The History of Shiatsu Massage

Shiatsu therapy today is known as a combination of various finger pressures on different key point areas in the human body. It is known as a Japanese massage technique that works in the balancing of the chi in the body to prevent and remove sickness. This is accomplished by keeping a free flowing energy in our body as blocked meridian points are believed to be the cause of most diseases among individuals. That is why balancing the chi or energy is vital in having a healthy condition that can have a stand against any sickness attack such as colds, depression, and many more.

Shiatsu can be traced back in Ancient Japan as a form of alternative healing during that time. One member in every family is knowledgeable in shiatsu massage technique so that someone in the family can heal all of the family members and keep them healthy. The massage therapists are called Teate which are usually women or blind people in the Japanese society.

In 1912, a story was told of a boy who at the age of seven used a healing technique in relieving his mother's pain and stress from rheumatoid arthritis by applying different pressure on his thumbs and palms. This boy was Tokujiro Namikoshi who later on founded in 1940 the Japan Shiatsu College where many shiatsu practitioners began to take their formal lessons in shiatsu massage therapy. Zen shiatsu was later on developed by a former student who became a teacher at Tokujiro Namihoshi's school named Shizuto Masunaga. These people had the privilege and honor of treating some of the wealthiest and high profile personalities of Japan during their time.

The Shiatsu Method was the first book published about Shiatsu which was authored by Tenpeki Tamai in 1919. He was believed by many to be the first to use and mentioned the term shiatsu. Tokujiro Namikoshi and many other Japanese individuals developed and improved shiatsu into other different methods, and for these they became popular, although it was the book published in1970 and authored by the famous Shizuto Masunaga which became instrumental in making Shiatsu popular all over the world. It was also due to the visit and treatment of then famous Marilyn Monroe who was examined and treated by Tokujiro Namikoshi who also made shiatsu a popular natural treatment outside Japan. Since then, the spread of different shiatsu massage therapies swept Europe and North America.

In the earlier times of shiatsu massage therapy, the practice is known to be based on Ancient Chinese medicines using acupuncture. However after World War II, this ancient healing practice was ordered to be banned due to several reports of therapists using thin needles on meridian points all over the body of the patient. The banning of shiatsu and its old Chinese practices was halted by Helen Keller. Today, shiatsu methods are a mixture of western practices and Chinese medicines. Although some methods have stick with western practices, similar practices are still retained in their methods. Shiatsu massage therapy may have branched into many methods; however their purpose of relaxing and healing the body is still the same.