![Tokujiro Namikoshi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Tokujiro_Namikoshi.jpg)
is the founder of
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 ...
therapy.
[ p. 193.]
Biography
At the age of seven, he discovered His
manual therapy
Manual therapy, or manipulative therapy, is a physical treatment primarily used by physical therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists to treat musculoskeletal pain and disability; it mostly includes kneading and manipulation of mus ...
pressure method while treating his mother's
rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involv ...
. He named this method "Shiatsu".
In 1940, he established the Japan Shiatsu College in Tokyo. Many of his graduates now practice in Japan and overseas. Some of these graduates have popularized their own styles, called Derivative Shiatsu, such as
Tadashi Izawa of
Meridian Shiatsu and
Shizuto Masunaga of
Zen Shiatsu. Also
Hiroshi Nozaki who began the Hiron Shiatsu branch which is a holistic school of Shiatsu popular in Switzerland, France and Italy. Namikoshi also established the Japan Shiatsu Association in 1947. He died at age 95 in 2000.
References
External links
Important Dates in the History of Namikoshi Shiatsu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Namikoshi, Tokujiro
1905 births
2000 deaths
Shiatsu
People from Kagawa Prefecture