Feeling sad? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Perhaps you're suffering from a cold of
soul.That's concept that has taken Japan by storm in last five years, thanks to a culturally savvy marketing campaign launched by pharmaceutical companies to turn mild depression into an acceptable malady that a simple prescription can cure.
Anyone familiar with Japan will recognize that "kokoro no kaze" (literally "cold of soul") is a phrase guaranteed to resonate with citizens of that country. Preventing and treating colds is practically a national pastime there.
Everywhere in Japan, you see people wearing gauzy surgical-style masks covering their nose and mouth. Although some may be wearing masks to protect themselves from latest bug, majority of wearers are simply being courteous. In a nation lauded for its complex culture of politeness, Japanese wear masks when they come down with a cold as a polite way of warning and protecting others.
In Japan, your dentist and dental assistants are likely to wear masks--not to protect themselves from your mouth breathing, but to provide a polite barrier so that you won't be inadvertently subjected to their germs or lingering odor of their sushi lunch.
Catching a cold in Japan is an opportunity to practice concern for others. How brilliant, then, that pharmaceutical companies have developed this new phrase to describe symptoms of mild depression. Now, Japanese businessmen, housewives and students are running to their doctors in droves to get prescriptions for antidepressants. In a culture steeped in politeness, it seems that same folks likely to cover their noses and mouths to protect others from germs are recognizing their obligation to protect their loved ones from their melancholy.
After living in Japan for five years and having a Japanese sister-in-law and four beloved bicultural nieces and nephews, I have a great fondness for that country. That's why I am saddened by this new need to treat mild depression with drugs.
I'm all for turning to pharmaceuticals to help those who are severely depressed. I've lost two brothers to suicide, and even worst drug on market is better than that outcome.
Crown Princess Masako, a Harvard grad who surprised world by agreeing to marry Crown Prince Hirohito and live behind closed doors of Emperor's Palace, prompted a national debate on depression when it was announced recently that she was undergoing treatment for disease. Though it doesn't surprise us that life of a princess and its accompanying expectations to bear heirs might be difficult to handle--we all watched sad story of Princess Diana unfold--this is an unprecedented admission in Japan. The fact that Imperial Family has publicly acknowledged Masako's struggles will have a profound impact on ongoing discussion of depression in a nation known for its suicide rate.
