Seitai

Seitai (整体) is a form of bodywork and alternative medicine practice, originally developed as training tool within Health Education. It was developed in Japan by Haruchika Noguchi (1911–1976) in the mid-20th century. The kanji comprising the word are 整 sei, regulated, coordinated, in order, and 体 tai, "body, organism", therefore translated together as "the body in order". The term seitai already existed in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. In the 1920s it was adapted and introduced Japan by Michio Takahashi, a master of seitai-jutsu, and later by Noguchi from 1943. Important to its development was a regular meeting group of experts in various fields of traditional Japanese medicine, led by Noguchi, called Dainippon Rengō Chiryō-shikai. Seitai is known in Europe due to its practice by Itsuo Tsuda beginning in 1972 (with dojos in Paris, Geneva, Milan, Rome, Madrid, and Palma de Mallorca) and Katsumi Mamine in Barcelona the following year.