A.N.Z. J. Fum. Ther.• 1990, Vol. JJ. No.1. pp, /().I·107 Explorations This new section is devoted to explorations - to work-in-progress, ideas, free associations, perplexities, insights/cutsights, musings, searches and experiments - withan empnasis Oil practicalities. A bo.. 'e all, it is aimedat thefamily therapist on the job. We hope to develop a section that is lively, interesting and in/or. motive. where practitioners can talk with one anotherabout work they've been doing or thinking ofdoing, in an immediate way using a variety ofshort formats. Explorations will beled by Da.. 'id Epston (New Zealand), Sue Jackson (Victoria) and Andrew Rtlph (Western Australia).!fyou'd like to contribute to Explorations, please contact David, Sue or Andrew, or write direct to tire Journal. - Editor. The Kan-No-Mushi: An Inner Externalization that Enables Compromise? Kut Tomm*, Koji Suzukit and Kazuko Suzuki: Family therapy in Japan has been growing very rapidly in recera years, In the course of this development, the Japanese have drawn heavily upon Western knowkdge and expertise, as they have in so many other ficlds. For instance, Dr Suzuki (the second author) has translated several important books and papers on family therapy into Japanese, He has also been instrumental in establishing JFrA, the Japan Family Therapy and has arranged for several North American (amuy therapists to visit and peovide worksbcos and eeaferenee presentatioos. The cx.ch3nge between the and the tr.ay appear to be one way at the present time. HOWC\'(f. justas tbe Japenese have to essume in some technological areas and are no..... "giving back" some original developments to the Wcst. Japanese (amHy t.herapi$1,s may be expected eventually to make some important contri- butioas to Western family therapy. FollO'oving a recent wod:sbop in Tokyo, I (the first author) bad an experience Lba1 convinced me that such contributions may not be far Ooe focus for my workshop was on how to generate and r:WnWn 3 conversation for healing. Among the methods I was White's technique of externalizing the piObIem (White 1986; Tomm (989). I described how problems could be: linguistically separated from persons and how these e:<.tenu.l.iz:d problems eould be seen as opprcsshoc and 1 abo described how. in thcrap:u.tk conversarions, penoos could be invited to take a position against thcir 104 problems and to struggle to liberate themselves from the problems' influence. At the conclusion of the workshop, a couple of participants (Sctsuko hWohirm and Mltsumoto) came to me to point out that the basic Japanese orientation was one of compromise and co-existence with problems, not one of confrontation and struiile them. 'n)t)' seemed to be s3)ing that the notion of externalizing the problem may not be readily applicable in Japanese culture. To explore this, I asked for an example of Japanese compromise in relation to mental probr.cms. They then told me aboer the Kan-No-Mushl; a notion that is deeply embedded in traditional Japanese folldore. 'The Kan-No-Mush! is a mythical 'bug' or- 'worm' that is presumed to live inside each dcvelopjng child. It may, for instance, 'cause' the child to have a temper tantrum when 'he inner 'worm' is agitated. J recognized this description as a possible 'inner extemalizarion' and decided to findout more about the Kan-No-Mushi. In subsequent conversations with my workshop hosts (tJ-.e second and third authors) and with other Japanese professionals, the following story unfolded. 'Prolesosor of Ps}'Chi;ttry'. Dim:tor. Fountlr Thcr.1py Progun. Universit)· of' AItlcru. 011\300. 1f)ireI:xor. I:X-risioa of Sodo-Er.virccmcn.t Resan:h. Nl1li.om.l IlUtitute of' lIoknw Health, Tokyo. JJpatI. tAsJoci;Jte Rcsarcha. N.Kiomllnstitute of MCtllaI I1mllh. Tol}'O,