Everyone needs a vacation these days. Seeing new places, changing our perspective, getting rid of our worries, improving our body health, strengthening our soul, and making new beginnings…
Today, I will introduce you to a program in Nagasaki, Japan. Our guest is Yoko Arinaga, director of the "NAGASAKI WELLNESS" program.

Yoko Arinaga - R.N.,PhD



Ö.Burcu: Can you give us information about the institution that the NAGASAKI WELLNESS program is affiliated with and the services of the participating companies?


Yoko Arinaga: NAGASAKI WELLNESS is a project in Ai international medical research institute. We started this project as a social business, not for a profit purpose.
The therapists who want to be qualified as members were given the tailor-made English support package including the consultation on making a unique program, English scenario for their program, training for English and interpretation app, and other necessary English items such as intake and Informed consent forms.
Then they need to pass the evaluation by non-Japanese in their program. After qualified as a member, we support them in the NW group, for example, showing their program and movie on our site, deputizing reservation, inquiry, and payment, English training, and advertisement with free of charge. As a member, they need to pay only 10,000Yen for a year.



Currently, 4 owners are qualified. We have Kampo cuisine, Shiatsu massage, Reiki healing massage and Yoni steam programs. Additionally, tea ceremony, calligraphy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, photogenic photography, and more programs are coming soon.

https://nagasaki-wellness.com


Ö.Burcu: As far as I know, there are some standards that businesses that want to be part of the program must comply with. For example, do all the businesses affiliated with this program speak English?

Yoko Arinaga: Yes, they speak English. It is particularly important for  safety reason. Also, the quality of the program is evaluated by us and non-Japanese to be qualified for our group members. First, we experience the program and evaluate their skill, personality, and quality of the program. And then tailor-made English support package is given. After a month, they will receive an evaluation from a non-Japanese customer. The evaluation items include the quality of the whole program, time, staff, atmosphere, communication skills, and so on.


Ö.Burcu: You serve as a Reiki master and masseuse in the program. I have read compliment comments from customers about you. To which customers you will recommend using Reiki and massage services?

Yoko Arinaga: Anyone can get a benefit from reiki even the ones that have no problem with their physical or psychological health. They can enhance their health by practicing reiki. It is like meditation, prayer, or mindfulness. I practice reiki every night and send it remotely to my friend and family. I feel content, grateful for everything I have and feel the existence of loved ones by practicing reiki.

Ö.Burcu: “Kampo cuisine” is very interesting for European tourists. Can you give us some information about this service? Especially which type of illnesses it may help healing?

Yoko Arinaga: The answer below is from a Kampo therapest(^_^) :



"Thank you for your interest in our “Kampo cuisine”. The food we can serve in our Pharmacy is brown rice porridge, which will help your gut, because it is easy to digest but has enough nutrition. When you travel to foreign countries, you tend to eat more than enough or always have to get used to new food? Your gut must work hard and you may feel stress or fatigue. In fact, to digest much need lots of energy. We also serve Japanese pickles, which are fermented foods and also help to digest. We believe that brown rice porridge and pickles are very Japanese dish and foreigners would enjoy it. Furthermore, we can serve alcohol-containing valuable Kampo materials (ginseng, a special mushroom, or cumquat etc.) depending on each customer’s condition. "

Ö.Burcu: I saw this "Your health problem or disability should not mean giving up your journey." on your website. and I like it very much.

Yoko Arinaga: It is important for us anyone can access any place. If someone wants to access us, there should not be any barrier. Everyone has a right to have our treatment, and we do our best for them. If someone lives too far, sometimes I send remote reiki to them. Or Kampo therapist can give advice on zoom.

Ö.Burcu: In your program it is not only about healing the body inside by techniques such as “Kampo cuisine” and “Reiki”, but also program has "japanail" and “massage” that will make your body look beautiful outside so mentally we can feel better too. When people finish their holidays in Nagasaki, they can go back completely renewed. Do you have any other businesses like “japanail” in your program or are there any planning to join in the future?



Yoko Arinaga: Beauty is another aspect of our project besides health. We currently close Japanail as the owner couldn’t pass our evaluation due to her English ability. But we are recruiting the manicurists for this program. There are so many manicurists everywhere in Japan, but the problem is their communication skill.

Ö.Burcu: Sorry to hear that, I hope you will start Japanail program again soon.



Ö.Burcu: Do you provide guidance to customers who are not sure which services they can take? For example; Which services would you recommend to a person who hasn’t had the opportunity to take a vacation for a long time but has only worked?

Yoko Arinaga: This is a good question! Yes, we want to recommend the best program after hearing the customer’s preference. We are like a concierge in Nagasaki,we can organize the tailor-made package which is not on our website too.

Ö.Burcu: Nice to hear this!

Ö.Burcu: I guess the businesses in the NAGASAKI WELLNESS program offer their services in their own shops instead of gathering in one center, right? And are they work with the Appointment system?

Yoko Arinaga: That is right. Clients must go to each salon to have treatment. It seems inconvenient for customers but this is why we can have more and more quality and various wellness program in our group. And they are more responsible for their treatment compared to the therapists who are hired in an institution.

Ö.Burcu: Thank you Yoko-san for this great interview!!

If you are interested in this program, you can check this google map to see the locations of the shops which are in the NAGASAKI WELLNESS Program:

https://goo.gl/maps/qx5JTXWyztg1TGeVA


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