ARTICLE: Brain deficiency???

[thomas]

On January 1st, Daily Yomiuri published an article by Toshiyuki Sawaguchi, who works at the Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, and who claims that the recent wave of crimes among youth is related to "brain damages" caused by westernization. Please read the article below:

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Young people suffer from immature frontal lobe

Toshiyuki Sawaguchi Special to The Daily Yomiuri

This may seem extreme, but I fear that many young people today are mentally dysfunctional and unless measures are taken immediately, this country will be confronted with a serious situation this century.

Of course, people throughout history have expressed anxiety about younger generations. Even papyruses, one of the world's oldest writing materials, are said to have included complaints about "people these days."

However, what is happening in this country today appears to be totally different from what took place in the past. This phenomenon can be put down to the mental dysfunction present in many young people.

They seem to be completely indifferent to what other people might think of them. Oblivious to other people, they kiss on the street, change clothes at railway stations, apply makeup on trains and talk about their private lives over mobile phones. And in class, they unconcernedly munch on bread and answer mobile phones.

If they were aware that such actions were shameful in the eyes of others, the problem would not be so serious. However, reality is different--they cannot care what others think about their behavior. This definitely can be put down to mental dysfunction.

The frontal lobe, situated behind the forehead, is the most developed part of the human brain. Those who suffer from disorders of this part of the brain exhibit the same symptoms as young people today--they do not care what other people think of them. These people ignore the situations or people around them. For instance, they suddenly become upset in quiet gatherings, making obscene remarks about women walking along the street, or acting disgracefully in a crowd.

They are apparently suffering from a functional disorder of the frontal lobe. If this is so, they must exhibit other symptoms, such as an inability to understand other people's feelings or restrain their passions, or they are unable to determine what their goal is in life or make efforts to achieve anything. This is because the frontal lobe plays a central role in controlling this behavior.

When we examine this from various aspects, it is obvious that the problem is deep-rooted and serious. If young people are unable to understand other people's feelings or cannot restrain their passions, it is apparent that sooner or later they will turn to crime.

The recent series of heinous crimes committed by young people, including stalking, seem to represent such problematic behavior. It is all right if they restrict themselves to applying makeup on trains, but their mental dysfunction might lead them to commit atrocious crimes on the spur of the moment.

Violence at school and home as well as school bullying are typical symptoms. Even if a person does not cause any problem, other symptoms may make themselves manifest--an inability to determine one's goal or a tendency to seek pleasure for the moment, as well as a lethargic indifference to make an effort.

What has caused these problems? Not all young people are mentally dysfunctional. Environment and education also play a strong role in causing functional disorders in children.

The brain has the ability to handle languages, both evolutionarily and genetically. But if one is reared in a particular environment up to the age of about 10, language functions can be impeded seriously. Various functions in the frontal lobe--although manipulated genetically--will deteriorate according to education and environment in childhood.

The large number of strange young people today can be attributed to failures in environment and education in the childhood. The Japanese need an environment to rear their children in a traditional way, but most traditions have been lost over the years.

Racially, the Japanese are Mongoloid and the development of a Mongoloid's brain is slow. From the anthropological viewpoint, Mongoloid children should be raised slowly and carefully in large families and be exposed to complex social relationships. This kind of environment is essential in raising Japanese children to ensure that their frontal lobe develops properly. Most people used to raise children in this manner.

After World War II, however, Japanese society became extremely Westernized and large families have become rare in this country. In the Western-style houses prevalent in Japan, children spend much of their time in their own rooms and the number of children has declined. The biggest problem is that mothers and children have become too closely bound during the child-rearing phase.

This ensured that the frontal lobe would not develop properly, so people grew physically but with the frontal lobe remaining in an immature state. Another problem is the change in dietary habits. Though traditional Japanese food, based on fish and rice, was most suited for the brains of the Japanese, dietary habits have become Westernized over the years.

Immediate measures should be taken to remedy the situation or there will be no hope for Japan in the 21st century. How then should we address this problem?

Both Westernization and the decline in the birthrate are trends of the times. It will not be easy to revive traditional child-rearing practices. It is important to take measures at the national level, but recent government policies have failed to target the right problems and there has been no immediate effect.

What we can expect are activities organized at the local community level. Why not establish some kind of school to "coach" children and help them develop their frontal lobe by making use of existing private classes and sports clubs in local communities? With determination and effort by parents and other adults, it should be possible to establish such schools. I will not go into detail about such a concept but it should not be too difficult to carry out.

Let's establish "schools to nurture the frontal lobe"--I offer this proposal to make the 21st century bright for Japan.

Copyright by Daily Yomiuri
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And you believed Darwinism is dead. Wild, isn't it?

See Mr. Sawaguchi's homepage below (in Japanese and English):

http://www.med.hokudai.ac.jp/~neubio-w/

Despite the amount of research Sawaguchi has read on the frontal lobe in creating a theory all ready thought of a "frontal lobe syndrome," let us not overlook the fact that his own foreign bias are prevalent throughout this article. If anyone hasn't picked up on the hints of Japanese conservatism in his speech, let me point them out. And I致e done my research as well...

"Oblivious to other people, they kiss on the street, change clothes at railway stations, apply makeup on trains and talk about their private lives over mobile phones. And in class, they unconcernedly munch on bread and answer mobile phones." Indeed these are common symptoms of the disorder, and many of these attributes are common to those afflicted with this syndrome. However, 徒issing on the street... applying makeup on trains talking about their private lives over mobile phones� can in no way be classified as problems that stem from this disorder. In fact, teens in the US and other parts of the world partake in these activities. Women who wake up late can always be seen applying makeup in the car on their drive to work. Since when did kissing in public become taboo, even in Japan?

�...If this is so, they must exhibit other symptoms, such as an inability to understand other people's feelings or restrain their passions, or they are unable to determine what their goal is in life or make efforts to achieve anything.� Mr. Sawaguchi is correct in saying that 鍍hey must exhibit other symptoms,� but he forgot to mention is aside from the two clinical ways of identifying this syndrome, 杜edial frontal syndrome� is apart of this as well. This aspect of the illness deals with the physical side of the disorder, including occasional spontaneous movement and gestures, sparse verbal output, and lower extremity weakness and loss of sensation. Few cases of these symptoms in clinical trials have been reported in Japan, and just as few in America.

的t is all right if they restrict themselves to applying makeup on trains, but their mental dysfunction might lead them to commit atrocious crimes on the spur of the moment.� Again he makes reference to makeup on trains, but where is the connection between that and committing crimes in that statement? In fact, there is not connection. And I might point out that 鍍heir mental dysfunction might lead them� clearly points out that Sawaguchi is making claims that he can稚 back up with factual evidence (in part to the fact that there isn稚 any). The main concept he leaves out about this syndrome is the fact that it 殿ffects only elements of a person痴 behavior;� not their intelligence. While this does lend a greater risk for violent behavior, it is not set in stone, nor does it mean that the individual won稚 be a productive member of society.

鄭nother problem is the change in dietary habits. Though traditional Japanese food, based on fish and rice, was most suited for the brains of the Japanese, dietary habits have become Westernized over the years.� Let me point out that Japan痴 staple food of rice and fish wasn稚 designated as such with the concern of being best suited for 笛apanese brains.� Japan痴 staple came about from the environment and the body of ocean that surrounds the island, making seafood the most logical choice. His Japanese conservatism comes into play when he makes the statement that Japanese brains are different than everyone else痴. Here we have a 田redible� neurologist who studies monkey brains (http://www.med.hokudai.ac.jp/~neubio-w/ref_loader.html) making comments about human brains being different because of ethnicity; something considered racist in most parts of the world. And I might add that Japanese people still eat plenty of rice and fish, seeing as how it is the equivalent to America痴 hamburgers and french fries.

I知 sorry to have made this so long, but there are way too many conflicting facts and statements to NOT attack some of the claims made by Sawaguchi. Not to contradict myself as I致e said in another forum, Westernization and a lack of 鍍raditional Japanese values� on such a broad scale isn稚 the direct cause of youth crime, but only a factor in the larger scheme of things. He did not mention a tremendous amount of other symptoms in diagnosing this syndrome, which begs the question: is he presenting options to help dissident youths or only add fuel to the anti-foreigner movement in Japan? This is what I致e tried to illustrate from my post.

Now if you値l excuse me, I think I値l go watch some television.

[Mandylion]

Kudos Jian.

Sawaguchi is grasping at straws. Sounds down right facist in parts. I thought Japan already fought that war...Still running with race-based genetics ideologies in some departments up in Hokkaido I see.

Thanks for the post Thomas.

[Eternal Wind]

Hmm....I wonder if thats true...lack of nutritions??

[celtician]

But what these stupids don't realise (Japanese academics...a misnomer if ther ever was one!) the Nippons have an atrophied frontal lobe because of too much inbreeding

[celtician]

Now let's not get tooo serious about this yes we know that Japanese are mongol but I think that the 'flontaru robu' is undeveloped in them because they love banging each other on the forehead with slippers (perhaps toilet slippers) and perhaps this is the slapstick reason for the lack of Japan's social development.

Who knows the Nipponese 'scholars' won't tell you!

[lexico]

Now that was exquisite analysis, Celtician ! flontaru robu
I saw this amazing foto of Tojo Hideki, and he seems to miss the baku robu as well which explains his lack of honesty and imagination, but then I wonder how the coneheads could develop such high culture ?

[Kinsao]

Oblivious to other people, they kiss on the street, change clothes at railway stations, apply makeup on trains and talk about their private lives over mobile phones. And in class, they unconcernedly munch on bread and answer mobile phones.

OMG! Shock! The end of the world is nigh!

they cannot care what others think about their behavior. This definitely can be put down to mental dysfunction.

Oh definitely. *nods madly* Mental dysfunction. Absolutely.

It is all right if they restrict themselves to applying makeup on trains, but their mental dysfunction might lead them to commit atrocious crimes on the spur of the moment.

... and we all know what a short step it is from applying your makeup on the train, boys, to committing atrocious crimes. Tall oaks grow from small acorns...

Originally Posted by celtician

I think that the 'flontaru robu' is undeveloped in them because they love banging each other on the forehead with slippers

You know... you could just be right.

[Dollporn]

Wow. Now that was ridiculuos.
Hints of concervatism? Anyone who didn't pick that up needs theyr haeds examined.
Is this for real?

[Ost Prussia]

Wow! What tight wads

[Aerain]

I heard high sugar and deep fried food consumption leads to dementia, but even though it may seem a bit prevalent and that I really noticed signifiant changes in my behavior after adopting a new diet, I don't think that is the only explanation and as for his other comment I don't even want to talk about it as it is subject to controversy, as it is more of a conjecture based on stereotyped data than anything.

Sorry my english must be awful to be read, I am used to speak french.

[Goldiegirl]

Maybe the guy who wrote that load of cr@p has a small frontal lobe. Anyway if I were Japanese I would so offended by this article...it makes Japanese sound like mentally slow people, who if not raised correctly will have brains that shrivel up and turn to tofu. I as a "westerner" was disturbed, but somehow more for the Japanese, than the insults on "me".

Aerain, your English is very good! Really! Keep writing and it will improve more!

Psychiatrists in general are good at "inventing" lots of unique disorders. Learning disabilities, Asperger's Syndrome, etc were not considered disorders decades ago. Now, they are so widespread.

[Aerain]

Originally Posted by Goldiegirl

Maybe the guy who wrote that load of cr@p has a small frontal lobe. Anyway if I were Japanese I would so offended by this article...it makes Japanese sound like mentally slow people, who if not raised correctly will have brains that shrivel up and turn to tofu. I as a "westerner" was disturbed, but somehow more for the Japanese, than the insults on "me".
Aerain, your English is very good! Really! Keep writing and it will improve more!

Thanks, it is encouraging to hear that. Nevertheless, I think I still have a long way to go before being able to communicate in english as well as I would like to. I know that my french is good enough so that I don’t have much to worry about it but my english on the other hand is soo bad people often don’t take me very seriously when I discuss with them, they often mistake me for a teenager or a foreigner whose english is not very sound which is worse. So I think my english is far from good all things considered… But thanks still.