In The Land of the Blind: An Acupuncture Tradition from the Blind Toyo Hari Masters of Japan

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In The Land of the Blind: An Acupuncture Tradition from the Blind Toyo Hari Masters of Japan
By Robert A. Weinstein,
Member-Owner and Resident Acupuncturist
MADISON MARKET


Many people know acupuncture is an ancient tradition of holistic medicine, practiced continuously in China for at least the last 2,000 years. What most people donĚt know is many other Asian countries have a long history of acupuncture, having developed vibrant and innovative approaches to this ancient healing tradition. With a dynamic tradition of acupuncture markedly different from the Chinese approach, Japan is one such country. While it is Chinese acupuncture that has taken the lead in the practice of Oriental medicine in the West, interest is increasing in some of the other traditions, and a growing movement in Japanese acupuncture is emerging.


A Brief History of Acupuncture in Japan
The practice of acupuncture seems to have originated in China roughly around 200-100 B.C.E. Knowledge of acupuncture appears to have been brought to Japan from China by a physician-monk named Zhicong (Chiso in Japanese) in the year 562 C.E. He is said to have brought with him over 160 volumes of Chinese medical texts, representing the state of the art of the medicine at that time. By the 8th century, government sponsored acupuncture medical schools were established in Japan and medical knowledge from China continued to be assimilated by the Japanese. However, by the middle of the 10th Century, political tensions began to arise between China and Japan, and contact with China became increasingly cut off. It was during this period that Japanese physicians began making innovative refinements to the Chinese system.

Around the end of the 17th Century, some very interesting things started happening in Japanese acupuncture. It was during this time that a blind acupuncturist, Waichi Sugiyama, became famous by inventing a special insertion tube (still in use today) that allowed for less painful insertion of the needle. Sugiyama went on to establish the first acupuncture school for the blind in Japan, the beginning of what has become one of the most interesting and unique characteristics of Japanese acupuncture: A strong influence by a large contingent of blind practitioners.

The idea of blind practitioners using needles may initially seem somewhat strange to us in the west. However, it is commonly known that with the loss of sight often comes an enhancement of the other senses. In fact, according to recent studies of the brain, cognitive neuroscientists have shown that in those people who are born blind, the visual cortex (the region of the brain used to process visual information) does not atrophy, but rather is functionally relocated to process sound and touch. This extra neural capacity devoted to the other senses produces a super-acuity of which few sighted people could conceive . Thus, the ability of blind practitioners to sense the movement of subtle energies within and around the body is said to be quite extraordinary. This ability allows for highly refined pulse diagnosis and treatment techniques and this gift is used to help restore health to those seeking treatment. From the Japanese point of view, the practice of acupuncture utilizes the enhanced tactile skill of the blind and provides a profession ...