Relationality and consensus in Japan: implications for bioethics policy

This paper examines the Japanese notion of relationality, that is, the idea that the individual is defined primarily within a web of relationships. Furthermore, it proposes that this relationality provides an ontological basis for morality, particularly the critical need for achieving consensus. This need for consensus is evident in the dispute over brain death. It was also conspicuous in the long-standing debate regarding heart transplantation. By reviewing key features of relationality, the study also demonstrates that the Japanese approach toward consensus reflects certain cultural values such as the importance of nemawashi. This inquiry thereby evokes the brain death and heart transplantation controversy in order to illustrate the critical need for consensus in the decision-making process.