About half of all online content is in English, with only around 3–5% in Japanese. If I only focused on Japanese sources, I’d miss out on over 90% of the information available online.
Research often shares its findings in a similar way. In Japan, many medical researchers publish their original papers in English, and nearly all international journals are in English. The latest studies, patient stories, and case reports are mostly available in English.
This gap is especially important in medicine. Treatments common in other countries can take years to reach Japan—or may never arrive at all.
For adrenal insufficiency, most helpful information—like how to adjust doses, taper medication safely, or manage recovery—comes from English sources. In Japanese, only a small part of this knowledge is available, which can make patients miss out on key ideas.
When I looked only at Japanese sources, I didn’t realize that “tapering” or “recovery” could be possible—and I believe many others felt the same. While many Western countries see adjusting medication doses as standard, among patients in Japan, it was often regarded as a taboo topic—especially lowering medication doses.
Because of this, approaches like personalizing replacement therapy, understanding the main causes of discomfort, and finding the right stable dose were rarely seen in Japan. It often made Japanese patients feel isolated—as if they were in a unique, “Galapagos-like” situation.
In conditions like adrenal insufficiency, where self-care is so important, language is more than just a skill—it’s a way to share understanding, wisdom, and support along the journey.