay
which holds the record of having thedeepest point in the waters thatsurround the Japanese archipelago. The
Fuji-no-kuni museum here (Photo 5) isdedicated to environmental history. It
chronicles humanity’s relationship withnature and asks visitors to ponder upon
what “a rich life” truly means. Mankind
has consistently worked towards
creating an affluent society fuelled bydesire for comfort and convenience. As
we do this, let us be aware of the risks
we pose to our environment and ensurethat future generations may also savour
the natural beauty of sunrises andsunsets (Photo 6).Photo 5: Author

Entrance to the Museum of EnvironmentalHistory, Shizuoka
Photo 6: Author

Sunset over Suruga BayMohan Gopal is an IT professional who has lived in Tokyo since 1991. He is amulti-culture specialist, teacher and sales coach and is closely associated withthe global humanitarian organization The Art of Living as representative director.

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