A blind masseuse in Japan

Japanese love hot springs and massage. We all know how good a great massage feels so I recently tried one when I was away on holiday. In my hotel room there was brochure advertising massage as a room service. I was feeling particularly tied after an eight hour drive so I thought it would be just what I needed. A phone call to the front desk was all it took. I was just getting into my Yukata (a light Kimono) after the bath when the door bell rang. I answered the door, a middle aged woman bowed and came in feeling the wall of the room knowingly as she went. "Lie face down please" she said gesturing towards to the bed. She was blind. I lay down a little nervous in my yukata wondering how much she could actually see. She started on my arms moving to my upper back kneading away the knots.

Anma - A special massage technique

I hesitantly asked her in Japanese what the name of the massage was. "Anma" she replied. She told me Anma was different from more modern practices in that they massage from the head down as opposed to feet up. Anma massages towards the lymph glands in the crotch, pits of the arms and neck areas. The idea she explained is that the poisons and impurities will be disposed of there. She went on to list some of the benefits. Massage is known to reduce anxiety in depressed children, anorexic women and pregnant women. It has also been found that children with diabetes are more likely to stick to their medicine regimes if massaged by their parents. Massage is also great for self esteem since you are in direct contact with someone. She was very systematic finding each pressure point, slightly pressing them and slowly releasing. I could feel multiple areas of my body tingle from a single press on the pressure points.

The dangers of the job

I thought how extraordinary it was that she had trained as a masseuse and now worked visiting various hotels and clients in the evening. I asked how she began her interesting work. She changed her tone and turned her eyes slightly toward mine. She began by telling me that it was all that was possible as a blind Japanese women. She went on saying she didn't actually like the work because of the dangers of going to the rooms of men. She lowered her voice saying "some men get a little..." and left it at that. I couldn't imagine being unable to see the person trying to do these things but is probably this that leads some men to do it.