Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2010

Academic Societies related to Japanese
Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Shuichi Katai
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Tsukuba University of Techonology

In contrast to China and Korea, oriental medicine
in Japan requires independent licenses for Kampo(pharmacotherapy),acupuncture,anma-massage-shiatsu(Anma).

moxibustion,Kampo,

usingdecoctions, can only be performed by physicians witha western medical doctor's license, while acupuncture
and moxibustion can only be administered by people
who graduated from senior high school and lateraacupuncturists that are affiliated with academic
societies covering various areas of Western and Asian
medicine. Also, some societies maintain an academic
society with an official name, some of these groups

I. Introduction

completedanimals. Thus, there are a significant number of

3-yeareducation

atoneoftheare not formally recognized organizations. Some exist
solely for research in a specific area. This is areflection of the historical circumstances pertaining
to acupuncture and moxibustion. Taking these facts
into consideration, an accurate description of thesituation pertaining to academic research intoJapanese acupuncture and moxibustion requires thatthe study groups callingthemselves academic

societies are also included in this report.

educational facilities specified by either the MinistryII.

ofAcupuncture and Moxibustion

Education,

Culture,Sports,ScienceandAcademic

Societies

relatedtoJapaneseTechnology; or the Ministry of Health, Labor andWelfare.

Subsequently,

practitioners

must(1) Academic societies pursuing academic research on

successfully pass the relevant state examinations toacupuncture and moxibustion

obtain their licenses. Acupuncture, moxibustion and1. The Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustionanma are classified within the framework of the

2. Society for Traditional Japanese Medicine

Japanese medical care system (that is treatment

3. Japan Traditional Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society

using western medicine) as “quasi” medical actions.

4. Japan Society of Ryodoraku Medicine

Academicsocieties

relatedtoJapanese

acupuncture and moxibustion reflect this situation in
Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion and cover
several different fields of learning.
For

example,

there

are

academicsocieties

pursuing general academic research on acupuncture
and moxibustion; but there are also societies that

5. Japan Society of Oriental Medical Physical Therapy
6. Japan Eastern Medical Association
7.Japan Conference of Clinical Acupuncture
Moxibustion
8. The Japan Society of Acupuncture & Moxibustion
History
9. Oriental Medicine and the Pain Clinic

focus on academic research and on acupuncture and(2)moxibustion pertaining to certain specific fields andresearch,

related areas. Moreover, among some of thesemoxibustionsocieties, acupuncturists play the predominant role,

1. The Japan Society for Oriental Medicine

and in others, physicians do so. Additionally, the2. Japan Dental Society of Oriental Medicine

research into acupuncture and moxibustion covers a

3. Japan Society of Veterinary Acupuncture

wide range of topics ranging from clinical application

4. The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology

to basic research. The basic research covers a wide

Academicsocieties

includingpursuing

academicacupunctureand Physical Medicine

variety of topics ranging from bibliographic research

5. Japan Society of Neurovegetative Researchof classical texts specific for acupuncture and6. Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine

moxibustion, to physiologic research performed on

7. Physiological Society of Japan98

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III. Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies

This society is based on the theoretical and practical

Japanese acupuncture moxibustion societies infoundations of channel therapy. In the same year,

Japan consists mostly of members who are engaged in

Keiri Inoue, Shohaku Honma and others establishedresearch relating to acupuncture and moxibustion.

“The Acunpunture and Moxibustion Classics Study

These societies hold an annual conference in whichGroup. Also, in 1943, Hakko Baba established themembers are given opportunities to present papers on

Japanese Society for Research into Acupoints.

the results of their research. The regulations of theseThe "Su Wen", "Ling Shu" and "Nan Jing"

societies provide a clause concerning the publication

served as the original texts, pulse diagnosis wasof a journal as a place for presenting research results.

the central examination method and the therapy
was based on Kampo diagnosis (zuisho chiryo = sui

1.

TheJapanSocietyofAcupunctureandMoxibustion (members: 3100 )zheng zhi liao). Clinically, the instruction given in
sections 69 and 75 of the "Nan Jing" provide theRegarding acupuncture and moxibustion, thetheoretical basis for the therapy, point selection forJapan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion is thereinforcement or reduction depending on states of

only corporate academic society. Organizations aredeficiency or excess in the twelve channels; andapproved by the Ministry of Education, Culture,thus are the foundation of the therapy. TheSports, Science and Technology and meet certain

channel or Meridian concept is considered to be ofcriteria. This society has 3,100 members, which

the greatest importance, and the existence of "qi",makes it the largest society among individualon which this concept is based, is included in thisacademicforexplanation. The understanding of human beings

acupuncture and moxibustion. When its former

and views regarding the significance of theorganizational form is included, the society can look

relevant concepts differ somewhat from modernback on a 55-year history.

scientific perspectives. After the war, this groupsocieties

andresearchgroupsMembers include university researchers who
research the classics, acupuncture and moxibustion

provided the leading theories for, and support of,Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion.

from the point of view of modern physiology, andothers that use the Chinese medical approach. As a“The Journal of Traditional Japanese Medicine”
is published quarterly.

result, the fields under investigation span a very widespectrum. This society can rightfully be considered to3.

JapanTraditional

Acupuncture

assume core responsibility for research on JapaneseM o x i b u sti o n So cie ty ( m e mbe r s : 8 00 )&This society, which forms the center hub for theacupuncture and moxibustion.
assumedactivities of groups like the Society for Traditional

responsibilities of the Chairman. The publication ofJapanese Medicine, the acupuncture and moxibustion“Journal of The Japan Society of Acupuncture andclassics study group, or the "Meishin Kai" for theMoxibustion” is available to its members 5 times apurpose of cross-school academic research intoyear.

traditional

AsofJune

2008,

Shuji

Gotoacupuncture

andmoxibustion,

wasTraditional

Acupuncture&established in 1973.
2. Society for Traditional Japanese Medicine(members: 1,500)
TheJapanTheJapan

Moxibustion Society deals mainly with academic andTraditional

Acupuncture&clinical research into Japanese acupuncture andMoxibustion Society was established in 1940 by Sorei

moxibustion based on a classical point of view. ThereYanagiya, Keiri Inoue, Sodo Okabe, and others.

are approximately 20 different groups studying

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

99

Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2010classical Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion andand moxibustion. However, aiming to make themore than half of these are affiliated with this society.

physiologicalMany of these groups center their activities onwestern medicine (especially neurophysiology), theclinical research, but there are also groups that

Society engages in scientific research.

pursue the study of historical texts like the "Koten
acupuncture and moxibustion study group" or theTheinterpretations“JournalofThebasedJapaneseonmodernSocietyof

Ryodoraku Medicine” is issued quarterly.

"Japan Naikei Medicine Study Group". Since the1970s, acupuncture and moxibustion have been

5. Japan Society of Oriental Medical Physicalresearched in a scientific way and has been affected

Therapyby Chinese medicine, leading to the formation of new

The Society was initially named the Japan Society

groups. This trend placed great importance onof Practitioners in Acupuncture, Moxibustion andtraditional comparative pulse diagnosis, or a system

Massage (Japan Society for All Acupuncturists). Inbased mainly on the "Nan Jing", concentrating on

the establishment, Katsusuke Serizawa, Professor

pulse

Emeritus at University of Tsukuba played andifferentiation,diagnosis

andabdominal

important role. Serizawa’s effort to try to definediagnosis.
As from April 2009, Shuichi Katai, Associate

acupuncture and moxibustion stimulation as a kind

Editor of this journal, has assumed responsibilities ofof physical stimulation led to the addition of “Physicalthe Chairman.

Therapy” in the Society’s official name. The Society isThe bi-annual journal of “Traditional Acupuncture

run mainly by members with impaired vision, notably
membershipand Moxibustion” is published for its members.

ofacupuncturists

andtraditional

Japanese masseurs with impaired vision is high4.

JapaneseSocietyof

Ryodoraku

Medicine

other academic societies.

(members: around 800)
This society is engaged in research based on thetheory discovered by Yoshio Nakatani in 1950
demonstrating that low electrical resistance points
demonstrate special affinity with the acupuncture
meridians. The Society was established in 1960. For atime, the Society was divided into two: one managedbyphysicians,

andtheothermanagedbyacupuncturist and moxibustionists. Now the 800
members’ activities are organized as one society.
Approximately half of the members are physiciansand

theotherhalfareacupuncturists

andmoxibustionists.
Nakatani is a physiologist, and his Ryodoraku issaid to be based on a physiological theory, involving
especially autonomic neurology.

The concepts ofacupuncture channels, acupuncture points in thescience of acupuncture and moxibustion have greatlyinfluenced the Ryodoraku theory. Modalities oftreatment in Ryodoraku are the use of acupuncture

100compare to the total membership and compared to

As the wording of Physical Therapy indicates, theSociety uses thermograph in their attempts toelucidate the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustionand has published many reports on the effects ofacupuncture and moxibustion in terms of physicaltherapy.
The annual “Journal of the Japanese Society ofOriental Physical Therapy” is issued to its members.
6. Japan Eastern Medical Association
The predecessor organization was inaugurated in1973 mainly for physicians who had completed anacupuncture and moxibustion seminar. At the time ofthe establishment, Yoshio Manaka served as president.
In 1983, the organization took the form of the current
Japan Eastern Medical Association. The purpose of
the Association is to provide opportunities to present
the results of general academic research that includes
the integration of the three following elements:

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2010

traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese Kampo, andmodern Western medicine. The Association holds anannual academic conference providing an appropriate
venue for the members` research.
The Association is characterized by active supportin scholarly training and professional guidance
especially for the activities of The Promotion
Foundation of Oriental Medicine. The Promotion
Foundation of Oriental Medicine defines its mission as
conveying information and educating physicians andhealthcare personnel education on oriental medicine.
The Association publishes the journal of “EasternMedicine.”drawn from classical writings of oriental medicine inChina and Japan, especially those of acupuncture andmoxibustion. In regard to the Yellow Emperor’s Classicof Internal Medicine (Huangdi Neijing), and the Ling
Shu, new studies and discussions are conducted everyyear. The Society issues the annual journal of “TheJapan Society of Acupuncture & Moxibustion History.
9. Oriental Medicine and the Pain Clinic
Oriental Medicine and the Pain Clinic wereestablished by Masayoshi Hyodo of Osaka Medical
College. Initially this society was a study group in theMedicine of Acupuncture & Moxibustion of the7.

Japan

ConferenceofClinicalAcupuncture

Department of Anesthesiology at Osaka Medical

Moxibustion

College, but is now conducting activities as an“Nihon Shin-Kyu Hiden (cutaneous electricalpotential) Study Group” has developed into the present
Japan Conference of Clinical Acupuncture andMoxibustion. The regulation of the Conference
maintains “the purpose of contributing to theimprovement in the quality of acupuncturists andmoxibustionists engaged in clinical practice and to theadvancement and dissemination of acupuncture andmoxibustion treatments through studying clinicalcases, conducting clinical research, and exchanging
information”. The Japan Conference was initiallyformed as a study group of Nihon Shin-Kyu Hiden in
1960, and changed its name to Nihon Shin-Kyu Hiden
Gakkai in 1975 and then became the present Japan
Conference of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustionin 1983.
The Conference issues the tri-annual journal of“Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion” which
includes seminar information and articles of casereports.

academic body. Hyodo noticed the pain relieving
efficacy of needles as an anesthesiologist and madevarious investigations concerning the action. The
activities of the organization used to focus essentiallyon headaches. Currently, however, its main activities
are research on the relationship between Western
medicine, oriental medicine and on mutual integrativeresearch.
The society issues the annual journal of “OrientalMedicine and the Pain Clinic”.
10. The Japan Society for Oriental Medicine(members: 8600)
This society represents Japanese Kampo medicine
and is the most authoritative society concerning
herbologyinJapan.

Establishedtobroaden

communication among practitioners and to foster
cooperation among researchers, its primary goal wasto advance Kampo medicine in 1950 by medical doctors,

8. The Japan Society of Acupuncture & Moxibustion

pharmacologists,

Historypracticing this medicine. Its sphere of activity includes

This society is engaged in research on classicalwritings by means of philology.

The Society wasandacupuncturists

whowereKampo Medicine, acupuncture and most areas related
to Kampo Medicine.

inaugurated in 1993 as the Japan Society ofThe official journal, “Kampo Medicine” features

Acupuncture & Moxibustion Clinical Philology anddissertations, theses, case reports, records of lectures

renamed as The Japan Society of Acupuncture &about Kampo Medicine and articles on acupuncture;

Moxibustion History in 2004. Research subjects areand is published 4 times a year.

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)101