Shiatsu is a therapeutic bodywork technique of Japanese origin that combines the principles of traditional Chinese medicine with modern anatomy and physiology.

The origins of shiatsu reach back into Chinese antiquity. In fact, shiatsu therapy evolved from Chinese acupuncture. Palpation skills were and continue to be an important component in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Indeed, palpation is one of the "Four Examinations" of TCM and is one of the skill-sets of a competent TCM practitioner.

In the sixth century A.D. a Buddhist monk, Gan Jin Osho, brought to Japan the medicine of Imperial China which included Oriental body-work, including Tao-yin and Anma. These manual physical therapies reached peak popularity in Japan during the Edo period between the 17th and early 19th centuries. By the start of the 20th century, increased training in Western anatomy led to greater melding of Eastern and Western techniques.

Japanese shiatsu therapy began to reach America in th 1950s. However, it did not become widely known in the United Sates and Europe until the 1970’s. The development of shiatsu schools in the West that offer thorough instruction in a variety of practice styles, as well appreciation of the benefits of this form of body-work among Western adherents, have resulted in the practice of shiatsu becoming more far reaching.