References
Akabayashi, Akira. 2002. Euthanasia, assisted suicide, and cessation of life support: Japan’s policy, law, and an analysis of whistle blowing in two recent mercy killing cases. Social Science & Medicine 55 (4): 517–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00184-8.
Asai, Atsushi, Shunichi Fukuhara, Osamu Inoshita, Yasuhiko Miura, Noboru Tanabe, and Kiyoshi Kurokawa. 1997. Medical decisions concerning the end of life: a discussion with Japanese physicians. Journal of Medical Ethics 23 (5): 323–327. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.23.5.323.
Doi, Takeo. 1971. The Anatomy of Dependence. Tokyo: Kodansha International.
Johnson, Frank A. 1993. Dependency and Japanese socialization: psychoanalytic and anthropological investigations into amae. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Lock, M. 2001. Twice dead: Organ transplants and the reinvention of death. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
MHLW: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan). 2014. Report of the awareness survey on end-of-life medical treatment https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/05-Shingikai-10801000-Iseikyoku-Soumuka/0000041847_3.pdf. Accessed 11 Nov 2019.
MHLW: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan). 2018. Report of the awareness survey on end-of-life medical treatment. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/dl/saisyuiryo_a_h29.pdf. Accessed 11 Nov 2019).
Nakane, Chie. 1970. Japanese society: a practical guide to understanding the Japanese mindset and culture, 80–83. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.
Sulmasy, Daniel P., and Jeremy Sugarman. 1994. Are withholding and withdrawing therapy always morally equivalent? Journal of Medical Ethics 20 (4): 218–222. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.20.4.218.
The Mainichi Newspapers. 2018. End-of-life care: emphasis on confirming intention of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment―Liberal Democratic Party considers new law. 16 September 2018, morning edition. https://mainichi.jp/articles/20180916/ddm/001/040/203000c. Accessed 13 Nov 2019.
Wilkinson, Dominic J.C., and Julian Savulescu. 2014. A costly separation between withdrawing and withholding treatment in intensive care. Bioethics 28 (3): 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2012.01981.x.
Funding
This study was supported by Pfizer Health Research Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
Although AA is President of the Japan Association for Bioethics (JAB), this paper reflects the authors’ personal academic analyses and opinions. It does not represent JAB’s official position on this issue. The other authors have no conflict of interests to declare.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nakazawa, E., Yamamoto, K., Ozeki-Hayashi, R. et al. Why Can’t Japanese People Decide?—Withdrawal of Ventilatory Support in End-of-Life Scenarios and Their Indecisiveness. ABR 11, 343–347 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-019-00107-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-019-00107-0