Chikako Kato acquired the Amna, Massage, and Shiatsu national qualification in 1989.  To qualify for this highly sought after qualification, she undertook several years of intensive training and study at the “Chousei Gakuen” a prestigious therapy school in Tokyo.  This is the same school where the Royal family of Japan send staff to be trained  in the ancient art.   Since graduation, Chikako has had over 20 years of work experience in Japan and America.

 

Chikako is a third generation oriental therapist, after her mother and grandmother. Her great uncle, uncle, cousin, and younger sister are all oriental therapists.  Her grandmother, Setsuyo Morita, founded the oriental medicine clinic called “Spring of Bethesda” where all kinds of ailments and diseases were treated by the therapies that she learned and mastered at the Chousei Gakuen, the same skills and knowledge that Chikako carries.  Chikako at an early age saw people with unidentified illnesses healed and restored at the Spring of Bethesda, including people who were thought to be at death’s door.  Once Mrs Morita treated a person with a serious shoulder problem. He was the sculptor and considered a living national treasure of Japan. He had come to her grandmother to receive treatment because he could not continue work at all. At that point he had already tried many avenues for treatment.  Nothing worked.  After receiving treatments from her grandmother, his shoulder completely recovered. He resumed working on his art and later received the “National Living Treasures Award” of Japan.  Chikako has witnessed many such “miracles” and remarkable recoveries in people of all walks of life treated by her grandmother and family members. Chikako naturally  inherited the passion and talent for massage therapy from this incredible environment.

 

Chikako’s mother, Tomoko Horikoshi, is also a formidable Shiatsu practitioner. Today, she is a healthy 77 years old, takes no medicine, and is still an active massage therapist.   Having benefited from these Japanese ancient therapies from infancy, Mrs. Horikoshi has never been hospitalized in her life. She is a living testament to the effectiveness of this therapy.

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