Jomon Stretch

What is Jomon Stretch ?

The Fundamental Concepts of Jomon Stretch

Hirata's Responsive ZonesThe fundamental Concepts of Jomon Stretch are in Hirata's Responsive Zones. While, western medicine analyzed the functions of internal organs through interrelations of muscles, nerves and veins, Oriental medicine understands organicly: "meridians" are routes of qi (or prana) and, when they are coming out at body surface, they are named as "accupressure points". However, 400 accupressure points are systematized with complex theories, and they are less effective as our life style has become complex. About 70 years ago, a genial Japanese for meridians, Kurakichi HIRATA, overcame medical theories developed during these 4000 years and proposed a unique and excellent idea for Meridians. Hirata's theory is simple and clear. He divided a body into 12 cross-sections, each of which constitutes a group of meridians. Meridians in a group have some interrelationships. For example, one who has kidney disease has problems in elbows, wrists and undereyes. Therefore, we can improve health condition of untouchable internal organs by ameriolating qi circulation of relevant meridians. Based on the above concepts, Jomon stretch is to bend and ameliorate mental and phisical condition of people.

Structure of Jomon Stretch

Jomon Kaen earthenwareJomon stretch represents and structurizes the flame shape of Jomon pottery. Flame pottery has a top-heavy structure and its bottom is slim like human legs.
The patterns of Flame Pottery are S-shaped and eddy, which represent the will to live of Jomon man. When I was watching Flame Pottery, my body automatically bowed and pain in the waist disappeared.


Human being became erect bipedalism on the Earth. It took place after million years' efforts. One foot length of feet erect more than five feet body, then mammalian four legs became two hands and two legs. Thanks to erect bipedalism, human beings were born and blessed with qi circulation of the universe. Five feet body is erected with the heaviest head at the top. Its head and hands are antennas and foot is grounded. Thus the electro-magnetic power of universe provided human beings with an overwhelming wisdom.


Five-story pagoda at Horyuji Temple in NaraThe skeleton supporting the heaviest head at the top should be flexible. Such flexible structure can be found in the Five Story Tower at Horyuji Temple, which was built about 1300 years ago, the oldest architecture in the world. Its secret is in the build-up structure. Each layer's shaft and eaves are built-up one after the other, and brought together without using any nails, so that each layer can take flexible movement. Human erect bipedalism has similar flexible structure. Each bone is supported by a cartilage and endurable against earthquakes. On the other hand, concrete building is mono-axis rigid structure and weak against quakes.


Olympic torchbearer by a woman from Jomon eraHuman legs structure is different from that of non-human animals in not only skeleton but also in spirituality. Human body is based on legs where electromagnetic power and spiritual intelligence gather together.
If human body and head are suspended at the top, while legs constitutes the base, unreasonable training of certain muscles could create rigid structure which jeopardize overall qi circulation and make the nest of diseases.
We have been saying that hands and legs of children grow, but we don't say their body does. It indicates that healthy energy circulation in hands and legs should prevent diseases.
Instead of traditional hygiene of extending, stinging and kneading, the stretch of bowing, bending and inner thigh evident in Japanese Noh, Japanese dance and traditional martial arts seems effective contemporarily. "Bowing with inner thigh"and making pound key shape(= #) contain this flexible structure, which was generated in Japanese traditional culture.
There were a lot of stretching poses in traditional Japanese life style such as wide-based in the toilet, seating at dinner table and/or in front of mirrors on one's knees. In this sense, Japanese were practicing stretch every day and night. It is necessary to keep hands free as they work as antennas.
Human beings achieved erect bipedalism through fluctuation. Therefore, human unique diseases had been regarded as skeleton oriented, and a hygiene of flexible body has been transferred to present as a traditional Japanese culture.


Image of the tea ceremonyA Jomon hygiene, which had been integrated into Japanese life style since as old as 10,000 years ago, was abolished in the post-war American culture. Jomon stretch is to recuperate indegenous movement practiced by Japanese, is connect body and soul, and contributes to our health and beauty.
It is not jumping and running heavy excercises, but static movement like females in Kimono. Jomon inner thigh stretch of bowing and bending activates inner muscles and parasympathetic nerves. The shape of "#" is similar to the shape of "female (女)" in Chinese character. It is natural that females live longer than males and stronger. Inner thighs are more powerful than outer thighs.


Inspired from the experience of earthquake
Earthquake occurs. --> Big quake. Body swings. --> One cannot hold on. --> Possible falling objects. --> Protecting one's head --> Curl up in a bowl --> inquietude and panic after abating ===>> In addition to the Reassured Pose and Fetus Pose, Connecting the Sky with the Earth Pose soothes one's mind. Moreover, relax stretch to wave hands and lege should be taken to get rid of anxiety with intoning "Go away, anxiety."
Inspired from the lifestyle of children of recent date
less outdoor play and more indoor computer games. --> less physical practice --> more injury prone
-->Pound key shape (#) stretch and wide-based stretch chase off inquietude of earthquakes.
Playing with computer game only. --> Easy to lose one's temper. Selfish thinking --> Perpetrate unimaginable crimes.
-->Pair stretch to practice with a parent and a child as well as with friends. Pair stretch using the bottom of the foot.

Advantageous Effect of Jomon Stretch

Pains, which were not removed from extending stretch, disappeared with bending stretch.
Our muscles consist of extensors and flexors. When we lose the balance between two, our body will have problems.
In the life style to sit in chair, flexors are not sufficiently used, and our natural curative power decreases.
In the "Meridian Map" of Dr. Kurakichi Hirata, anomalies represent themselves simultaneously in the same meridian circulation group, i.e. in kidney disease, elbows, wrists, and undereyes. Bending stretch ameliorates the qi circulation among organs belonging to a same meridian group. Although we cannot touch and stimulate internal organs, qi circulation becomes better inside.
Advantageous effects are proven for back problems, stiff shoulder, headache, spinal pain, whole body fatigue, frustration, fatness, hip joint adjustment, eyestrain, autonomic nerve imbalance, ventroptosis, sciatica, coprostasis, visceral activation, whiplash, cholelithiasis, kidney stone, insomnia, cramps, hay fever, jet-lag, etc.

What is Shinto Healing

Besides Jomon Stretch, Kuratomi Methods offer Shinto Healing to be practiced by a pair. This is a bodywork extracted and elaborated from traditional Japanese culture. Its foot step movements are derived from Tea theremony and Waka poem with 5-7-5-7-7 Moras.
Seating on one's knees and movement with inner thigh are idealistic movement for humans.
I was playing Figure Skating, which is constructed through the analysis of western culture, and then I analyzed Oriental medicine in order to discover movement in traditional Japanese culture.
While Dr. Shizuto Masunaga applied phychology to his meridian map, as I had my own analytical ability in my body, I divided Oriental medicines into 4 systems for application to bodies.
(1) Stretch to be done by one person, (2) Pair healing to be practiced by two people, (3) Group Stretch, (4) A way to become a professional healer.
With the above differentiation, coplex oriental theories become understandable for westerners.
In Estonia and in Finland, there are more than 1,000 Shinto Instructors nationwide, where people appreciated Jomon Shinto as perfect bodywork.

Voices from Practicers

  1. Spinal pains are alleviated after practicing Bon stretch.
  2. Back problems disappeared through practice.
  3. My cramps were so severe that I could not go to work, but now it is better.
  4. Hay fever disappeared.
  5. After practicing fetus pose, 80 gallstones were egested.
  6. I have no more eyestrain.
  7. I've come to feel like trying.
  8. Agelong headaches are alleviated.
  9. I stopped smoking.
  10. I became less frustrated and more balanced.
  11. My cold nature was ameriorated.