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The large part German medicine has played in the development of experimental pharmacology in Japan

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Abstract

The history of hitherto existing pharmacology in Japan presented here is authored in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Naunyn–Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology. After the publication of the new book of anatomy “Anatomische Tabellen” translated into Japanese in 1774, the foundation of understanding the medical science was gradually formed in Japan under seclusion policy, and, since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the modernization of Japanese medicine was rapidly fostered on the basis of German medicine. Thus, the Japanese government officially adopted German medicine, and the philosophy and practice of German medical schools were incorporated. Most of the medical texts used in Japan were of German origins, often in Dutch translations, and many Japanese physicians and medical researchers studied abroad in Germany. The start of experimental pharmacology in Japan was also made up by Japanese disciples of Oswald Schmiedeberg, who was the one of founders of the Archives in 1873. Additionally, it was customary for professor candidates in charge of pharmacology in medical faculties in Japan to go to Germany and study pharmacology. Through such historical circumstances, the Japanese Pharmacology Society has been established to fulfill the responsibility for contributing internationally to world-class research achievements in the field of medical sciences by supplying numerous talented pharmacologists. During the course of the development of experimental pharmacology in Japan, the Archives has provided an excellent stage for many Japanese pharmacologists to publish their research outcomes to proliferate them internationally. Without German medicine influence, Japanese pharmacology would not have been what it is today.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Ms. Emiko Okumura for providing the documents about the Japanese Pharmacological Society. We also thank Mr. Ikuo Norota and Ms. Mai Takeda for figure creation and secretarial assistance, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Research Promotion Center, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, 061-0293, Japan

    Yuichi Hattori

  2. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Yuichi Hattori

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan

    Kuniaki Ishii & Masao Endoh

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan

    Kazuhiko Yanai

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  1. Yuichi Hattori
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  2. Kuniaki Ishii
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  3. Kazuhiko Yanai
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  4. Masao Endoh
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Y.H. conceived and designed this work. K.I, K.Y., and M.E. critically revised the manuscript. All authors finalized the manuscript and gave final approval.

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Correspondence to Yuichi Hattori.

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Hattori, Y., Ishii, K., Yanai, K. et al. The large part German medicine has played in the development of experimental pharmacology in Japan. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 396, 35–42 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-022-02308-1

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