In Japan, Psychology (心理学) is a field of study that still receives a lot of influence from religion and Eastern philosophy. Since it is a country where the population does not have much habit of attending traditional psychotherapies established in the West (such as Psychoanalysis, Cognitive Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, among others), the Japanese end up dealing with their frustrations and psychological problems using other tools.
In this article, we will see some important Japanese Psychologists (and Psychiatrists) in the field who have some international prominence. In addition, we will also see how Japanese Psychology received influences from Chinese Philosophy, Zen Buddhism, and Logotherapy.
Table of Contents
Kimura Bin: Phenomenology and Schizophrenia
Kimura Bin (1931–) is a very popular Japanese psychiatrist within the psychological and philosophical approach known as Phenomenology. His works have had a great influence worldwide. In Brazil, despite being a well-known thinker among phenomenologists, his work has not been translated in large quantities, considering the difficulty of translating Japanese terms (many even untranslatable) or adapting the texts faithfully.
Within his work, it is possible to identify numerous influences from the traditional Kyoto School. The concept of 間 (あいだ; meaning between, interval) is a very interesting concept developed by Kimura that states that space and the person are inserted in an interval, or, in other words, in an experience between two people.
Thus, space and time bridge and contribute to continuing or discontinuing an action in the real world. In other words, for Kimura, the “aida” would be the interval in which two people meet and in which reflective attention becomes directed towards a specific object.
In schizophrenia, for example, there would be a disturbance in the “aida”, or, better said, in the relationship of the subject with time (the future), space, and other people.
Ichiro Kishimi: Adlerian Psychology
Ichiro Kishimi is a Japanese thinker, philosopher, and psychologist born in Kyoto. His thought is based on the psychology of Alfred Adler (1870-1937), and in Brazil, some of his books have been translated and published. One of the author’s most recent works was translated into Portuguese with the title “The Courage to Be Disliked,” released in Brazil in 2013, in partnership with Fumitake Koga.
In “The Courage to Be Disliked,” we can see a dialogue between a philosopher and a student who wishes to have a better life. During the dialogue, we are presented with the concepts of “Inferiority Complex” and “Superiority Complex” (derived from Adlerian Individual Psychology). The Inferiority Complex would be the tendency in man to depreciate himself and feel inferior to an individual or a social group.
In some anime, we can see this theme being addressed “unintentionally” (or intentionally, who knows) by the authors. In Inuyasha, a Youkai feels inferior for not having much hair (bald people can relate). In Fullmetal Alchemist, we see the protagonist Edward Elric being called short by everyone and getting extremely angry about this situation.
The influence of Zen Buddhism, Chinese Philosophy, and Logotherapy
The way of understanding the mind (気) in Japan tends to be filled with spirituality, religiosity, philosophy, and superstitions. Zen Buddhism has considerably influenced the branches of Psychology and Medicine in Japan, considering that Japanese culture has received, for a long time, spiritual and religious influences deeply rooted in all sectors of society and even in government.
Buddhist, Shinto, Confucian, and imperial doctrinal practices have always emphasized the importance of ideas such as: balance, cooperation, sacrifice, valuing nature, authority, appropriate behavior, detachment, compassion, transcendence, meditation, harmony with beings and the world, loyalty, and work.
Confucius (孔子) exerted a strong influence on Japanese thought during the Tokugawa Shogunate and even today is often implicitly present in the ideals and traditional customs of the Japanese family and in national politics.
More recently (21st Century), we have seen a growing demand among Japanese youth for the search for meaning in life. The Japanese concept of Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a concept related to the purpose of life that we all must have to continue living.
Logotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl discusses the theme of Ikigai (いきがい) and is a philosophical-psychological approach that has some popularity within Japan, as evidenced by the huge number of Franklian works translated into the Japanese language.
Below you can see the cover of one of Viktor Frankl’s books translated in Japan:
On the cover, it is written: 人生の意味と神。
This can be translated as “God and the Meaning of Life.”
- 意味 (いみ) = Meaning, significance;
- 神 (かみ) = God;
- 人生 (じんせい) = Life;
- Particle と = Generally translated as “And”: links two nouns;
- Particle の = Links two nouns attributing characteristics or belonging. Generally translated as “of”;
To complement this article, it is possible that I will elaborate a part 2, but for now, we will conclude with a motivational quote:
“Nothing provides better capacity for overcoming and resilience to problems and difficulties in general than the awareness of having a mission to fulfill in life.”
Viktor Frankl
Yujiro Motora: The Pioneer
One of the pioneers of Japanese Psychology was Yujiro Motora (元良勇次郎), who is considered the first prominent Japanese psychologist. Born in Hyogo, he died prematurely at the age of 54 from Erysipelas.
Motora (1858 – 1912) contributed mainly in the field of Experimental Psychology, having conducted research in the field with eminent American psychologists, such as Stanley Hall.
Yujiro Motora received numerous academic and governmental awards and honors, and his death was reported as a great loss for national science.
Hayao Kawai: The Founder of Japanese Analytical Psychology
Hayao Kawai (河合隼雄) was a Japanese psychologist of Jungian orientation. Considered the main responsible for the dissemination of Jungian theory in the country, he passed away in 2007 and wrote several books, many translated into Portuguese.
One of his books was published in Brazil as: “The Japanese Psyche: Major Themes from Japanese Fairy Tales.” Below we can see a conference by Hayao on the problems of the mind and people in modernity: (video is in Japanese)
Honne (本音) and Tatemae (建前) and the Psychology of Group Harmony
In a hierarchical society that values peace and social harmony, it is essential for individuals to seek harmony in their daily lives. Due to cultural and historical factors, the Japanese people tend to not express political opinions or opinions related to controversial topics due to this tendency to always seek the harmony of the collective.
In this sense, we have two words that exactly describe this Japanese “way of being.” Honne (本音) refers to what the subject really thinks but usually does not express.
Tatemae (建前) refers to the act of “keeping up appearances” or omitting one’s own opinions (especially on “thorny” topics) in order to keep things “smooth.”
If you want to know more about Honne and Tatemae, we recommend reading our article by clicking here.
Vocabulary about psychology in Japanese
To conclude the article, we will leave a list of words in Japanese related to psychology:
- 気 (き) = Mind, spirit, soul;
- 心理学 (しんりがく) = Psychology;
- 心理学者 (しんりがくしゃ) = Psychologist;
- 精神 (せいしん) = Spirit, Soul, Mind;
- 哲学 (てつがく) = Philosophy;
- 禅 (ぜん) = Zen;
- 仏教 (ぶっきょう) = Buddhism;
- 神道 (しんとう) = Shinto;
- 神 (かみ) = God;
- 人生 (じんせい) = Life;
- 意味 (いみ) = Meaning, significance;
- ヴィクトールフランクル = Viktor Frankl;
- 生き甲斐 (いきがい) = Ikigai;
- 孔子 (こうし) = Confucius;
Article published by: João Victor Gadelha
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