
The Shiatsu has its roots in ancient Chinese techniques like Anmo and
Tuina. In the 6th century Buddhists monksbrought the techniques in
Japan. Also Chinese medical students that were sent to study in Japan
and developed relationships of two countries also helped in
dissemination of Anmo. Thus, in the early 2nd century, it was Shiatsu
was developed by Namikoshi Tokujiro.
Namikoshi Tokujiro was born
in 1905. At the age of seven he moved with his family from hot Shikoku,
in thecold northern island of Hokkaido. Shortly after this change, his
mother began to have pains in the knees and slowly the pain became too
intense and affected almost all her joints. The kid not able to watch
his mother suffered, began pushing and massaging the painful areas to
relieve her. After some time the boy trusted more and more his feeling
about the quality of the pressure and the reactions that each
pressurecaused. He began to focus on the most cold and tight spots. The
result was the improvement of his mother health. Finally the child
without any scientific knowledge, armed with love and intention, managed
to cure a condition now known as
Rheumatoid Arthritis (treated with tons of chemicals, mostly ineffective). This was the beginning
of Shiatsu.
Some
years after, Nomikoshi studded anatomy, medicine and started the first
clinic in 1925. In 1940 he created the first school known until today as
Japan Shiatsu Association. In 1953 Shiatsu crossed the border. The first presentation of the technique was at
Palmers College of Chiropractic.
But the reputation of both the teacher and the technique spread all
over America when Shiatsu met Hollywood. In 1956 Marilyn Monroe cured by
Nomikoshi, after a serious illness, withShiatsu techniques. In 1981 was
formed community of Shiatsu in the UK. Finally in 2000, the title of
Shiatsupractor
defined for Shiatsu therapists. As an educational model was the
instruction of 2,200 hours (from Canadian Shiatsu Society). After that
its spread across the world was inevitable.