Japanese Anatomical Terminology (Nomina Anatomica Japonica)

from the Educational View Point (1) ―Sune and Nezumi―

Abstract

A few considerations on two Japanese anatomical terms, sune (the anterior part of the leg or the shin in medical terminology) and nezumi (the rat) from the anatomical point of view are made. Japanese words generally have two readings. For example, sune which means the anterior part of the leg, may be read as sune and kei. But kei has two other meanings, the neck and the road. Sune is used more for the anterior part of the leg than kei, especially in classes for beginners of the anatomical course. Nezumi means rat, but is also read as so. Because kei means road, and kan means canal, sokeikan means the rat's tubular passageway, namely, the descent of testis (Descensus testis). In Japanese anatomical terminology the passage of the testis through the inguinal canal is considered similar to a rat going through a passageway. The word sokeikan is better than the English anatomical term inguinal canal which means only the canal in the root of the groin In Japanese, two words, fukurahagi and komura are used for the posterior part of the leg.