In the long history of exchange with China the Japanese have learned a lot from the Chinese people, including Buddhism, architecture, painting, calligraphy, acupuncture and culinary art. Recently modern science has been introduced to China from Japan. It is necessary for the prosperity and welfare of both sides in any times. Now, we are learning qigong science from the Chinese people.
Countries in Asia used to have a better understanding of qi, but in Japan qi has only been a part of Wu-shu or martial arts and Buddhism, and there is no existence of medical qigong. Chinese qigong has its unique exercise patterns and it may promote health and exert self-cure effect after practice, which has epoch-making significance.
It is known to all that everyone concerns health in Japan and there is an enthusiasm of health-preservation among the masses. Patients used to consult doctors of Western medicine, but a lot of difficult cases cannot be cured. People having doubts of Western medicine begin to seek help from alternative medicine. Since people have more spare time and income it is certain that they try every way to improve their health. For example, the young prefer to take Western physical exercise therapy--a dynamic pattern and the quiescent pattern including breathing exercise, meditation and Zen. Since 1970 some people began to practise qigong exercise, but the popularity of qigong only started from 1985 when the mass media, such as TV, newspapers and journals actively worked on it. Because there had never such a word as qigong in Japan, it is necessary to wait for sometime to allow people to have an understanding of qigong. In the past three years there has been constant increase of people learning qigong exercises. When we compare the number of people learning qigong this year with that of the previous year we will find an enormous increase in number. In the days to come, we should clarify the mechanism of qigong to the masses, telling them why qigong exercise can prolong life and cure diseases. For the purpose of winning popularity of qigong among people, I believe that when it is expounded on scientific basis and free from mystery qigong must be universally popular among the people, and this will be a world trend.
It is significant to convene the First World Conference for Academic Exchange of Medical Qigong. A few months ago an international symposium of qigong science was held in Shanghai. There will be an international symposium of 'Qi and Human Society' to be held in Tokyo this November to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the sign of the Japanese-Chinese Peace and Friendship Treaty, for which a Chinese delegation of 15 members will be sent. Wide-ranging topics. such as 'qi and psychosomatic medicine', 'qi and physical culture and martial arts', 'effects and application of medical qigong', 'scientific measurement of qi'and 'qi and religion, philosophy and art' will be discussed on the meeting. The Japanese participants are scholars who are of great attainments in qigong and other sciences, and work in the forefront of these fields.
In recent years qigong has begun to be popular alongside the increased concern about qi in the world. People used to understand qigong by personal experience, but now an epoch of scientific understanding of qigong has begun. Qigong science emerged in China has spread to the world and taken roots internationally. It is expected that qigong as a new branch of science in the 21st century will make great contributions to the human health and social development.
