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''Anma'' ( ja, ) is a practice of traditional Japanese
massage
Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In Eu ...
; the word also refers to practitioners of that art. Modern
shiatsu
''Shiatsu'' ( ; ) is a form of Japanese bodywork based on concepts in traditional Chinese medicine such as qi meridians. Having been popularized in the twentieth century by Tokujiro Namikoshi (1905–2000), ''shiatsu'' derives from the older ...
is largely derived from ''anma''.
History
''Anma'' is thought to be of Chinese origin, developing from ''
Tui Na
''Tui na'' (; ) is form of alternative medicine similar to shiatsu. As a branch of traditional Chinese medicine, it is often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese herbalism, tai chi or other Chinese intern ...
''. ''Tui Na'' techniques arrived in Japan during the
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...
(710–793 CE), along with other techniques of
traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...
, and were practiced in government-sponsored hospitals. ''Anma'' as a unique system was founded in 1320 by Akashi Kan Ichi.
''Anma'' was popularised in the seventeenth century by acupuncturist Sugiyama Waichi
Sugiyama Waichi (1614–1694) was a Japanese acupuncturist, widely regarded as the "Father of Japanese Acupuncture".
An eye-disease in infancy blinded Sugiyama from a very early age. At the age of ten he moved from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo) to stud ...
, and around the same time the first books on the subject, including Fujibayashi Ryohaku's ''Anma Tebiki'' ("Manual of Anma"), appeared.[ The Fujibayashi school is the foundation of modern anma.] ''Anma'' (masseurs) were often nomadic, earning their keep in mobile massage capacities, and paying commissions to their referrers. In the nineteenth century, the image of ''anma'' suffered somewhat from an association with the ''ukiyo
is the Japanese term used to describe the urban lifestyle and culture, especially the pleasure-seeking aspects, of Edo period Japan (1600–1867). culture developed in Yoshiwara, the licensed red-light district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), ...
'' lifestyle of urban Japan, and it was subsequently less well-regarded as a therapy.
During the Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
, the appearance of Western medicine reduced ''anma'' prominence still further. Many of its techniques were subsumed into shiatsu and Western massage practices, although research into ''anma'' for medical purposes continues at Tokyo Kyoiku University. ''Anma'' is still practiced independently of shiatsu in Japan, with practitioners being certified by the health board of their local prefecture.
Blind practitioners
Since Sugiyama's time, ''anma'' has been strongly associated with the blind. Sugiyama, blind himself, established a number of medical schools for the blind which taught this practice. During the Tokugawa period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterize ...
, edicts were passed which made the practice of ''anma'' solely the preserve of the blind – sighted people were prohibited from practicing the art. As a result, the "blind ''anma''" has become a popular trope in Japanese culture. This has continued into the modern era, with a large proportion of the Japanese blind community continuing to work in the profession.
During the occupation of Japan
Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the
Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...
by the Allies after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the practice of ''anma'' was banned (along with other aspects of traditional Japanese culture) by General MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
. The ban prevented a large proportion of Japan's blind community from earning a living. Writer and advocate for blind rights Helen Keller, on being made aware of the prohibition, interceded with the United States government; at her urging, the ban was rescinded.
In recent years the fictional character of Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' serie ...
, the blind swordsman, has brought the concept of the "blind ''anma''" into the public eye in the West. Blind ''anma'' are also commonly used to comedic effect in Japanese cinema
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...
.
Techniques
''Anma'' practices uses common massage techniques such as kneading, rubbing, tapping and shaking. These activities are directed at specific vital points and meridians on the body. The seven traditional techniques are: pressing/stroking, grasping/kneading, strengthening, compressing, vibrating, tapping and "hand music". In addition, methods of abdominal palpitation ( ''ampuku''), developed by Shinsai Ota in the seventeenth century, are used. It is considered quite a vigorous form of massage, with gripping movements intended to increase blood flow to the muscles and deep tissues, and forceful acupressure
Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique often used in conjunction with acupuncture or reflexology. It is based on the concept of life energy, which flows through "meridians" in the body. In treatment, physical pressure is applied to ac ...
techniques applied with the knuckles. The treatment is usually performed through the clothing, rather than directly on the skin.
References
External links
American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia
{{Authority control
Japanese historical terms
Massage therapy
Traditional medicine
Blindness