| Chinese medicine was introduced to the imperial | | | | Japanese manipulative and bone-setting therapies. |
| court of Japan in the 5th century A.D. by Korean | | | | Folk remedies, spa baths, and spiritual medicine in |
| physicians. Monks and traveling physicians from | | | | the form of prayers and talismans from shrines |
| Korea and China introduced Chinese ideas more | | | | and temples are also popular. |
| generally during the 5th and 6th centuries. Medical | | | | The Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine is |
| works on acupuncture and moxibustion, with | | | | known as kanpo, and the main foundations of |
| detailed diagrams, were made known in Japan by | | | | present practice date back to the 16th and 17th |
| the Chinese doctor Zhi Cong around A.D. 560, and | | | | centuries. |
| from the early 7th century Chinese medicine | | | | Japan was also exposed to Western influence at |
| began to be adopted systematically under the | | | | this time, when Christian missionaries began to |
| influence of two Buddhist monks who had spent | | | | arrive. Just as Buddhist monks had once cared for |
| many years in China. | | | | the sick, now Jesuits, followed by Dominicans and |
| A Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine still | | | | Franciscans, did the same. This type of medicine |
| exists today. However, there are several | | | | came to be known as "cosmopolitan" medicine. |
| distinctive features in Japanese medical practice. | | | | During the 18th century, when the Dutch and |
| A strong tradition of blind practitioners has | | | | Chinese were the only nations allowed to trade |
| resulted in very well-developed palpation | | | | with Japan, Western understanding of anatomy |
| techniques of diagnosis and treatment, such as | | | | was introduced, and at the same time many |
| abdominal palpation; shiatsu, which is a specifically | | | | Oriental notions were introduced from Japan to |
| Japanese form of acupressure massage, has also | | | | Europe. Acupuncture and moxibustion became |
| developed. | | | | known for the first time in the West in this way. |
| Japan also has a strong herbal tradition, which has | | | | "Cosmopolitan" medicine now officially dominates in |
| close links with Chinese herbal medicine but tends | | | | Japan, but kanpo is also popular. This term is now |
| to use smaller amounts of more refined | | | | often used to denote herbalism, but the whole |
| ingredients and also has different formulas of its | | | | range of Chinese medicine is practiced. |
| own. There are also a number of specifically | | | | |