Brain Differences and Shifts of Ideas: Neurodiversity Discourse in Japan

Abstract

This paper examines the neurodiversity discourse in Japan by reviewing books and articles published before 2022. The Japanese discourse primarily imported the idea of neurodiversity from the English-language literature which was written by autistic individuals, sociological scholars, journalists, and educators. Three main characteristics emerge from this analysis. First, the Japanese discourse is often based on the assumption that there are neurological differences between autistic and neurotypical individuals. Second, the idea that was originally claimed by autistic individuals has shifted to scholars, corporations, and governmental organizations. Third, there has been decreasing criticism of seeing autism as a disorder. The Japanese discourse must address the ambiguity surrounding the nature of autism, respond to the debates about low-functioning autism, and the foundations of those ideas.