KAJIWARA Shōzen (1266-1337)
During the Kamakura period (the samurai era), the political power shifted to Kamakura
and the new supporters of medicine transferred from the aristocratic society of the court tostudent monks studying new Chinese classics and talented priest doctors with a particularlyhigh level of medical knowledge.
We cannot speak of the reception of Chinese medicine from the Kamakura to the Muromachi
period without acknowledging the activities of Zen monks and priests. The focus of medical
treatment expanded from the upper classes to the general public and medical texts written
in Japanese appeared. KAJIWARA Shōzen, a monk with a thorough knowledge of medicine
who lived in Kamakura, read extensively the newly introduced Sung (960-1279) medical
texts and compiled the greatest medieval Japanese medical complete set, “Ton-ishō” (“頓医抄”) and “Man-ampō” (“万安方”).
The 50 volumes of “Ton-ishō” (1302-04) classification of disease were based on the former“Shobyō-genkōron” (“ 諸 病 源 候 論 ”), but generally were influenced most by the“Taihei-seikei-hō” (“太平聖恵方”). Shōzen seemed to rely on the books printed in Fujian inSouthern Song dynasty (1147) imported to Japan at the time. Several formulas were alsotranscribed from other Sung medical texts. It can be considered a ground-breaking text
interpreting the latest Chinese medical literature of the time with Japanese vision. It waswritten in easily comprehensible Japanese style. Some parts also described personalexperiences.
On the other hand, the 62 volumes of “Man-ampō” were compiled mostly from materials
found in “Seizai-sōroku” (“聖済総録”) printed in Yuan dynasty in 1300 which KAJIWARA
discovered after writing “Ton-ishō”.

In contrast with “Ton-ishō”, the purpose of which was

to offer medicine to the populace, “Man-ampo” was written especially for students, inChinese characters, double in content and volume, to convey necessary standard medicaltexts. The writing of “Man-ampō” was begun only 13 years after “Seizai-sōroku” waspublished in Yuan dynasty.
The 42nd volume of “Ton-ishō” is “Satsuyō-dōjin-shinkyū-ketsu” (“撮要銅人鍼灸穴”). The
57th volume of “Man-ampō” (“ 万 安 方 ”) is comprised of writings on acupuncture andmoxibustion meridian points. The writings contain quotations from newly published Sungacupuncture and moxibustion works such as “Shinkyū-shisei-kyō” (“ 鍼 灸 資 生 経 ”) and“Dōjin-yuketsu-shinkyū-zukyō” (“銅人腧穴鍼灸図経”).

In addition, quotations also camefrom other former texts such as “Kōtei-daikei-meidō” (“黄帝内経明堂”), “Kō-otsu-kyō” (“甲乙経”) and other former texts.
Figure 1
Anatomical chart from “Ton-ishō” (“頓医抄”)
Refered from “Sonshinkan-chūzu” (“存真環中図”)
by Yang Jie of Northern Song dynasty
The Collection of Naikaku Bunko of
National Archives of Japan

Figure 2
The 42nd volume of “Ton-ishō” (“頓医抄”)
The Collection of Naikaku Bunko of
National Archives of Japan

Figure 3
The 57th volume of “Man-ampō” (“万安方”)
The Collection of Naikaku Bunko of
National Archives of Japan

Figure 4“Taihei-seikei-hō” (“太平聖恵方”) published in 1147 in Southern Song dynasty
The Collection of Hōsa Library, City of Nagoya, Important Cultural Property

KOSOTO Hiroshi
Director, Medical History Research Department,Kitasato University Oriental Medicine Research Center