Japanese massage consists of a variety of different kinds of Oriental massage including shiatsu and ashiatsu. These two types of therapy are the most commonly known from Japan, but a variety of styles of massage have come from this country.
Shiatsu uses the same principles used in Chinese medicine to treat pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine works on the principle that there are meridians or pathways of energy that run through your body. This energy is known as qi in Chinese and ki in Japanese. When this energy gets blocked it causes dysfunction in the body and will present as sickness or pain.
In acupuncture, the practitioner uses needles to unblock these points. In shiatsu, the therapist uses finger and elbow pressure to unblock these points. Traditional ashiatsu also uses the same principles, but the therapist uses foot pressure to unblock the meridians.
A new form of ashiatsu has been invented recently called Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. It was invented in the United States and doesn't use the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This form of shiatsu has more in common with Swedish massage than Japanese massage therapies.
History
The oldest reference to massage in Japan is in the Taiho Code from the 8th century. The oldest form of Japanese massage, anma, was referred to in this document. Anma and shiatsu are quite similar, but involves stroking and pressing and is done more quickly and vigorously than shiatsu.
In the 1300 and 1400's anma was taught to the blind in Japan. They believed that due to their blindness their other heightened senses made them better practitioners. Eventually, there was an elite class of blind medicinal practitioners in Japan.
Later, Western medical influences came from France and were combined with anma.
In the 1920's, Tokujiro Namikoshi invented shiatsu and started teaching the therapy to others. This therapy has become very popular and has spread to other countries over the years.
New Forms of Massage
There are other forms of massage therapy from Japan too. These forms of massage combine Eastern and Western medical philosophies to make unique types of massage therapy that are very effective. Here is a list of some of those therapies.
Hoshino Therapy
Zen Shiatsu
Seitai Massage
Watsu
Ko Bi Do
These forms of massage can be used to treat a variety of conditions.
