Kampō Body Typology — Sho Pattern Field
Kampō Body Typology — Sho Pattern Field is a Chinese / TCM — Japanese Kampo shō pattern diagnosis body system as transmitted through the lineage Japanese Kampō adapts classical Chinese medical pattern diagnosis (shō) into a clinical method centred on symptom configuration and abdominal palpation (fukushin). Tōdō Yoshimasu’s formula-focused typology is a major historical Japanese locus, while modern Kampō practice formalises pattern language and examination.. This page lists every point in the system with sourced placements and links to cross-tradition correspondences curated for The Body Spiritual.
Open in interactive explorerPrimary sources
- Yoshimasu Tōdō, Ruikei-hō (Japanese edition, 18th c. text; modern facsimile tradition) — The Ruikei-hō records Tōdō’s symptom-and-formula classification; consult the sections on sho (pattern) selection and formula families.
- Terasawa Katsutoshi, Kampo: A Clinical Guide to Theory and Practice (Kampo textbook, 1993 English edition) — Modern clinical synthesis explaining shō diagnosis, abdominal palpation (fukushin), and formula typology.
- Tsumura Kampo (Kampo formula reference, 2024 professional edition) — Manufacturer monographs document formula indications and Japanese Kampo naming; used here for terminology, not as proof of efficacy.
Known lineage variants
- Kampō schools differ in how they name and prioritise the six paired descriptors; this map presents a compact educational typology rather than a complete diagnostic algorithm. Abdominal fields are editorial projections of fukushin practice and are not anatomical claims.
Related systems
No other systems share this tradition label.
Points
- Kyō 虚 — deficiency pattern — underpowered abdominal presentation
- Jitsu 実 — excess pattern — resistant abdominal presentation
- Kan 寒 — cold pattern — cold-sign emphasis
- Netsu 熱 — heat pattern — heat-sign emphasis
- Hyō 表 — exterior pattern — surface/exterior presentation
- Ri 裏 — interior pattern — interior presentation
Frequently asked
What is Kyō 虚 — deficiency pattern?
Kyō denotes a deficiency presentation in Kampo pattern language: reduced resistance, softness, or lack of force on examination. Its position is an editorial overlay over the abdomen, not a claim that deficiency occupies a discrete anatomical organ.
What is Jitsu 実 — excess pattern?
Jitsu denotes an excess or replete presentation, classically assessed through firmness and resistance in abdominal palpation. The point marks the examiner’s pattern focus rather than a fixed lesion or anatomical structure.
What is Kan 寒 — cold pattern?
Kan groups cold signs such as aversion to cold and cool abdominal findings in Kampo reasoning. The lower-abdominal placement is a visual shorthand for warmth and fluid-regulation inquiry, not a literal cold source.
What is Netsu 熱 — heat pattern?
Netsu groups heat signs in pattern diagnosis, including subjective heat and inflammatory-appearing presentations. The upper-abdominal placement is an editorial focus for questioning and palpation, not an anatomical claim.
What is Hyō 表 — exterior pattern?
Hyō identifies an exterior presentation in Kampo pattern grammar, often contrasted with an interior (ri) presentation. It is shown near the thoracic surface to distinguish diagnostic depth, not to assert a chest-only disease location.
What is Ri 裏 — interior pattern?
Ri identifies an interior presentation, the complementary depth category to hyō in Kampo diagnosis. The abdominal point is a schematic depth marker for fukushin and internal pattern assessment, not a universal locus.