Volume 7, Number 4 | Winter 2012

Medical History in Japan
Historical Significance of the Standardization of AcupointLocations”, the Second Japanese Acupoint Committee (8)“Detailed Guide to the Location of Acupoints” from the calssics
to the WHO standardization”, pp411-422, Tokyo, Ishiyaku
Publishing, June 2009 (partially revised)

8. Modern spread throughout the world and fourth

Makoto Mayanagi

characters. However, depending on the degree ofGraduate School of Humanities

emphasis on the classics as well as employed

Ibaraki University

techniques and tools, these differences and thestandardization by the WHOThe third standardization by the Song government
had varying degrees of influence on the Yuan, Mingand Qing periods as well as in the individual
countries within the culture sphere using Chinese

accumulationofclinicalexperiences

ledin(continued from KAIM Joural vol.6 no.1, no.2, no.3,

postmodern times to extensive fluctuations between

no.4, vol.7 no.1, vol.7 no.2 and vol.7 no.3)

the individual texts in the various countries, in

7. Yuan, Ming, Qing periods and the influence on andchanges within the Chinese character culture areaTheJin

editionof[Newly

publishedwith

supplementary notes] Tóng Rén Shù Xué Zhēn JiǔTú Jīng has been reprinted during the Yuan period
at least once. Further, it is also known that the Ming
government allowed to make rubbed copies of the"Newly

CastBronze

FigureIllustrationofAcupuncture and Moxibustion" stone relief, butduring the Ming and Qing periods numerous books
entitled "Bronze Figure" were published and became
popular. Thus the bronze figure or the Ming Tong
cametoberepresentative

namesforbooks

illustrating meridians and acupoints, but on theother side led to the development of differences
between the various books. The Korean government
reprinted, based on the Jin edition of [Newlypublished with supplementary notes] Tóng Rén ShùXué Zhēn Jiǔ Tú Jīng, the Chonghua Yuzhi’an
Qinyoushutang edition four times which presumablycontinued to exert a considerably influence. On theother hand, in Japan the Ming edition has beenreprinted during the early Edo period only once andthus had not as much influence as the "Elaborationof the Fourteen Meridians" (Shi Ji Jing Fa Hui), thathas been reprinted as many as 17 times [18].
Currently, examination of about 500 Vietnamese
ancient medical texts by the author did not allow todemonstrate any direct influence of the Tóng Rén
Shù Xué Zhēn Jiǔ Tú Jīng.
26

particular regarding acupoint locations.
Today, with the support of the WHO, acupuncture
and moxibustion has developed to the point, where it
plays an important role in the global medical care.
The WHO began around 1980 within the frameworkof a traditional medical program its attempts atstandardization of acupoints. In 1991 the Western
Pacific Office published the "WHO InternationalStandard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in
the Western Pacific Region". The Part 1 of this work
is based on the Tensei or Tiansheng bronze figure of
the Song period, while The Chinese Academy ofSciences uses a picture of a replica of the Ming periodbronze figure manufactured by Professor Ma jixing,
and in Part 2 a picture of the bronze figure in thepossession of the Tokyo National Museum is used.
However, at that point the determination ofstandardized expression of meridians and acupoints
reached a limit. And in 2006, after repeateddiscussions researchers from Japan, China andKorea completed an international standardization ofacupoint locations.
Conclusion
Meridians and acupoints as the framework for
acupuncture and moxibustion medicine have beenstandardized on a conceptual first level. The secondlevel was standardization on the theoretical level,
the third one a standardization on a national level.
In order to establish logically unified concepts for theThe Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 7, Number 4 | Winter 2012a[6] Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy ofchanges

Social Sciences, Cultural Relics Institute Hebei

obtained through experiences and the relevant

Province Mancheng Hanmu Fajue Baogao, Vol.2,

deducted concepts can be said to have been

Beijing, Wenwu Chubanshe, 1980

performed within an expanding scope of this history.

[7] Makoto Mayanagi: Acupuncture physician with aHowever,hadhuman face and a bird's body － from a second

subjectively been unified logically, still remained

century stone relief, Journal of Kampo Medicine, Vol.

hidden behind a pseudo-scientific veil but was not

41, No. 4, pp 462-464, 1994

yet science. Ultimately, it was inevitable that[8] Kitazato University Oriental Medicine Researchdifferences will emerge later on.

Center, Research Department for Medical History,

discovered

phenomena,

theoreticalunification

thisveryandtofurthermore

generalize

process,

even

if

it

“Shouhin Hou, or Xiaopin Fang, Koutei Daikei
Yet, through the standardization of the locations on

Meidou, or Huangdi Neijing Mingtang, Koshouhon

this occasion objectivity has been added and led toZankan, or Guchaoben Canjuan”, p.23, Tokyo,

the fourth standardization on a global level. It is

Kitazato University Oriental Medicine Researchprecisely the reflection on these first to fourthCenter, 1992

standardizations that shows a typical example of the[9] Author: Chen cunren, translation: Hitotonari

history related to the transmission of traditional

Okanishi: History of Chinese Acupuncture andskills to the present that then further develop,

Moxibustion (1), Journal of Kampo Medicine, Vol. 3,

deepen and spread as a firmly established scientificNo.12, p. 56, 1956

technique.

[10] Huang longxiang “Huangdi Mingtangjing Jijiao”,
Beijing, Zhongguo Yiyao Keji Chubanshe, 1988

References[11] Japan Nei Jing Medical Society, "Huang Di Ming

[1] Mawangtui Hanmu Boshu Zhengli Xiaozu,

Tong Kong, Tokyo, Kitazato University Oriental“Mawangtui Hanmu Boshu (4)”, Rewritten andMedicine Research Center, Research Department forannotated pages 3-4, Beijing / Wenwu Chubanshe、Medical History, 1999

1985

[12] Yasunori Tamba: "Ishinpo", Vol. 22, Gynecology,[2]

MakotoMayanagi,Book

Review,Tokyo, Chuzaburo Ogino, 1937

“Mawangtui Hanmu Boshu (4)”, Journal of the[13]Congchunyu,JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OFQuanshu”,

p200-211,

MEDICINE, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp 272-274, 1987

Chubanshe、1994[3] Li jianmin, “Shengming Shixue － Cong Yiliao[14]kan Zhongguo Lishi”,

Acupuncture and Moxibustion Classics – Invitation

pp21-97, Taipei / Sanmin

Toshiaki“DunhuangBeijing,

Maruyama:Zhongyiyao

ZhongyiGuji"Introduction

toShuju, 2005

to Chinese Traditional Medicine", pp 159-170, Kyoto,[4] Makoto Mayanagi: "Black lacquered wooden doll

Shibunkaku Co., Ltd., 1987

unearthed from a tomb of the early Han period",[15] Hiroshi Kosoto: Manufacturer of the bronze

Journal of Kampo Medicine, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp 1386-

figure in the Tokyo National Museum and its

1388, 1996

manufacturing date – historical facts about the[5] Author: Chen cunren, translation: Hitotonari

shogunate medical officer Yamazaki – " Journal ofOkanishi: History of Chinese Acupuncture andthe JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF

Moxibustion (1), Journal of Kampo Medicine, Vol. 3,MEDICINE, Vol. 35, pp 140-142, 1989

No. 12. p. 60, 1956

[16] YU ke, “Kaogu”, 6th period, 1972

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

27

Volume 7, Number 4 | Winter 2012[17] Hiroshi Kosoto: (original edition) "Tóng Rén ShùXué Zhēn Jiǔ Tú Jīng", Journal of Kampo Medicine,Vol. 41, No. 9, pp 1146-1148, 1994[18] Makoto Mayanagi: "With Japanese printing
blocks reprinted Chinese medical books since theEdo period", Keiji Yamada, Shigehisa Kuriyama:"Disease and Medicine in History", pp 301-340,
Kyoto, Shibunkaku Co., Ltd., 199728

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)