A Tradition Built on Listening

Some clinics are built around a specialty. Sanpodo was built around people. Founded in the years following World War II, Sanpodo Acupuncture has spent over seven decades accompanying patients through the full arc of life, from newborns and young mothers, to working women, to celebrated performers, to grandchildren of the clinic's earliest patients. That continuity isn't incidental. It's the point.

How Sanpodo Began

Sanpodo was founded by three practitioners: Akiko Yamaguchi, her daughter Keiko Murata, and their relative Hitoshi Yamaguchi. The name Sanpodo, meaning "Three Directions Hall" — honours that founding partnership.

Akiko's path to acupuncture was an unexpected one. Originally a knitting instructor with a devoted following and published designs in Fujin Gaho magazine, she had been receiving acupuncture treatments while managing her busy life.

When Keiko enrolled in acupuncture school and began treating her mother, something shifted. Akiko found herself drawn deeper and deeper into the practice, and eventually decided to pursue it professionally herself. Mother and daughter became licensed acupuncturists together.

A Clinic That Grew With Its Patients

Sanpodo's reputation spread organically. The clinic gained public attention for its treatment of alopecia areata, appearing in magazines and later on television bringing connections with TV stations and a remarkable range of clients, from Kabuki actors and stage performers to sumo wrestlers.

Keiko Murata lectured at the Tokyo College of Oriental Medicine and Tokyo Hygiene Academy, and together with alumni and legendary practitioners of the Showa era, helped establish the Acupuncture Section of the Tokyo branch of the Shin-Ikyokai medical association.

Sanpodo has always welcomed apprentices to observe treatments, and acupuncturists trained at Sanpodo have gone on to practice across Japan,from Hokkaido to Okinawa and overseas.