Japan Making a Better Use of Ayurveda

VARANASI, INDIA, July 2011: According to Dr. U.K. Krishna, who has been practicing and popularizing ayurveda in Japan for the past two decades, the country is already on its way to accept ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine system, as holistic medicine system. “The past two decades have witnessed the spread of ayurveda from meagre one to two per cent to around 12% of the populations, a figure enough to suggest growing popularity of the medicine system in Japan. Also, the country has evolved successful marketing strategies to promote ayurveda, something which India lacks despite being the originator of the system,” he informed.

The Japanese have worked really hard to understand the basic concepts in ayurveda and now they know that the discipline offers solutions for a number of ailments, which cannot be cured by modern medicine alone. It is true that the country has one of highest life expectancies in the world and now they are striving for longer quality of life with the help of ayurveda. The life style diseases including diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems are also growing in Japan and people are turning to traditional medicine.

The traditional medicine system in Japan has its root in oriental system as practised in China, but it has its own limitations. The country has been fast enough to realise the significance of inter-disciplinary approach in medicine system, taking the best out of every medicine system. “India also needs to take a leaf out of this practice in Japan, if it is wishing to address a wide range of diseases and improve health conditions,” added Dr. Krishna.