Tokujiro Namikoshi, the pioneer of shiatsu—a traditional Japanese manual therapy—was frequently featured on television and various media, establishing himself as a celebrity with a captivating persona in Japan.
This section presents several anecdotes from his book, ”Shiatsu Ichidai Ki”.
The book describes how Tokujiro Sensei devoted his life to spreading Shiatsu. Also the book describes his personal life, the relationship he had with his family, his marriages, and includes many stories from his clinical practice.
Interesting Facts from ”Shiatsu Ichidai Ki”:
Fact 1: Tokujiro Sensei’s mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, which was cured by his Shiatsu treatment. His mother later became a Shiatsu therapist herself. In fact, she was part of the first graduating class of students at Tokujiro’s Shiatsu School. She became a student at the age of 70 and would go on to practice Shiatsu in Hokkaido to help her neighbours.
Fact 2: After Tokujiro’s first wife passed away, Tokujiro remarried at the age of 63, the result of reuniting with the first love of his life through a variety show. He must have had a very charming personality!
Tokujiro Namikoshi famously stated,
“The heart of Shiatsu is like a mother’s heart,
Pressure of the fingers causes the spring of life to flow.”
This quote conveys the principle that, when practicing Shiatsu, one should approach the patient with genuine warmth and affection, as if they were their own child. By pressing with heartfelt intention, a fountain of life (health) will emerge.
In addition, Tokujiro Namikoshi gained significant recognition through television commercials and magazine advertisements featuring his insights.
– Understanding 母心 (Hahagokoro)
母心 (hahagokoro) translates to “a mother’s heart.”
母 means “mother,” and 心 means “heart” in Japanese.
In English, 母心 signifies “a mother’s love or compassion.”
Is there a term for 母心, representing “mother’s compassion,” in your language?
– Lifelong Learning as a Shiatsu Therapist
Being a Shiatsu therapist involves continuous education.
We stay updated on anatomy and physiology.
We refine our skills through daily practice.
However, the most crucial aspect is to embody the same compassion as 母心 in our Shiatsu practice.
Finally, We released a short animation video about Tokujiro Namikoshi Sensei’s life journey and the development of Shiatsu.
The video is based on a Japanese book called ”Shiatsu Ichidai Ki” that is over 240 pages long. We made the video as concise as possible in just 13 minutes.
Tokujiro Sensei opened the path to Shiatsu therapy and he wished that it would continue to be refined and spread throughout the world.
Thanks Satoshi from Ram Pappy’s Works for his work. Satoshi is an illustrator and Shiatsu therapist in Japan, who graduated from Japan Shiatsu College.
The video uses over 700 illustrations that were hand-drawn by the artist, Satoshi Akaike. Did you notice that all the hands in the video have individual characteristics? The message is that men and women of all ages who work hard and have a sense of purpose can become a great Shiatsu therapist.
This is the Japanese version of The Beginnings of Shiatsu.
We are proud to release this video about Tokujiro Sensei’s life journey and the development of Shiatsu.
