TEXT: Abbie
Philpott IMAGES: Nagasaki Wellness
Have you ever wanted to try Reiki healing, Shiatsu massage, or Kampo? Now you can with the help of Nagasaki Wellness, founded in 2019 by Dr Yoko as a Wellness tourism group that hopes to encourage more tourists to take advantage of the many health and beauty services offered in Nagasaki city. I got to chat with Dr Yoko, the director, who is also a qualified nurse and medical researcher. She very enthusiastically explained that while working in palliative care, in both Japan and Australia, she discovered that looking after a patient’s psychological, social, and spiritual needs was just as vital to a patient’s overall health, as looking after their physical needs. She wants more people to be able to access other types of care, in addition to usual medical care to fulfil all their wellness needs. Dr Yoko’s specialty is Reiki healing (靈氣), a type of energy healing that originated in Japan from Buddhist teachings, thousands of years ago. She first explained what to expect, then asked me a couple of questions so that she knew what areas to focus on. After letting me choose aroma oils and making sure I was comfortable, Dr Yoko got to work. She used her hands to help energy flow around my body, corrected any imbalances, and removed blockage. The Reiki healing treatment was very relaxing and was followed by an hour-long massage. There are three options; a whole-body Swedish or dry massage, both include a Reflexology massage with aroma oils, and a soft lymphatic drainage massage. Next, I got to experience a Shiatsu massage by Naoko Katayama, a chiropractor specializing in sports chiropractic and Shiatsu massage. Shiatsu (指圧), which means “finger pressure,” originated from traditional Chinese medicine and has since developed in Japan starting from the 14th century. Naoko-san’s treatments are very popular and her clientele includes V-Varen soccer players and foreign representatives. 10
