About four years ago, I started waking up every morning with my right hand stuck in a fist, unable to open it. I had to use my left hand to slowly extend each finger, one by one, until I could finally form a flat palm. This became part of my daily morning routine. As we age, our bodies naturally experience various changes and malfunctions, but this seemed excessive. Concerned, I decided to undergo a thorough examination at a university hospital.

I first visited the orthopedic department, where they ran CT scans and X-rays, but no abnormalities were found. I then consulted the rheumatology department, but they couldn’t identify any underlying cause either. Just when I was at a loss, I was introduced to Dr. Shinichi Watanabe.

The introduction came through Yoshikage Kajiwara of LOWERCASE, a colleague of mine and also someone I consider a mentor in the world of food. He had been receiving body maintenance treatments from Dr. Watanabe, who was rumored to have “god-like hands.” At my first session, I immediately noticed that his approach was completely different from any shiatsu or massage therapy I had ever experienced. Instead of directly stimulating my stiff right hand or fingers, he would touch completely different areas of my body—but in a way that felt unique and precise. I wish I could put it into words, but my vocabulary falls short of describing it.

Amazingly, by my third session, I was no longer waking up with my hand clenched in a fist. And to this day, my right hand has never locked up again.

Dr. Watanabe understands LOOPWHEELER deeply and personally wants me to continue my work. Even now, he gives me monthly maintenance sessions. He has his own philosophy, and considering my age, he set a goal: to help me maintain a body capable of working until I turn 70. Instead of focusing on time, we decided to restore my motor functions to the level of a 3rd or 4th grade elementary school student.

So, what does that involve? Essentially, I run—but with variations. I run backward, skip, do side steps, sprint down stairs, climb stairs skipping steps, and hop on one foot—all incorporated within a 3 to 4 km run. The goal is to raise my heart rate to around 150–160 bpm and then bring it back down to around 130 bpm as quickly as possible.

In the past two years, I have run over 1,000 km. Thanks to this, my body is in much better shape than it was four years ago, and I feel stronger and more energized for work. Dr. Watanabe has become an irreplaceable part of my life.

Now, he is opening a chiropractic school to train successors. If his students go on to establish their own practices, more people like me will be able to find relief. That’s why I wanted to introduce him here today. Moments like this remind me just how amazing Japan truly is.

By Satoshi Suzuki