Defining death: Organ transplants, tradition and technology in Japan

This article explores Japanese attitudes about brain death and organ transplantation. First, ancient burial customs and death-related rituals associated with Shinto and Buddhism are examined. Next, contemporary attitudes towards the dead are discussed in the context of current controversies surround...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1988, Vol.27 (4), p.339-343
Main Author: Feldman, Eric A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude to Death
Bioethics
Brain Death
brain death organ transplantation Japan death
death
Death Attitudes
History of medicine
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, Ancient
History, Medieval
Humans
Japan
Organ Transplantation
Religion and Medicine
Social Values
Technological Progress
Tissue and Organ Procurement
Traditional Medicine
Transplantation - psychology
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Summary:This article explores Japanese attitudes about brain death and organ transplantation. First, ancient burial customs and death-related rituals associated with Shinto and Buddhism are examined. Next, contemporary attitudes towards the dead are discussed in the context of current controversies surrounding brain death and organ transplantation. Finally, an attempt is made to link the traditional Japanese views of death with modern medical dilemmas.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/0277-9536(88)90267-5