Born in Japan in , the young Tokujiro moved with his family from a mild climate on the island of Shikoku to the harsher environment of northern Hokkaido. With no doctor in the village of Rusutsu, her new mountain home, she turned to her children who took it in turns to stroke and press the painful parts of her body.
But it was her third child, the seven-year-old Tokujiro, who eased her discomfort most effectively and, though ignorant of anatomy, began to recognise differences in her skin condition, heat and stiffness, as he applied pressure to different muscles using his hands and fingers. Today we think that he had unknowingly been pressing on both sides of the central spinal column in a way that would have stimulated adrenal function and therefore the secretion of cortisone to alleviate her rheumatism.
Since the only national certification available in Japan during the s was for amma massage, originating from China, Namikoshi studied to obtain the certificate before setting up his own clinic in Hokkaido in Word-of-mouth recommendations meant there were no lack of clients seeking treatment to alleviate conditions such as stiff backs, shoulders and necks.
Due to he established another practice in Sapporo city. Eventually it became clear to the Namikoshi family that shiatsu had the potential to take root across Japan and so Tokujiro moved to Tokyo, founding the Japan Shiatsu Institute in Official certification Continuing to offer specialist education to students, the institute was renamed the Japan Shiatsu School in and officially licensed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
So, what are the hallmarks of correct technique, according to the family? Elbows, knees and fists do not have the sensory nerves required to detect abnormalities in the skin, muscles or body heat and therefore cannot pinpoint where there are imbalances, misalignments or irregularities.
