WAKE Koreyuki (1760-1826)
WAKE Koreyuki was a medical doctor born in Kyoto, Japan in 1760, the latter half of theEdo period, and died in 1826. He called himself SHIGEN. He had also been in the Ministryof Medicine and served as governor of Echigo and later Nagato. He also called himself AZAI
Koreyuki and AZAI Nankō as he inherited the AZAI family in Kyoto.
Originally he was a man of the YAMADA Atsumune family, YAMADA Genrin. His works
include “Meika-hōsen” (“名家方選”), 1781, Baisō-yakugen (“黴瘡約言”), 2 volumes, 1802,Baisō-hiroku-hyōki (“黴 瘡 秘録標記 ”), 2 volumes, the original was written by CHENG
Sicheng (陳司成) in Ming Dynasty, the notes were written by AZAI Koreyuki, 1808, andYōjō-roku (“養生録”), 3 volumes, 1817. He also wrote "Meika-kyūsen"(“名家灸選”) concerning
acupuncture and moxibustion. “Meika-kyūsen” was corrected and prefaced by his student
HIRAI Yōshin who compiled the sequel of it “Zoku-meika-kyūsen” (“続名家灸選”) and thepart 3 “Meika-kyūsen-sanpen” (“名家灸選三編”) for both of which WAKE Koreyuki wrote thepreface.
The Eastern and Western AZAI Families and AZAI Koreyuki
One of the top four students of AJIOKA Sampaku, AZAI Shūhaku’s (1643-1705) heir Shūteki
(1672-1753), who had practiced medicine in Kyoto was invited to a feudal clan, Owari-han
where he became the province doctor.

Tonan (1706-1782) became the successor to theKyoto AZAI family, however, with the death of Shūteki, Tonan took over his post on Owariand AZAI Nanmei (1734-1781) became heir to the Kyoto AZAI house (family).
At this point both houses were settled with heirs apparent. AZAI Seihō (1770-1829),
grandson of Tonan became heir to the Owari AZAI house. However with the untimely deathof the heir Yūrin in AZAI house in Kyoto, Nanmei’s student, Yamada Genrin was designatedsuccessor.
The Formation and Contents of "Meika Kyūsen""Meika Kyūsen" is a small book about moxibustion published in 1813 with the preface
written in 1805. It contains lists of upper, central and lower body diseases, chronic diseases,
acute diseases, dermatology, gynecological diseases, pediatric diseases as well asmiscellaneous diseases and supplements (about indirect moxibustion methods) for a total of
10 types, 40 diseases and 133 moxibustion methods.
Disregarding old or new, internal or external, it adopted effective measures from writings,
legend and civilian traditions. Methods for which the sources were recorded and“Effectivness confirmed” was noted when the treatment effectiveness was confirmed. In
some cases, “Moxibustion chart” was attached. It is also believed that the sequels to thiswriting, "Zoku-meika-kyūsen " (prefaced in 1807) and "Meika Kyūsen, Third Compilation"(the part 3 of it “Meika-kyūsen-sanpen”) (prefaced in 1813) were published about the sametime as "Meika Kyūsen" was published.

Figure 1“Meika-kyūsen Part 1-2-3” (“名家灸選 正・続・三編”) Prefaced in 1805-1813
The Collection of Harikyū museum

Figure 2“Meika-kyūsen” (“名家灸選”)
The Collection of Harikyū museum

Figure 3
Female“Effectiveness confirmed”

The Collection of Harikyū museum

Figure 4
Female“Moxibustion chart”

The Collection of Harikyū museum

The position of “Meika-kyūsen” and its influence on the modern Japanese acupunctureand moxibustion“Meika-kyūsen” belongs to the series of “Aze-yōketsu” by OKAMOTO Ippo (“阿是要穴”) and“Kyūzetsu-endoden” by MITAKA Ian (“灸焫塩土伝”) as books to revive the practice ofmoxibustion which then flourished from the middle of Edo era. The compilation followed theindexes as follows: (1) Japanese moxibustion methods and (2) effectiveness confirmed bytrials. From the historical point of view of meridian points study, they revive the ancientmoxibustion points.
Yet, empirical and evidence based attitudes of “Effectiveness confirmed" indicate denial of
the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine that was the tendency in latter Edo periodmedicine. One of the reasons “Meika-kyūsen” is appreciated in the modern Japanese worldof acupuncture and moxibustion is the empirical validity of its contents and thecharacteristic that there is little sense of Chinese medical theory. Treatments could beformed without Chinese medical diagnosis.
Figure 5
Ukiyoe illustration of moxibustion
It Looks Hotby TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi, 1888

The collection of Harikyū museum.

SHINOHARA TakaichiPresident
Japanese Society for the Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion