Phytotherapy in Japan - synthesis of traditional and modern medicine

Abstract: Phytotherapeutic medication in Japan is basically classified into four cotegories. The first one is Chinese traditional medicine called 'Kampo medicine'. It is a systematic therapy and is the most important phytotherapeutic medication in Japan. The second one is derived from Kampo medicine but was modified and developed independently among a limited number of families in Japan, whereas the third one is Japanese folk medicine with a very long Tradition. The fourth one has been imported from Europe in recent years. More than a hundred modern pharmaceuticals prepared from crude drugs according to Kampo recipes have become very popular among doctors and patients in Japan today. These preparations are often prescribed in combination with western synthetic drugs. Whereas folk medicine is mainly used for self-medication. The differences of concepts and applications among the categories of Japanese phytotherapy are explained in this article. Furthermore, the current situation of the drug market in Japan as well as its future development are outlined.

Keyword(s): Phytotherapy

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