European Branch of the Toyohari Association

Information for practitioners

Toyohari   東洋はり

As a system of Meridian Therapy, Toyohari primarily focuses on diagnosing and correcting the deficiency and excess of the twelve meridians following descriptions that the meridians help regulate the body’s internal and functional systems. Find more information and description about Toyohari here.

Like most acupuncture systems in Japan, Toyohari is not practised with herbal medicine, thus it does not use herbal medicine theories and diagnoses.  Instead its focus is on assessing the condition of the 12 meridians so they can be corrected.

To do this palpation is strongly featured especially of the abdomen and pulses to diagnose the patient and to assess the effects of all the needling techniques. This feedback is pivotal in how Toyohari is learned, taught and in practice.

The needling techniques are gentle and for root treatment typically not inserted, which requires specialised training to learn how to do them. Techniques can also be modified based on patient sensitivity and other factors.

Once the root treatment has been applied branch treatment is given. In Toyohari several unique branch treatment approaches have been developed that allow targeting of specific types of problems, such as the naso-muno, kikei, shigo, sanshin methods. In addition some usual acupuncture and moxibustion methods can also be used to help target symptoms.

But, Toyohari is not only an acupuncture treatment system, it is also a method of teaching and studying.  Starting in the 1960s the Kozato method was developed , which gives direct real-time feedback to needling methods in study groups. This accelerated both improvement in needling techniques and their learning.

This approach has continued to be refined and updated so that class-room learning is more than 50% hands-on practice with feedback in highly structured programs. 

After completion of the basic program one can become a member of the Toyohari Association (EBTA). This offers additional benefits that are not often available to acupuncture practitioners in the West. 

In addition to practising and learning to improve one’s methods through treating one’s patients, the Association organises ongoing study opportunities that help inform the self-study process and help go deeper into the system. 

  • Each regional group (branch) organises local study meetings. 
  • The European branch (EBTA) organises weekend workshops for each branch with EBTA teachers. 
  • EBTA organises an annual workshop with Japanese teachers in a European city. 
  • EBTA also periodically organises ‘Advanced Programs’ taught by the more senior EBTA teachers to help delve deeper into the understanding and practice. 
  • The Toyohari Association in Japan organises summer school workshops every 2-3 years in Tokyo which are open to all EBTA members. 

In Europe it is not at all common to have access to such ongoing study opportunities to go deeper into the system you have learned and are practising.