HOMEOPATHIA IN JAPAN
SUMMARY
After a long period of homeopathy lacking
recognition, it has gradually come to be known in Japan, with an
increasing demand for consulting
homeopathic doctors. However, there are no specific legal controls
or certification that prevent people from practicing homeopathy
unsafely. For example, several years ago, few private school
for ordinary people (and a very few medical practitioners)
to practice homeopathy and there are some profit-making non-medical
bodies in action.
The Japanese Physicians Society for Homeopathy
(JPSH) was established in January 2000 by some doctors aiming
to practice homeopathy in
earnest. It is only physicians body for Homeopathy in Japan.
Now the JPSH consists of 276 members (176medical doctors, 61Vets,
25
Dentist and 14Pharmacists)
Dr. Ryoichi Obitsu , who is the president
of the JPSH , is a leader of the holistic medicine in Japan and
a specialist for
homeopathy.
Dr. Ronko Itamura is the first doctor in
Japan to qualify as an MFHom from the Faculty
of Homeopathy
in the UK. Dr.. Keiji Moriii is a vet homeopathic leader and
the excellent author who wrote homeopathic material medica “ Materia
Medica for clinical medicine” in Japanese.
As the promoter
of homeopathic medicine in Japan, the JPSH started in 2001
a three-year homeopathic training course for
physicians
who will gain a qualifications in accordance with the Medical
Homeopathic
Education of LHMI trained up to a standard level. It is co-ordinated
with the Faculty of Homeopathy in the UK.
At the same time,
there are some problems; the remedies have not been recognized
as medicines by the Japanese Ministry
of Welfare
and Medicine. In Japan, most complementary therapy is
not available on health insurance, except Chinese herbal medicine.
Homeopathy
is regarded a complementary therapy, which are widely
understood
to
be medical treatment, but are not regulated as such by
Japanese law. Therefore most of the complementary therapy is
not available
on health
insurance. Also it is very risky if anyone can practice
homeopathy so laxly. That is , there are no specific legal controls
or certification that prevent people from practicing
homeopathy unsafely.
Recently, some media sources have become interested
in Homeopathy and have introduced Homeopathy to many people.
Moreover ordinary
people have started to pay attention to homeopathy
, because several homeopathic guide book and translated book for
homeopathy have been
published last few years. So the JPSH has started to
have some seminars for ordinary people to understand homeopathy
as a
medical treatment.
Homeopathy, so far has achieved modest
but encouraging results in our patients. Furthermore, we hope to
consolidate
our
position with
patients in the future by lobbying the Japanese Government
to achieve further official recognition for homeopathy.
However we hold hopes
that homeopathy will be integrated into a medical framework
in
Japan before very long.
Ronko Itamura, M.D.,Ph.D., MFHom
Chief Director of the Japanese Physicians Society for Homeopathy(JPSH)
NVP of Japan.
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