Operating continuously since 2003, with no break in cohort instruction.
Master the art of pressure. Heal with every touch.
Shiatsu Pro Institute trains disciplined Shiatsu practitioners through a 600-hour meridian-based curriculum, taught by masters with an average of 25.3 years in clinical practice. A credential respected by 1,247 wellness centers across 14 countries.
Founded in 2003 by Master Hiroshi Tanaka, lineage holder of the Namikoshi tradition · Boulder, Colorado · Recognized by the AOBTA (2005) and the IASI (2018)
By the numbers
Twenty-two years of practice. Four thousand eight hundred graduates. One thousand two hundred and forty-seven hiring partners.
The institution, quantified. A trust grid for serious practitioners — read it as evidence, not marketing.
Certified practitioners trained across the Meridian Therapy Master Track and elective certificates.
Wellness centers across 14 countries actively recruiting Shiatsu Pro alumni.
Practicing clinicians averaging 25.3 years of bedside experience between them.
The 600-hour meridian curriculum
A syllabus, not a vibe. Six chapters of structured clinical training.
Co-developed with Kyoto's International Shiatsu College — the only North American program holding simultaneous AOBTA and IASI accreditation for the full Meridian Therapy Master Track.
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01
Foundations of Eastern Anatomy & Meridian Theory
90 hours · Foundation
The classical map: jing-luo pathways, the twelve primary meridians, eight extraordinary vessels, and the five-element correspondences. Lectures anchored in the Huangdi Neijing, with weekly palpation labs.
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02
Diagnostic Palpation & Hara Assessment
110 hours · Foundation
Reading the abdomen, listening to the pulse, mapping the back-shu points. The diagnostic vocabulary every Shiatsu Pro clinician carries into the treatment room. Taught in supervised pairs.
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03
Namikoshi Technique & Pressure Calibration
140 hours · Core
The lineage method: thumb, palm, and elbow pressure calibrated to the patient's constitutional type. Daily mat practice with faculty correction, building the wrist and body-mechanics foundation that prevents practitioner injury.
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04
Zen Shiatsu, Masunaga Extensions & Five-Phase Balancing
120 hours · Core
Extended meridian work, kyo-jitsu differential diagnosis, and the five-phase treatment protocols of Shizuto Masunaga. Live demonstration weeks followed by supervised clinical replication.
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05
Clinical Practicum — 14 Teaching Clinics
600 supervised hours · Practicum
The longest supervised hands-on requirement of any U.S. Shiatsu program. Students treat real patients from week one in our 14 satellite teaching clinics, with live weekly clinical rounds led by senior instructors.
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06
Capstone Thesis & AOBTA / IASI Credentialing
40 hours · Capstone
Independent case study, faculty-reviewed written thesis, and live clinical defense. Graduates leave with the credential recognized by both the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia and the International Association of Shiatsu.
Faculty
Taught by practitioners with an average of 25.3 years in the clinic.
Four of the seventeen master clinicians who instruct at Shiatsu Pro. Every faculty member maintains an active practice and treats patients weekly.
Master Hiroshi Tanaka
Founder · Namikoshi Lineage Holder
42 years clinical practice
Pressure calibration, lineage transmission, classical jing-luo.
Dr. Akemi Yoshida
Senior Faculty · Kyoto Exchange Director
31 years clinical practice
Zen Shiatsu, Masunaga extensions, kyo-jitsu differential diagnosis.
Senior Instructor Marcus Ahlberg
Director of Clinical Practicum
27 years clinical practice
Practicum supervision, five-phase balancing, somatic case conferencing.
Instructor Priya Raghavan
Hara Assessment Lead
19 years clinical practice
Diagnostic palpation, hara reading, intake and case-history architecture.
Clinical Practicum
Fourteen teaching clinics. Real patients from week one.
The 600-hour supervised clinical requirement — the longest of any U.S. Shiatsu program — happens in our network of satellite teaching clinics where students treat community patients under master clinician oversight.
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Ch. 01
Boulder Teaching Clinic (Flagship)
220 Pearl Street, our home base. Senior faculty on the floor daily. 18 student treatment tables operating concurrently during clinic weeks.
320 supervised hours
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Ch. 02
Mountain West Satellite Network
Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque. Four regional teaching clinics serving chronic-pain and post-surgical recovery populations.
160 supervised hours
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Ch. 03
Pacific & West Coast Network
Portland, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Honolulu. Five teaching clinics embedded in integrative wellness centers, sports-medicine clinics, and oncology-support programs.
180 supervised hours
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Ch. 04
International Partner Placements
Kyoto, Vancouver, London, Mexico City, Lisbon. Five international partner clinics where students complete electives and study abroad rotations during the capstone year.
120 elective hours
Live weekly clinical rounds with instructors averaging 22 years of practice — every case reviewed, every treatment plan questioned, every outcome documented.
Outcomes
Verified results, 2020–2024 cohorts.
Independently audited metrics. The numbers below are not marketing claims; they appear in our 2023 institutional audit and are reproducible on request.
92%
Student completion rate across all cohorts, 2020–2024.
84%
Graduate employment rate within 90 days of credentialing, verified by 2023 independent audit.
1,247
Wellness centers actively hiring Shiatsu Pro graduates worldwide.
$2.1M
Tuition-assisted scholarships disbursed to qualifying students since 2019.
AOBTA · IASI
Recognized by the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia since 2005; endorsed by the International Association of Shiatsu since 2018. Published Clinical Shiatsu Journal indexed in PubMed since 2011.
AOBTA · Since 2005
IASI · Since 2018
Natural Health Magazine · #1 Shiatsu Program 2022, 2023
PubMed Indexed · Clinical Shiatsu Journal
Cohort XII · Enrollment Open
Twenty-four seats. One orientation. The next chapter of your clinical practice begins January 14.
The Meridian Therapy Master Track runs January through November 2026 in Boulder, with satellite clinic rotations and international electives. Tuition assistance is available — $2.1M has been disbursed since 2019.
Or reach admissions directly: [email protected] · +1 (303) 555-0184 · 1840 Pearl Street, Suite 220, Boulder, CO 80302.