Hospital Fieldwork at Kuakini Health System (March 12, 2009)
It was a windy but warm and sunny day on our arrival to the Kuakini Health System, founded in 1900 as the Japanese Charity Hospital by Japanese immigrants.  Our mission was to give Shiatsu to the weary, hard working hospital staff so they could experience first hand (or maybe second hand) the benefits of Shiatsu. We were then joined by the Aisen Shiatsu School in Honolulu, led by the ever colourful, Indei sensei, principal of the school.  Then just moments later, we were joined by the Japan Shiatsu College in Tokyo, who actually came by bus, straight from the Honolulu airport.  We were honoured to meet Dr. Hiroshi Ishizuka, principal of Japan Shiatsu College, and Kazutami Namikoshi sensei, the son of the late Tokujiro Namikoshi and the chairman of the Japan Shiatsu College, as well as Kurosawa sensei, the head instructor of the college.  Approximately 60 students from the college attended, along with 5 to 6 students from the Aisen Shiatsu School, and 4 participants from the CCST (Canadian College of Shiatsu Therapy).

In the evening, after the fieldwork, all of us went to a delicious buffet-style restaurant at the Tiki Restaurant Bar and Grill.  There, we all had a great time conversing with the other students, getting to know one another.

Gross Anatomy Workshop at the University of Hawaii (March 14-15, 2009)

The main highlight of this trip was definitely the gross anatomy workshop that was held at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.   This beautiful, new bioresearch building opened in 2005 by the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, located halfway between Waikiki and Honolulu International Airport.  On the ground floor of this building is the gross anatomy lab.  This is where we would spend two days dissecting cadavers and learn in depth information about the human body, which textbooks can’t provide.  The rainy, windy weather during our weekend workshop didn’t stop us from having a good time!

Our host was Dr. Scott Lazanoff, the chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.  He seemed happy to see everybody, especially the CCST group since they were members of last year’s anatomy workshop.  An Ohio native, Dr Lazanoff, attended UBC as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Orthondontics from 1984 to 1987.  His expertise in his subject matter, as well the respect he gives and receives from his staff and students, made us realize how really fortunate we were to have him teach this workshop and to learn from him as well.

Before starting the dissection, we donned hairnets, gowns, aprons, masks, shoe covers and latex gloves.  Then, we all gathered around, and took a moment of silence to thank those who have donated their bodies to the medical school as part of the “Willed Body Program”.  Steven Labrash, director of the anatomy lab, and a licensed funeral director and embalmer, told us that the university receives about 30 bodies a year.  We would begin and end each day with a silent prayer, and, to be honest, I was deeply touched and moved by the respect and dignity that everyone displayed. Not just as a Shiatsupractor, but as a fellow human being.

At each table, there were four cadavers.  We were divided into four groups, one per cadaver. Each table had staff members and interpreters, to show and teach us about the cadavers.  As we got into our groups, it turned out the CCST group ended up together, with a couple of students from Japan Shiatsu College and Aisen Shiatsu School.  Even Indei sensei joined us. Our main instructor at our table for 2 days was Chris, and with her colleague Atsuko, as well as a Japan Shiatsu College student, named Kei, who helped out with interpreting for the Japanese students.  We performed the dissection on “Hideo”, a customer service employee for a hotel.  “Hideo”, who had died from cardiopulmonary arrest due to complications of esophageal cancer and pneumonia.

The moment we started to cut into the human body and opening it up, the feeling was nothing we had ever felt before.  We were intrigued to see what the actual human anatomy looks like.  Each of the muscles, sheaths, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and viscera had a definite 3-D beauty.  It was like our anatomy class sprang to life!  We all worked hard during the two days, and we all learned as much as we could. We were also encouraged to see the other cadavers at each table, so we were able to learn each one of them, as they are all different from one another.  It was pretty overwhelming; because of all the complexity of the human body we had learned, but it was definitely worth it.  This experience gave us the feeling of appreciation and understanding, as a student of Shiatsu and a Shiatsupractor, of how we can treat each of our clients.  But as a person, it gave me and everybody else a chance to understand ourselves and how to take care as well.

I would like to thank the Japan Shiatsu College, Aisen Shiatsu School, University of Hawaii’s John A. Burn School of Medicine, The Willed Body Program and of course the CCST.  They all made this experience possible. If it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t have understand what a actual human anatomy looks like, and, not only that, we probably wouldn’t have had a chance to get to know one another.  I hope that many students have the chance to experience this in the next year, not only for the academic enrichment, but to appreciate the warmth, friendliness and beauty of Hawaii.  Mahalo!!

Written by Nina Sugii