Japanese Traditional Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Japan has a very unique approach to art. Japanese art of any kind is very fine, detailed, elegant, and, most of all, gentle. Acupuncture and moxibustion are also very different from mainstream modern TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). The needles are much thinner, and the moxa is finer, so the overall sensation is lighter and calmer. This doesn’t mean that one is more effective than the other. We study the same Chinese classic texts and follow the same methods, but our approach is very different. If you are looking for a gentle, relaxing approach rather than a strong stimulation, Japanese traditional-style acupuncture is suitable for you.
Fine Needles
Acupuncture can sound intimidating if you've never experienced it. The needles used in Japanese-style acupuncture are different from modern TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine style. Our needle is extraordinarily fine, far thinner than anything used for injections, and the sensation is nothing like what most people expect.
The most common reaction after a first session is a very deep sense of calm.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a heat treatment. Moxa is a fine, cotton-like fiber that comes from a herb called mugwort. This herb is covered with very fine hairs, and we use the fiber to warm up the pressure points. The effect of moxibustion is similar to acupuncture, but the feeling is quite different. Most of my patients prefer moxibustion to acupuncture alone because it feels nice and warm. The thought of needles going under the skin isn’t necessarily relaxing, but moxibustion only warms the skin’s surface and is much less scary. I remove the moxa before the fire touches the skin. It feels very nice and relaxing, just like soaking in an onsen hot spring!
The moxa I use at Sanpodo is from a Japanese local brand called Kobayashi-Rouho. Their dedication to moxa production is very high quality. First of all, the smoke isn’t harsh at all — it has a very nice, calming scent. The heat is also gentle, warm, and relaxing.
Our Approach
Acupuncture That Works With Your Whole Body
Most people come to Sanpodo acupuncture looking for relief from something specific — pain, stress, infertility and fatigue…
In traditional chinese medicine, symptoms are understood as expressions of a deeper imbalance from your lifestyle and circumstance.
Two people with identical symptoms may have entirely different underlying causes.
Our approach works at both levels: relieving what you're feeling now, and restoring the conditions that allow your body to regulate, recover, and resist illness more effectively over time.
Every Treatment Is Different
Before each session, we begin with pulse diagnosis, a careful assessment of your physical condition on that particular day. The number of needles, their depth, the placement and intensity of moxibustion, all of it is adjusted to how you are right now, not how you were at your last visit.
Bodies change daily. A session after a difficult week looks different from a maintenance session during a quieter period. We monitor your response throughout the treatment, staying attentive to subtle shifts and adjusting accordingly.
Sessions typically run around 30 minutes plus home care lesson and advice, focused, precise, and deeply restorative.
Preventive Care, Before Symptoms Take Hold
Eastern medicine has a concept sometimes translated as pre-disease care: the practice of supporting the body before imbalance becomes illness.
Rather than waiting for problems to become serious, regular acupuncture helps build resilience, strengthening immunity, improving circulation, and keeping your body's systems working smoothly through seasonal changes, life transitions, and the accumulated pressures of daily life.
Many of our clients come not because something is wrong, but because they've learned that staying well is something worth investing in.
What to Expect at Sanpodo
There are no fixed protocols here. Each session begins with a conversation — about how you're feeling, what's changed since your last visit, and anything new your body is telling you.
Even unusual or hard-to-categorise symptoms are worth raising; acupuncture can often reach places that other treatments can't. Treatment is gentle.
Japanese-style acupuncture uses very fine needles with minimal stimulation, most clients are surprised by how comfortable, and how deeply relaxing, it is.
Good Fit If You...
Are new to acupuncture and want to understand what to expect
• Have a specific condition or symptom you'd like to address
• Are interested in preventive care and long-term wellbeing
• Want a treatment that adapts to how you're actually feeling on the day
• Are visiting Tokyo and want to experience authentic Japanese-style acupuncture
Sanpodo in Shibuya
With over 30 years of practice in this neighbourhood, Sanpodo has accompanied patients through every stage of life, from newborns to grandparents, from first-time visitors to clients who have been coming for decades.
One practitioner. One treatment room. Every session entirely focused on you.
English Speaking Acupuncturist who understands you
Hi I’m Miho Abe, the owner/ acupuncturist of Sanpodo.
I studied and worked abroad when I was much younger. I felt so lonely and scared especially when I was ill. I didn’t know how to explain my condition in English, doctors or nurses didn’t understood me… Now back to Tokyo, I totally understand how you feel when you are either traveling in Japan, or living in Japan, not many locals understand what you want to tell us. I’m also married to an English man who is still struggling to communicate with doctors. If you are ill and feel ill, you want a specialist who can communicate with you. If you are looking for a therapist in Tokyo, please be in touch!