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Mongolian Spots


Mongolian Spots

蒙古斑 Moko-han


Moko-han, or Mongolian spots, are mole-like blue spots often found on some part of infant's body such as buttock or backside of waist that is common in Japan. They are one of the genetic features of Asian people first clearified by a German doctor Erwin Bälz in 1885. There are also a few expressions with this feature in Japanese language.

More than 99% of Japanese newborn babies are said to have Mongolian spots. The same feature is also observed in other Asian racial groups such as Mongolian, Chinese, Korean, Native Americans, and so on.

The cause of Mongolian spots is melanocytes, melanin-producing cells existing in the dermis under the epidermis exclusively in childhood. Generally, the spots gradually disappear by the age of around 10 and do not need treatment.

This feature was found out by Erwin Bälz, a German internist invited to Japan by the Meiji government, in 1885. Until then in Japan, it was a mystery among people and sometimes associated with such superstitions as accumulation of vitiated blood, divine punishment, or having sex when pregnant.

In Japanese language, there are some unique expressions to describe an immature or childish person;
    ・尻が青い Shiri ga awoi ("someone's bottom is blue.")
    ・青二才 Awo nisai (literally "blue, two years old")


・蒙古斑について | メディカルノート (medicalnote.jp)
・【医師監修】蒙古斑とは ― できる原因といつごろ消えるか知っておこう！ | 医師が作る医療情報メディア【medicommi】
・本邦人蒙古斑に就て (jst.go.jp)

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