The paper of Hanna et al. In Japan an truly open national forum has yet to exist for any major policy, and the establishment of such a multi-disciplinary forum would probably represent in itself a transformation of society structure. In Japan, there has been concern about bioethical issues such as environmental pollution, suspicion of the medical profession and its paternalism, and the question of brain death. Public discussion of bioethics has only begun in the last few years. The delay is more related to the structure of Japanese society than to any difference between individual person's attitudes in Japan and Western countries.
Many people perceive simultaneously both benefits and risks from science and technology.
The diversity of reasoning exposed in the survey was independent of education or age, and similar diversity of reasoning was found among members of the public, high school biology teachers, and scientists. Perhaps the most well known difference in bioethical policy between Japan and abroad is the policy regarding brain death. People are still told that Japanese people reject organ transplantation from brain dead donors. The consent rate in Western countries is only somewhat higher, as is the refusal rate, with the rate in practice being lower. In every culture one can find people who reject removing organs from bodies, of their own or family members, and their views should be respected.