2023 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 10-17
Purpose: Atractylodes lancea is an original plant source for the crude drug Sojutsu, and was introduced in Japan during the Edo period. It was commonly named Sado-okera as it was actively cultivated in Sado. Currently, few local residents in Sado know about Sado-okera, and only the stocks planted in gardens by their ancestors remain today. In this study, the aim was to conduct detailed investigations to better understand the reasons that led to the current state of A. lancea in Japan. Method: The author re-examined the books, documents, and reports previously published on A. lancea, and also reviewed the regional history of Sado and related historical documents. Furthermore, from 2019 to 2022, he conducted interview-based surveys with individuals who were thought to be knowledgeable about A. lancea, mainly in Sado, including local pharmacies handling crude drug products. Results: The reasons for A. lancea not being currently cultivated on a large scale in Sado include the following: it was obligatory to supply the drug to the government during World War II; and following the end of the war, the failure subsequently increase its production due to the misidentification of a component peculiar to A. lancea as mold, resulted in the disposal of the product inventory, and efforts to produce from stock seeds in the fields failed. Conclusion: A. lancea was actively cultivated in Sado and existed even during the Showa period. However, subsequent efforts to produce it were unsuccessful. Currently, only a few Sado residents know of its existence. For this reason, A. lancea was found to be in danger of extinction.
