Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Symposium on Medicine as Care
On June 9, 2024, a “Symposium on Considering Medicine as Care” was held at a hotel in Kagoshima City, with over 250 people from all over Kyushu attending. This event was hosted by the Kusunoki Association for Promoting Integrative Medicine, a local cooperative group of the Kagoshima Prefecture branch of the Japanese Society for Integrative Medicine, and was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Minami Kyushu Wellness Center, where the association has its secretariat. This was an opportunity to confirm the importance of care, which has various meanings that includes not only nursing and caregiving but also looking after, consideration, caring and support, in order to realize a society where people can live fulfilling lives.
After the opening address by Shigenori Hanada, representative of the Kusunoki Association, Noriko Yoshida, head of the Kagoshima Prefecture branch of the Japanese Society of Integrative Medicine, appeared via video. She stated that the medical community, nursing care and welfare are facing difficult times in a society with an extremely aging and declining population, and that there is a need to shift from a cure-centered medical community to a care-centered one, and to create a society in which care that looks at people holistically, not just in terms of their body and mind, but also in terms of their social and spiritual aspects, is widely provided through self-help, mutual help, cooperative help and public assistance.
Councillor Seiko Hashimoto, chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Parliamentary League for the Promotion of Integrated Medical Care, gave a lecture on the theme of “Considering Medicine as Care.” She pointed out that in an aging society, in addition to preventing disease and maintaining and promoting health, there is a demand not only for “curative medicine,” but also for “supportive medicine” for sick people and their families. She introduced initiatives that emphasized care, including health management for athletes, where care is centered on prevention and health management rather than on cure, care for athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics, and the activities of the Parliamentary League for the Promotion of Integrated Medical Care. She stated that medicine inherently has both a scientific aspect and an aspect of “healing arts,” and that Japan, with its beautiful nature and spiritual culture, is well placed to demonstrate the empathy and affinity of “medicine as care.” She spoke of her desire to enrich cities centered on care and to realize a society of coexistence.
The symposium, titled “Aiming for Medicine as Care,” was moderated by Muneharu Ito, Secretary General of the Kusunoki Association, and five panelists active in fields such as nursing, welfare, and agriculture introduced the care they are working on from their respective positions.
Ms. Reiko Hatta, President of the Kagoshima Prefectural Nursing Association (public corporation), gave a talk about children who require medical care at home. She stated that local community support for children requiring medical care and their parents provides an opportunity to think about the nature of care and medical care, and fosters an altruistic spirit among caregivers, and expressed her hope for the realization of a society of inclusion in which no one is left behind.
Kagoshima City Council member Naoko Furue followed her deceased husband’s wishes by becoming a council member, and reflected on her experience of working hard for the citizens while raising her children. She said she felt keenly the need for support and care for people who are busy caring for sick relatives and raising children. She stated that in order to create a heart-to-heart community, it is important to interact with the younger generation and to work with the local government to understand the health issues of local people. She expressed hope for the participation of MOA, which promotes health through the Okada Health and Wellness Program and holds an exhibition of children’s artwork.
Shigehiro Mori, deputy director of Aikoen, a support facility for people with disabilities run by Seichokai (Welfare), introduced a case in which residents with severe disabilities were supported in developing a daily rhythm and building trusting relationships with their caregivers by going on walks in nature with them. He expressed his belief that a society in which people with disabilities can live better is a society in which everyone can live comfortably, and called for a society of inclusion.
Masatake Fukumoto, the director of Fukumoto Farm and a MOA Nature Farming producer, began farming after learning about the Nature Farming Method at the Natural Farming Experience School “Ari no mama Branch School,” run by Minamisatsuma City, the MOA Nature Farming Culture Foundation, and the MOA Nature Farming Kaseda Extension Association. They introduced how they have established a Nature Farming Method and an organic vegetable promotion committee together with producers in the city, and are working to support new farmers, supply vegetables for school lunches, and hold nutrition education classes. They spoke about how delicious, vibrant vegetables bring smiles and good health to those who eat them, and how they realized and was grateful that all living things coexist in nature. They also introduced the care that is involved in natural farming efforts.
Yuko Hayashi, chairperson of the volunteer group Creating Healthy People, Towns and Minds, recalled that she learned about spiritual care in the Basic Certification Course of Okada Purifying Therapy offered by MOA International Incorporated. She recalled that by looking back on her own life and accepting herself as she is, she saw herself and others as irreplaceable and important human beings. She also supported her acquaintances who were suffering from illness, focusing on the health of not only the body but also the mind and soul. She continued to perform Purifying Therapy with advice from the Minami Kyushu Wellness Center; and as a result, her acquaintance and her family saw an improvement, obtained qualifications to perform Purifying Therapy, and began to work on self-care. She reflected on this and introduced the actual care provided by the Okada Health and Wellness Program.
When asked to give their comments, Upper House Councillor Seiko Hashimoto and guest speaker, Lower House Representative Takuma Miyaji, praised the efforts of each presenter for making people think about the importance of care and the need for a symbiotic society. This event reaffirmed the importance of medical care as a form of care that not only cures, but also focuses on the body, mind, and spiritual aspects, promotes disease prevention and health promotion, and leads people to better lives.
Finally, Dr. Miki Maki, medical director of the Korinkai Kagoshima Clinic and honorary advisor to the Sunokikai, gave a speech of thanks. Looking back on his conversations with the late Dr. Kazuhiko Atsumi, founder of the Japanese Society for Integrative Medicine, he recalled that Dr. Atsumi, who was researching artificial hearts and medical lasers at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Medicine, later argued that the invisible spiritual aspects of future medicine would be important. Dr. Maki said that disease, poverty, and war cannot be solved in a world that pursues only material wealth. In order to realize a healthy society, the concept of spiritual care is necessary in Integrative Medicine.
Participants commented, “Along with the policy implementation of Integrated Medicine that Councillor Hashimoto is working on, I think that it is necessary for each citizen to change their awareness of health and to create a community that practices care and coexists in the local area. For that reason, the efforts of everyone at MOA who is working to promote health in the local area are essential” (Prefectural Assembly Member), and “It was a good opportunity to learn about care in various fields. Medical care is mainly focused on the scientific side, but I felt the importance of care that values intangible aspects such as spirituality” (Citizen).
Organized by: Kusunoki Association for the Promotion of Integrated Medical Care Secretariat
