Skip to main content

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)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stone Lanterns

Stone Lanterns 石灯籠 Ishi-doro Ishi-doro means stone lanterns in Japanese. Stone lanterns are often found on the grounds of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, or as ornamental elements that consist Japanese gardens. They play an important role to create traditional Japanese atmosphere. It is thought that stone lanterns were introduced to Japan from China via Korean Peninsula in the process of the Buddhism's influx . In China's 山西省 Shanxi Province, there is a stone lantern presumed to be the country's oldest one created more than 1,400 years ago . On the other hand, Japan's oldest one is in 當麻寺 Taimadera Temple in 奈良県 Nara Prefecture and thought to be around 1,300 years old. There is an obvious similarity in the designs between the two lanterns. In Buddhism, lights stand for the wisdom to be released from the world of illusion filled with worldly sins . In other words, they are the guideposts to the state of "悟り satori," translated as " enlightenmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hay Fever (Ceder Pollen Allegy)

Hay Fever (Ceder Pollen Allegy) スギ花粉症 Sugi-Kafunsho In Japan today, an allegy caused by ceder pollen , simply called as "hay fever" in general, is an annoying physical reaction that more than 1/3 of all Japanese people have in common mainly from February to April. Many suffer from such symptoms as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and so on. It's often considered a "national disease" originated in a cirtain situation after World War II in Japan. Now, the Japanese government has set an official goal to adress the problem. Although there are so many kinds of plants that can cause allegic symptoms, the rate of Japanese people who are allegic to ceder pollen is as high as 38.8% out of 42.5% allegic to any kinds of pollen, according to the research conducted in 2019. Therefore, "hay fever" generally refers to ceder pollen allegy in Japan.  The allegic reactions coincide with the pollen's disperser of sugi, Japanese ceder, usually between February and...
Post a Comment
Read more