Hayazo Ito

Hayazo Ito was the first surgeon in Japan who took interest in epilepsy surgery.

During three years' stay in Bern, he learned cranial decompression for epilepsy from Emil Theodor Kocher, and performed experimental studies on the treatment of epilepsy based on Dr. Kocher's idea that epilepsy occurs due to abnormal excitation of motor cortex following abrupt increased intracranial pressure.

After returning home as Professor of Surgery at Kyoto University, he reported his own experience on 39 cases at the first meeting of the Japan Medical Association in 1902.

Chugei Yamagata of Sendai, impressed by Ito, also reported six cases of cranial decompression in the same year ¹⁾.