What does shiatsu mean?
Shiatsu is a form of massage that originated in Japan and is based on the deliberate application of pressure to the body. Practitioners use fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows, knees, and sometimes feet to address muscular tension and promote relaxation. The word literally means “finger pressure” in Japanese. Although some forms of the practice are influenced by traditional ideas about energy flow and the body’s meridians, shiatsu is also commonly understood and practised as hands-on bodywork. In contemporary English, it is frequently associated with spas, wellness treatments, and therapeutic massage sessions. The term can occasionally be used loosely for any massage based primarily on finger pressure, but its clearest reference is to the Japanese tradition from which the practice takes its name.
nounA form of therapeutic massage originating in Japan that applies controlled pressure with the fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows, or feet to the body. It is often used for relaxation and the relief of muscular tension.
- A Japanese therapeutic massage technique that uses controlled pressure applied with the hands and other parts of the body.
"After a long flight, she booked a shiatsu session to ease the tension in her shoulders."
"He received shiatsu once a week to help relieve tension in his back."
"The spa offers shiatsu in individual sessions lasting sixty minutes."
The word is normally a mass noun. The plural form “shiatsu” is occasionally used for separate treatments or types of shiatsu, but “a shiatsu treatment” or “a shiatsu session” is generally clearer.
"The spa offers several forms of shiatsu."
Shiatsu means “finger pressure” in Japanese, describing a practice in which trained hands do much of the therapeutic work.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shiatsu come from?
Shiatsu is an English borrowing of Japanese 指圧, written with characters meaning “finger” and “pressure.” The technique developed within Japanese massage traditions and was given its modern name during the twentieth century. The English form preserves a pronunciation close to the Japanese original while using the consonantal sounds typical of English.
How shiatsu is actually used
In English, the term generally refers to a traditional Japanese massage technique and is often used for spa or therapeutic treatments. It is sometimes used broadly for massage involving finger pressure, even when the practitioner or setting does not follow a specifically Japanese tradition.
Easily confused with shiatsu
Shiatsu is a broad Japanese massage practice, whereas acupressure specifically applies pressure to points associated with traditional Chinese medicine.