Shizuto masunaga biography of rory

Return to ITM Online

Zen Shiatsu

The Legacy of Shizuto Masunaga

by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

Shiatsu refers generally to a Japanese pressure therapy used to relieve a variety of problems including back pain, neck and shoulder problems, stress, insomnia, digestive problems, and fatigue.

It is based on traditional Chinese medicine techniques, particularly massage therapy that has been recommended since ancient tmes, with certain Japanese innovations. Shiatsu acquired its name with the publication of Tenpaku Tamai's book Shiatsu Ho (Shiatsu Method) in As a technique separate from other manual therapies, such as Anma (which had been developed in Japan during the 17^th century), shiatsu was officially recognized by the Japanese government with a series of laws passed during the period Its recognition and spread resulted mainly from the efforts of Tokujiro Namikoshi, the founder of modern shiatsu (