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Contemporary Western bioethics, informed by liberalism and utilitarianism, has developed alongside a proactive, interventionist model of medicine marked by the assumption that every illness has a cure and that pain is unnecessary. In contrast, medical practice in much of Asia reflects different philosophical roots. One of these, Daoism, embraces a very different attitude towards medical intervention. Within Daoist philosophy, the unique understanding of naturalness or spontaneity (ziran, 自然) helps illuminate some anti-interventionist trends within medical practice in parts of Asia historically influenced by this tradition. We illustrate this through the relatively low uptake of epidural use among expectant mothers in Japan.