About OQ
OQ is a specialist osteopathic clinic in central Kyoto, serving both long-term residents and international visitors. We have practised in the same location since February 2007.
By 2026–2027, when both practitioners have completed their UK BSc(Ost) training, OQ will be the only clinic in Japan with two BSc(Ost)-qualified osteopaths on staff. This is not a marketing claim — it is a fact we can verify against the public registers.
Why this matters
In Japan, the word “osteopathy” is not regulated. Anyone can use it, regardless of training. The quality of practice varies widely. Many clinics described as “osteopathy” in Japan would not be recognised as osteopathy in the UK, France, Australia, or New Zealand.
A BSc(Ost) from Swansea University is a UK university degree in osteopathy — the standard qualification required to register with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and practise as an osteopath in the UK. It is medically grounded, with years of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and supervised clinical practice.
If you have seen an osteopath in London, Paris, Sydney, or Auckland, the training behind OQ’s practice is the same one that shaped your experience there.
The two practitioners
Yusuke Sakata — Clinic Director
- BSc(Ost), Swansea University, Wales, UK
- Advanced postgraduate training at EVOST (Evolutionary Medicine within the Osteopathic Field), Belgium
- Institute of Classical Osteopathy (ICO), England
- Certified practitioner, Mind & Membrain (mindandmembrain.com)
- Practising since 2007
Yusuke works from the first-floor clinic and treats adults and children across a wide range of conditions: women’s health, pregnancy, postpartum care, paediatrics, cranial osteopathy, digestive and visceral concerns, autoimmune conditions, and whole-person care. All sessions are in fluent English when requested.
Sota Omura — Associate Director
- Licensed Physical Therapist (PT), Japan
- MSc in Health Science
- Currently enrolled in BSc(Ost), Swansea University, Wales, UK (2026–)
- Additional osteopathic training from multiple institutions in Japan
Sota works from the second-floor clinic and specialises in post-stroke rehabilitation, hip and knee conditions, lower-limb pain, gait analysis, and custom orthotics. Basic English, with translation tools used when helpful. His ongoing Swansea BSc(Ost) training means OQ is actively building toward its two-BSc(Ost) future.
See the full qualification record of both practitioners →
Our patients
Over the past year, OQ has treated more than 120 international patients from over 25 countries. Our patients come from five groups:
- Long-term residents of Kyoto and Kansai — expat families, visiting scholars, employees of multinational companies
- Travellers passing through Kyoto — usually for 1–2 sessions during a trip
- Patients coming to Japan specifically for treatment — planning a focused trip around osteopathic care
- Local Japanese patients — referred by word of mouth over the years
- Families spanning generations — babies, parents, and grandparents in the same household
What we believe
Osteopathy is not a quick fix and it is not a relaxation massage. We look at your whole body, work out why a problem is happening, and treat accordingly. Some problems respond in one session. Some take many. Some we cannot help, and in those cases we will say so clearly and suggest where to go.
We also read and think beyond the clinic. Much of what informs our practice comes from evolutionary medicine, developmental biology, and physiological research — understanding why the human body works the way it does, what it was shaped by, and how modern life can pull it out of balance. You will see this reflected throughout our content in both Japanese and English.
The clinic
- Established February 2007
- 466 Shichikencho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8366
- 2-minute walk from Omiya Station (Hankyu Kyoto Line)
- Two treatment floors (1F director / 2F associate director)
- By-appointment only, 9:00–22:30 (last booking 21:30)
Book your first visit online →