トーマス鍼灸院

Thomas’ Acupuncture Clinic official website (mostly English)

The original, mainly Japanese site is here →

Introduction


Thomas’ Acupuncture Clinic
Clinic without a menu

I am a native German, but have been living in Japan for about 44 years. By now I am looking back at about 38 years of clinical experience since I obtained my Japanese licenses and work as an acupuncturist.

On July 27, 2020 (accidentally exactly the day I opened my clinic!) I celebrated the 25th anniversary of opening my little clinic in Hayama – and happened to be introduced on TV. I consider this 25th anniversary the “first half” of my practitioners life. The next goal would be my 50th anniversary. If I make it, I will then be 89 years old. Hope to see you then.

This site here is basically an (mostly) “English version” of my original, mostly Japanese website. It will be immediately obvious, that I have no sense of business and this whole thing is more like my rather clumsy way of saying hello to the world. Neither am I promoting any kind of “school” or “style”. Most of what is taught in those schools or styles is, I am afraid, way beyond my intellectual capabilities.

Thanks to my patients I could celebrate

in 2020 my 25th anniversary.

Patient’s voices

I would very much appreciate, if visitors of my clinic (patients) or my website could find the time and leave short comments or impressions. Please visit for that purpose the page “Patient’s voice”. (I am still trying to figure out, how you make these things work …)

Autobiography(a rather lengthy self-introduction)

This is written in Japanese.

In 2013 I wrote my “autobiography” in my still crude, often mistaken Japanese, but intentionally did not let anybody correct my mistakes. “This is the best I can do” was the intended message. Previously some of my articles were published in acupuncture magazines, but at that time always someone corrected my Japanese, so that the readers probably got the impression, “oh, this guy is very good”. But since that is not who I am or what I can do, I let my mistakes stand and speak for themselves. This e-book is also for sale, or you can download it from this site.

https://thoacu.com/books/

Acupuncture and insurance
Healthcare services covered by health insurance usually examine/treat ONLY the symptoms or sites patients are complaining about. This form of looking only at one little part of the body has been the prevailing business model of medical care for the last 150 years – that is about the time western medicine is practiced here in Japan. However, I believe this contradicts the essence of medical practice = caring for people. That is why I deliberately chose NOT to use insurance in my clinic.


Treatment fees
Unfortunately many clinics charge nowadays something like 6,000-8,000 Yen or even more per treatment session. Particularly in a time when the corona pandemic has decreased peoples income, many part time workers loosing their jobs or even “ordinary” workers like for example people with regular jobs in nursing homes for the elderly but very low monthly income, the above mentioned treatment fees can only be afforded by comparatively “wealthy” people. Since the insurance in most instances does NOT cover acupuncture treatment, this means: the commonly offered acupuncture treatment is meant for the well-to-do portion of the population.

Being a low income earner myself, I DO NOT like that concept. Unfortunately I do not have the means to offer free treatment, but due to the support by patients voluntarily offering minor donations I am able to offer ‘discounts’, so that people with a low income too may benefit from oriental medical services.

List of possible indications ->

Opening hours - Sundays reservation only

I would very much appreciate, if you call prior to your visit in my clinic. If someone comes unannounced and both of my beds are occupied, that person may have to wait 1-2 hours. THAT is something I am trying to prevent.

Working alone means, I cannot meet the wishes of all people regarding available treatment hours.

Basic concepts:

  1. I believe, the wisdom of oriental medicine is a treasure of the people and should be offered to anyone who asks for it.
  2. I try to help my patients to gain independence from medical care and guide them (to the best of my knowledge) in the use of their own healing powers.
  3. Man has – like other lifeforms – the responsibility to take care of his health (life).
  4. Treatment (medical care) should NOT be a means for moneymaking.

Contact:

Thomas’ Acupuncture Clinic
240-0112 Kanagawa-Ken, Miura-Gun, Hayama-Machi, Horiuchi 815
Tel/Fax: 046-876-3077
contact@thoacu.com
Mobile phone: 090-4846-6985 / th.blasejewicz@docomo.ne.jp

( I am NOT good with mobile phones! )
Director: Thomas Blasejewicz
             Further details → [My room]

This is a partial list of media coverage of my clinic. Since most is in Japanese anyway, I leave the entries untranslated

        (Further details → [Post])

  1. 医道の日本/1996、No.620: 座談会: 日本で活躍する外国人鍼灸師が語る
  2. 東洋医学、2000、4月号、pp96/97: トーマス鍼灸院
  3. 逗子葉山秋谷新聞、8月号:「地域の匠」シリーズで
  4. 2002年9月TBSテレビに出演
  5. 2003年2月2日TVKテレビに出演
  6. 2003年3月週間朝日、増刊漢方2003:「信念を貫く異色鍼灸師
  7. 2003年6月15日 Appearance in NHK Global Radio broadcast
  8. 2005年9月5日(月)から11日(日)までJCOM, 2 CH. 「からふる」と言う番組出演
  9. 2006年1月30日:神奈川新聞ー>「青い目の鍼灸師」で紹介。大反響ありました。
  10. ダイエット体験談、優秀作:   ドイツ人針きゅう師 「先生」と呼ばれるために → http://www.yomidr.yomiuri.co.jp/page.jsp?id=28831
  11. 2012 3月号 鍼灸ジャーナル: 「治療院訪問」シリーズで「トーマス鍼灸院」
  12. 2013 4月20日: 朝日新聞:「ドイツ人鍼灸師が健康本」 http://nyuw
  13. a.blogspot.jp/2013/04/blog-post_25.html
  14. 2015 1月27日:TBS(6チャンネル)「所さんの日本の出番」(肩凝りの話題)に出演
  15. 2017/7/5:Japan Times article by a patient of mine; in English
  16.  2020年7月:Featured in a 1-hour TV program 「私が日本にいる理由」. (files can be downloaded from Google Drive folder; There are 3 files like “VTS_01_1.VOB” -> the clicking will (hopefully) play two 20-minute and one 14-minute video clips. In the program these were all stitched together, but I do not know how to do that.
  17. A more complete of media appearances can be found at 「Media」(mostly Japanese)

This year it is 27 years since I opened my little clinic in Hayama. It has a 4.5-mat waiting and a 6-mat treatment room. If possible (!), I would like to have little more space. Then I could set up a “reading room” where I could recommend and introduce possibly helpful books to my patients (I always do that). I hear, there are almost 2,000 empty houses in Hayama … maybe someone allows me to use one of those.

The accounts “Official Line account” and “Instagram” have been created TODAY = 2024/2/17, so there is not yet anything. I also do not really know, how those things work and expect running in all sorts of trouble.

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