Gyógyítók és gyógyítás a folklór és orvostörténet tükrében a Meiji előtti Japánban

The present paper is a brief overview of the historical origins of healing inJapan. In the past, the outbreak of a disease was usually attributed to theinfluence of higher spiritual forces. Views on disease and healing weretraditionally influenced by a variety of factors. On one hand, views on lifeand afterlife reflected in popular beliefs defined the way disease was approached. On the other hand, Chinese knowledge of the human body and itsailments penetrated Japan as early as the Heian period. During the Tokugawaperiod spiritual approaches to healing were increasingly combined with moremodern views of the body and official healers and practitioners started toexercise a growing influence on the attitudes of people towards healing andillness. The present paper introduces some of the most significant milestonesin the development of these attitudes through an overview of popular spiritualfigures and deities of healing, and of historical sources documenting theevolution of official medicine.