Nakayama Naotaka
Naotaka Nakayama (中山直隆) (1917–2005) {wife Sadako (定子) (1911-2017)} was a Japanese acupuncturist. Japanese acupuncture developed its own ways largely in old capital Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) by using very fine needles that make often feel no pain when penetrate skin. Naotaka was born in a famous acupuncturist family known as "Kiyamachi no Hari" in Kyoto Japan who succeeds Osuga-ryu, predecessors include Kiku (19th century) and Naojiro who treated emperor’s relative Kunino miya ke(久邇宮家) and Prime minister Saion-ji(西園寺) and renowned professors of Kyoto University, including Dr Ogawa(小川), father of the first Japanese Nobel laureate Dr Yukawa（湯川）, were among them. He served for various executive positions of the Acupuncturist Association of Kyoto since 1948, the president 1986–1992. He also served as a president of the Academic Society of Acupuncture of Kyoto 1980-1993.
After World War II, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine were considered as uncivilized acts by GHQ during occupation of Japan, lost the social position as a medical treatment, although Kyoto University Physiology Professors Ishikawa（石川） and Sasagawa（笹川） demonstrated effectiveness of acupuncture to the Americans and ban was avoided, but due to the incident acupuncture was almost forgotten in Japan (dark age). He contributed to social re-establishment of acupuncture as important health care treatments. He helped establishing Academic society of Acupuncture of Kyoto in 1948 together with Akashi(明石), Otsuka, Hirota, first president Akashi, and in the same year published the first issue of The Journal of Autonomic Nervous System(自律神経雑誌) and also helped establishing Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 1980, the first president Kentarou Takagi（高木健太郎）, who had been president and Dean of renowned Japanese Medical Schools and also a congressman of Japanese parliament, with whom Naotaka deepened friendship. Not only his practice and academic activity gained social recognition, he worked for entire Japan level to gain insurance coverage by National Health Care Insurance for acupuncture treatments that later partially granted. Owe to his and others efforts as well as social circumstances; in the end of 20th century acupuncture regain social status in Japan. Now acupuncture became popular and commonly practiced again in Japan.
He received various awards and medals including from Governors of Kyoto, the Minister of Health and Welfare of Japan, and the Emperor of Japan.
References and sources[edit]
- Award from the Minister of Health and Welfare of Japan: 1988 December issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. (厚生大臣表彰 ”あはぎ法制定４０周年功労者”発行日本厚生省1988 December).
- Medal from the Emperor of Japan. The Imperial Household Agency of Japan, 1992.
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