Ganoderma's Current Status in the World
and its Plantings
Yoshiya Hasegawa
 
I. Ganoderma's Current Status in the World and its Plantings

 A Social Phenomenon: Ganoderma is demanded increasingly in the regions of Pan-Pacific.

 Ganoderma's Important Role in Health Maintenance

Originally, Ganoderma is a herbal medicine applied in China. Lately it has been accepted as one of the health-maintaining foods worldwide, especially in countries of the Pacific regions, like Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and USA. More and more individuals become realized with its effects of strengthening constitution and maintaining health.
 

Mr. Yukio Naoi, a foremost contributor in introducing and publicizing the Ganoderma-growing technology

Ganoderma has been treated as herbal medicine traditionally, firstly in China and then introduced to the countries of Southeast Asia, which is much credited to the records of Ganodenoa and the related applications specified in "Seng Nong' Herbal Classic", "Compendium of Materia Medica" and other ancient Chinese classics of materia medica.

Ganoderma is rare, hardly being sighted except in the mountainous areas. Many researchers have ever attempted to plant Ganoderma artificially but all was in fail.

In 1971, directed by Mr. Naoi of the Department of Agriculture, Kyoto University and Prof. Zenzaburo Kasai, Kyoto University, the dream became the truth, which indicates the possibility of growing Ganoderma in vastness.
 

Presently, Ganoderma is being planted artificially in over ten countries. China occupies the largest portion with an annual output of 4,300 tons

During the past ten years, along with the showing up of the related planting technology, a total yield of Ganoderma in the world increases rapidly. With an output of 4,300 tons, China grows the most, the others are Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the USA, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

 

Thirteen years ago, Japan was the country producing Ganoderma with the highest output (250 tons), but it has changed now

Japan has come into an elderly society today, the demands of health maintaining food shall be increasing rapidly. The effects and the life vitality of ganodena are being recognized far reachingly. Estimated, it will turn out four hundred to five hundred tons five year later, exceeding two folds.
 

The Ganoderma Association in Kumamoto

This organization was founded in 1986 by a proposal of Mr. Yoshiaki Kinoshita, a resident of Kumamoto Prefecture. At present, it has 14 branches, 351 members, of which everyone plants Ganoderma thirty to a hundred square meters. Around 1.2 tons were produced in 1986.

The association started with only 14 members and has developed into 351 members now. Most of its members are farmers. They grow for their own uses rather than commercial purposes. Over two thousand individuals regularly take this food.

By a survey to those who takes Ganoderma on a regular basis, it is found that among one hundred and ten individuals, thirty four become free from the cold caught; Twenty eight find they have no more difficulties with their bowel movement; Twenty seven's high blood pressure has been lowered down and controlled; Twenty two feel satisfied that they have become to have better appetite; Complexions of the Twenty-Two have returned to the normal; Nineteen have never got hangover again; Eighteen say they are not tired easily any more.

It is worthy of notice that among those who have taken Ganoderma for over a year, times of their visiting doctors dropped into a half, from 245 times to 125 times respectively.

And it shall be noted as well that all the achievements above are made without even one Yen's financial support offered by the government either country or city level. This attainment shall be known to the state government and the Department of Health, which, on the contrary, has caused the bankrupt of the Medical Insurance System.
 
 

II. Research of Ganoderma In Japan



Being valued as a "celestial herb" effective to illness, Ganoderma is mentioned in most of the Chinese classics, such as Seng Nong Herbal Classic, and the Compendium of Materia Medica.

Along with the advance of the technology in planting ganodena, related research has been forwarded meantime. Secrecies of Ganoderma are being uncovered, its applications are being tested and proved in combination with the findings of two thousand years ago.
 

 

Prof. Shigeru Ariji, Michinori Kubo and their research team in Kinki University, the pioneer of "Research on Ganoderma by Latest Evident"

The actual beginning of the research on Ganoderma in Japan started by Prof. Ariji and his research team of the Department of Pharmaceutic, Kinki University. The first academic report was published in "Medical Fundamentals & Clinical Practice" (Volume 13rd No.12) titled as "Research on Ganoderma by Latest Evident". Being regarded as the pioneer of its kind in Japan, the related research was kept continued until 1986.
 

The research activities of Prof. Takashi Mizuno, Prof. Hiroshi Hikino and Prof. Zen-ichi Ogita team of Toyama Medical and Dental University

Mr. Takashi Mizuno, the honorary Professor of the Department of Agriculture of Shizuoka University, is regarded as the leading person in researching on Ganoderma in Japan. The representative work, "Research on Active polysaccharide in Suppressing Cancer" is highly remarked for its systematic understanding to the factors of Ganoderma in suppressing the growth of cancer cells.

Mr. Hiroshi Hikino, the former professor of the Department of Agriculture of the University of Tohoku (Northeast), published a seven-paged academic thesis in "Chinese Medicine" (June 1986), which is rated as a most comprehensive report of his kind in the primary stage of similar researches.

Led by the honorary Prof. Zen-ichi Ogita, Prof. Tohru Kikuchi, Prof. Tsuneo Nanba and Prof. Masao Hattorl, another team in the Toyama Medical and Dental University is industrious in the researching activities.

As a start, Prof. Ogita obtained the Ganoderma subsidy from Toyama Prefecture in 19841 and then they received a financial support from the state Department of Education in 1986, with which the team finished their studies in 7 topics, they are NK Activities, Biological Defence, Resistance to Tumors, The Act of Catecolamin to Brain Nerves, Suppression to hepatitis B type and so on.

 

The positive activities made by the physicians, Mr. Tekkan Shigeno, Ms. Wan Rul Yun, and Mr. Kengo Kawashima

Mr. Tekkan Shigeno, Director of Shigeno Tekkan Clinic, published his "Surprising Effects of Ganoderma". This is based on his 20-yeared studies and clinical practice with the Ganoderma.

Ms. Wang Rui Yun, Director of Fujimidal Hosipital, Tokyo, of Taiwan nationality, actively promoting the applications of Ganoderma. She has recuperated from the cancer caught.

Mr. Kengo Kawashima, Chairman of the Organization of Hokushin-kai, is using the Ganoderma in his clinic applications.

 

Mr. Manki Ide Ph.D of Pharmacy, and Mr. Gensai Kawano, the superior of the Tentokuji Temple; initiated their own style of research on Ganoderma

"While drinking water, remembering the man who dug the well", which is an ancient proverb in China. When we talk of the research activities of Ganoderma in Japan, the names of Mr. M. Iide and Mr. G. Kawano shall not be neglected.

Since 1945, the end of the Second World War, Mr. M. Iide, devoted himself to the work of retrieving the agriculture in Nagano Prefecture. He lead the fundamentals of fungus' plantings, from which he successfully and firstly disintegrated the cell of Ganoderma spore.

Mr. G. Kawano, the superior of the Tentokuji Temple, located in Saeki City of Oita Prefecture, with a history of 500 years; Of which the another name is called as "Helpful Temple", which just suggests how much the neighbourhood has benefited from the medical treatments offered by the temple.

In addition to Mr. Ide and Mr. Kawano, about 10 others are involving in planting and applying Ganoderma in clinical treatments.
 

III. Brand-new Concept for Health and Possibility of Ganoderma

 

The 21st century is the age of "diet" and "0i", which signifies "Ganoderma"

During the twentieth century, Western medicine is valued as the fastest development. but West medicine splits the relations between the human being and the nature. They concentrate their attentions to individual organs only disregarding of the particular condition of the entire being, which differs form the way of the traditional medicine.

It shall be confessed that the fastest advance of West medicine is very effective especially in treating the complaints caused by bacteria. However, West medicine has no way in treating those troubles resulted from the environmental pollutions. Meanwhile, chemical drugs has been detected as the origin of those drug-induced illness.

Presently, the life Healing is pursued, in other words, which is to regulate the rhythm of the undersized universe, our bodies, in which "Qi, Blood and liquid" are flowing, in which the sources of both life energies and spontaneous recoveries are in existence.

 

Two Main Subjects: "Effects of components" and "Qi"

Ganoderma has become the focus of the current clinical applications. Being called as "Celestial Herb" and "Fungous of the Universe", it is attributive to its effects in regaining and reinforcing the vitality of human beings.

Therefore, more intensive studies on Ganoderma come to be indispensable. Two points of view are divided. The first is "the West-Oriented Scientific Aspirations", which discovers the cause and effect by working on the pathological effects of Ganoderma. Another is the "Cosmic Science" , which is to find the links between the "Cosmic Wave" and humanity by studying the activity of the "Qi".

 

Legalisation

In present Japan, the academic achievements over the "functional & Nutritive Health Food" is fruitful, but the full-ranged application has not been legalised yet, to which the barrier is Law of Pharmacy, which bans any commercial activities in relating to the food effective to the body. It means the existence of the functional & nutritive health food is not approved by law.

But, it has been legalised already in the States of US. President Clinton has ruled out a new category "The Food Substituted For Medicine" for the purpose of reducing the budget of Medical Insurance and activating the economy, which can be read in the "Law of Nutrition & Education" (1990). Besides, in 1994, the "Law of Nutrition, Health, Education" was taken effect, the health-maintaining food is listed into a new category in between general food and normal medicines. All these can be the pattern followed by Japan.

Moreover, in addition to the liberty of academic research, publishing, commercial promoting freedom shall be granted. It is the least condition, with which the work of publishing this health-maintaining food at liberty can be realised, and with which the effects of the food can be familarized by more and more individuals.
 

 
Yoshiya Hasegawa

Chief editor of "Newspaper of Traditional Japanese Medicine"

Born on 1931 in Chiba Pref., Japan

 

Graduated from Meiji University (college of politics & economy) in 1954. Got into Tokyo Medical and Dental University (dental technology schoolroom), and became an assistant of experiment in 1954. Entered Tsuru-Shobo Publishing Co., Ltd. in 1962, and the chief editor in 1965. Then took office the director of SubaruShobo Publishing Co., Ltd. in 1972, and Toyolgaku-Sha Co., Ltd. in 1979. Published the "Newspaper of Traditional Japanese Medicine", "An Encyclopedia of Natural Foods", 'Revolution of Ling-Zhi', 'Healthy Ling-Zhi series' and so on.

At Present ; a vice-director of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology in Japan, a councillor of Japanese Society of Chitin and Chitosan ' a director of Ganoderma Research Institute branch office in Japan, a member of China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a member of The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy, a chief editor of the Newspaper of Traditional Japanese Medicine, and An Encyclopedia of Natural Foods.

        Reishi