First Visit to OQ | English Osteopathy in Kyoto

Your first visit to OQ — what to expect

If you’ve never been to an osteopath before — or you’ve seen osteopaths back home and want to know how OQ works — this page is for you.

OQ is a small osteopathy clinic in central Kyoto with two practitioners. Yusuke Sakata (ground floor, 1F) holds a BSc(Ost) and works mainly with women’s health, children, pregnancy, postnatal care, and whole-body concerns. Sota Omura (2F, one floor up) specialises in stroke rehabilitation, lower limb issues, gait analysis, and low back pain.

We see patients of all ages — from newborns to elderly — and we welcome visitors passing through Kyoto as well as people living in Japan long-term.

Is osteopathy the same as massage or chiropractic?

Not quite. Osteopathy is a manual therapy that looks at the whole body — how your structure, nervous system, and internal environment interact — rather than treating the symptom in isolation.

Where a massage focuses on relaxing muscles, and chiropractic focuses primarily on spinal alignment, osteopathy asks: why is this pattern here, and what does the whole body need to find its own balance?

The approach is gentle and specific. Most people are surprised by how subtle the work feels — and how much can shift.

→ What is osteopathy? (English)

What happens at your first session

A first visit takes about 60 minutes, in four steps.

1. We listen first (about 15–20 minutes)

Before any hands-on work, we ask about your current concern, how long it has been going on, past injuries or surgery, medications and diagnoses, and what your daily life looks like. A sprained ankle from ten years ago may matter for your shoulder today. You don’t need to explain it perfectly. Just tell us what you feel, in your own words.

2. We read the body by hand (about 10 minutes)

We look at your posture and movement standing, sitting and lying down, and feel for tension, restricted movement, asymmetry and the quality of your breathing. No machines or scans. If you come in with low back pain, we might start with your pelvis, your diaphragm or even your feet. Why we often work where it doesn’t hurt →

3. Hands-on work (about 25–30 minutes)

Most of the work is quiet and gentle: soft tissue release, gentle articulation, and cranial and visceral osteopathy. Yusuke sometimes uses a quick thrust technique (HVLA) on one or two areas when it is clinically useful. It is a small part of the work, and if you would rather he didn’t, just say so. Sota doesn’t use thrust techniques.

People describe it in different ways: “I didn’t feel much, but afterwards my body felt different.” “My stomach started gurgling while you were working on my head.” “I nearly fell asleep.” We don’t force change. The work creates the conditions for your body to rebalance itself.

4. What we found (about 5–10 minutes)

We talk through what we found, what your body responded to, and what makes sense next. If you are visiting Kyoto, we plan around the time you have and give you clear things to do after you leave (what one session can do). If you live in Japan, we give you an estimate and a clearer plan by your third session (how many sessions will I need?). If we think osteopathy isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you.

What we work with

These are some of the reasons people come to OQ:

Not sure who to see? Book with Yusuke — he’ll let you know if Sota’s approach would suit you better.

Practical information

Address	466 Shichikencho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8366
Nearest station	Hankyu Omiya Station — 2 min walk
Hours	9:00–22:30 (last booking 21:30) / By appointment only
Closed	Sundays and public holidays: Yusuke by special booking. Saturdays: Sota by special booking. See Fees & hours
Phone	075-822-3003
Booking	Online booking strongly recommended
What to wear	We provide clothes to change into. Come as you are
Map	Google Maps

Please check you have the right clinic. A clinic with a similar name is nearby. We are at 466 Shichikencho, Nakagyo-ku, two minutes from Hankyu Omiya Station.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do I need to speak Japanese?

No. Yusuke Sakata is fully fluent in English and conducts sessions in English without difficulty. You do not need to prepare anything in Japanese.

Q. I’m only in Kyoto for a few days. Is it worth coming for just one session?

Yes. Osteopathy works best as a planned course, so ideally we would see you at least twice. In practice, about seven in ten of our international visitors can only come once because of their travel schedule, and many of them tell us they are glad they came. If one session is what your trip allows, we plan it that way and do everything we can in that single hour.

Q. I’m living in Japan long-term. How does ongoing care work?

We’ll talk through a realistic plan together after your first session. Our approach, Re・Form, usually takes 6 to 12 sessions, followed, if it suits you, by occasional maintenance. There’s no pressure to commit to anything upfront. We’ll see how your body responds first. How many sessions will I need? →

Q. Does it hurt?

It shouldn’t. Most of the work is gentle. You may feel warmth spreading or a sense of settling in areas of tension. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell us and we’ll adjust straight away.

Q. Do I need a referral?

No. You can book directly. If you are under medical care, please keep it up and tell us about it at your first visit.

Q. Will I feel anything afterwards?

Some people feel lighter straight away. Others feel tired, a little sore, or have a mild headache for a day or two while the body adjusts. Drink water, rest if you need to, and message us if anything worries you.

Q. Can osteopathy help with everything?

No. Fractures, acute infections and conditions that need surgery are outside what we do. If we think you need a different kind of care, we’ll tell you honestly and help you find the right place.

More in English

• OQ — English top page
• Director’s credentials & training history
• Evolutionary medicine series (English)
• 初めての方へ（日本語版）