A closer look at the history of epidemics in Japan with focus on ann bowman jannetta's book

Abstract EN

This paper deals with the history of epidemics in Japan, with focus on Ann Bowman Jannetta's book that was entitled ¨epidemics and mortality in early modern Japan¨.

The important of this book resides in its comparative/historical approach; it contains several issues that concern Western European history, for example, it poses an important issue of whether the epidemics of bubonic plague that periodically devastated the populations of Europe between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries caused similar havoc in Japan.

In terms of documentary materials, this study uses contemporary descriptive accounts and buddhist temple death registers to reconstruct the history of important epidemic diseases in early modern Japan.

Generally, these paper have led us to several conclusion, they are as follows: Firstly, Japan had a low virus death rate because of the geographical location of Japanese archipelago in east Asia.

Secondly, it is very possible that inspection procedures and quarantine methods used by the Japanese authorities were effective in preventing infectious diseases.

Thirdly, it is very likely that the sanitary conditions of Japanese cities responsible for preventing the spread of diseases.

In Tokyo, for example, there was good drainage, perfect closets, in addition, all excrementitious matter was carried out of the city by men who utilize it for farming in their rice-fields.

Fourthly, Japanese customs may also have helped in reducing the incidence of infection from enteric diseases in Japan.