Japanese
Practical Hand Healing Therapy
Table of Contents
Introduction
There are differing beliefs about the existence of so-called “ki”—a force said to influence people in various ways. Some individuals are firmly convinced of its reality, while others remain highly skeptical. Moreover, it seems that many people show little interest in ki altogether.
Nevertheless, it is also a fact that there are numerous reports of people recovering their health or even curing illnesses through the use of ki. In addition, martial arts such as Aikido, where ki plays a central role, as well as Qigong and healing with hands (commonly referred to as “Teate therapy”), have continued to be passed down and maintained in society rather than disappearing.
The concept of ki has existed in China since ancient times and has been transmitted across the ages up to the present day. This longevity suggests that ki contains some form of truth or value for human beings. In this website, I will focus on healing with hands—known as Teate therapy. Teate therapy is considered one of the traditional and complementary healing methods, and today it is recognized by the WHO and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as part of “integrative medicine,” which combines modern Western medicine with traditional practices.
Teate therapy, which is closely related to the primal experience of a parent expressing love and care for a child, is sometimes explained psychologically or medically as the effect of oxytocin (commonly known as the “happiness hormone”), as noted by Dr. Hajime Yamaguchi of J. F. Oberlin University. However, in this discussion, we will regard such effects as part of the broader workings of ki.
Although my academic field is engineering and I am not a specialist in “ki,” I would like to briefly introduce the nature, effects, and therapeutic aspects of ki based on my personal experiences, impressions, and knowledge. This website was originally created on Google Sites in December 2016, and I have gradually added content over the years. In July 2025, it was migrated to a GitHub site. This website does not contain information that will be immediately useful to many people. However, I hope that by reading it, a seed will be planted in your mind—one that may someday sprout when needed and offer some form of help. On this website, I provide explanations on the topics listed in the table of contents at the beginning.