Given the multitude of speeches that we hear today in the world of Shiatsu, moreover in all languages nowadays, it is not useless to recall what is not evident to everyone. Here is one: Shiatsu is a therapeutic art. Explanations.
When studying a technique or an art, one usually studies its history. Yet we must admit it is desperately lacking in Shiatsu. Most of the time we hear bits of history in schools, often oriented to inspire students in a way to do or see Shiatsu. So far as a story supported by facts which would be the fruit of a work of historians, we have nothing or almost nothing. Incidentally it is quite surprising that the Japanese did not do this work. However, we still have books. The first books to be written in Japan on Shiatsu all carry, as it should, a title. And these titles are quite self-revealing.
A short tour of the first Japanese publications
Let’s take the very first book of the one who invented the name “Shiatsu”, Tenpeki Tamai. The cover title is “Shiatsu ho” (1919) which can be translated as “Shiatsu method” which remains cautiously neutral. But when opening the book, on the third page we come across another title “Shiatsu ryoho”, which in English and according to Akinobu Kishi gives “Shiatsu therapy” or “therapeutic Shiatsu”[i].
Which is to say that the inventor of Shiatsu from the outset proposed his approach as a therapy in itself.
As we begin to know, Shiatsu was born of several branches and personalities at the same time. So, let’s see the titles of other authors:
- “Seitai and shiatsu therapy”, by K. Hirata
- “Shiatsu therapy and Physiology” by K. Kuriyama and T. Namikoshi (1934, revised 1954), Tokyo: Keibundo-shoten
- “Shiatsu therapy Collection”, by T. Ogawa (1957), Tokyo: Ido no Nihonsha
- “Anpuku zukai and Shiatsu therapy”, by T. Izawa (1964)
- “Clinical practice of Shiatsu”, by H. Yamaguchi, F. Kato under the direction of S. Masunaga (1965) Tokyo: Daiichi-shuppan
- “Principles of Shiatsu therapy”, by F. Kato and S. Masunaga (1968), Tokyo: Daiichi-shuppan
Of course, there were other books that helped to make Shiatsu known – Namikoshi and Masunaga were prolific – and we are far from having all the translations into French or English. However, this list has the merit of making things clear.
In all cases Shiatsu is presented and asserted as a therapy. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1964 Shiatsu was fully recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Health as a medical discipline in its own right. But what about the West?
What does therapeutic means?
Let’s go back to the subject of this article which seeks to know if Shiatsu is a therapeutic art. Since several streams of Shiatsu were born in Japan in the 50s and 60s, can we say that Namikoshi, Iokai or Koho Shiatsu are all therapeutic? Each branch of Shiatsu has its own story. One will tell us “indeed ours is”, implying that others are not. But if we refer to clinical practice, all these original branches are widely able of therapeutic Shiatsu to relieve pain and other ailments as well demonstrated by current studies.
Let’s first see the meaning of the word. It comes from the ancient Greek θεραπευτικός (therapeutikós) which foremost means “attentive, helpful” and by extension “to take care of “ and finally “related to the care one takes“. This word itself is a derivative of “therapeuian” “take care of or serve (God in this case)” and then later “take care of a sick person“. Even before that the meaning was from military and servile origins and meant “to be the servant of a warrior,” the squire who calls himself “therapôn”. The therapist is above all a servant who adores, who is at a deity’s service or an ideal greater than himself. Moreover, the Greek term “therapeutȇs” was used to describe the Jewish ascetics who lived near Alexandria.
In conclusion
Shiatsu was from the beginning thought and recognized in Japan as a therapeutic art but now this therapy reaches several levels. Well-being Shiatsu being a possibility to work in the preventive field. Shiatsu backed by oriental medicine as an opportunity to perform more precise treatments. The speech that seeks to separate Well-being Shiatsu from Therapeutic Shiatsu is therefore unfounded, it makes no sense. The two levels are complementary and mutually supportive, like the Yin / Yang principle that we love so much. It is clear that if you can move mountains you can move molehills, but not the other ways around. So, let’s go back to school, let’s reopen the books and all together let’s promote a Shiatsu that can take action on all levels.
