Iokai Shiatsu Opleiding
Learn Shiatsu in the Japanese tradition – with personal attention, hands-on training, and space for your own development. For yourself and for others.
Iokai Shiatsu Training
Shiatsu is more than a treatment method – it’s a craft you learn from person to person, from heart to heart (I Shin – Den Shin).
You develop your skills in a direct, experience-based learning environment, where knowledge, insight, and dedication are passed on from teacher to student.
At Iokai Shiatsu, you’ll receive personal guidance and close attention to your individual learning journey. You won’t just learn how to support others in their health – you’ll also grow as a person. Shiatsu is also a path of personal development.
The training is modular in structure. You can start at your own pace and gradually deepen your understanding. After the first module, you’ll already be able to offer relaxing treatments. If you want to practice Shiatsu as a therapy, you can continue through the follow-up modules.
Curious, but prefer to explore first?
Join a Shiatsu Intensive – now available with a special subsidy! After the Intensive, you can decide whether to continue with the full foundation level, or take another Intensive before moving on.
Have you already completed an Intensive or module and want to continue?
You can sign up here for the next module.
This training is also a valuable addition to an existing career in healthcare or body-oriented work.
Start with a Shiatsu Intensive
New to the shiatsu training?
If you haven’t taken a module before, you can start with a Shiatsu Intensive. This introduction is offered several times a year. Over the course of about two months, you’ll attend classes in one of the core practice kata, giving you an accessible and hands-on introduction to the training.
In Amersfoort and Delft, the Shiatsu Intensive consists of four Sundays from 9:30 to 17:00. In Amsterdam, you’ll attend nine Monday evening classes from 19:00 to 22:00.
After the Intensive, you decide whether to continue with the full foundation level, or perhaps follow a second Intensive first.
Good to know: you can join the Shiatsu Intensive with a generous subsidy, making the course more affordable.
Subsidy fund
You can join a module and make use of our subsidy fund – a contribution from sponsors who support our vision and work.
The first 8 participants per location can receive a €400 subsidy on their first Shiatsu Intensive. Use the following discount code when registering: SUBSIDIE2025 -1 (for your first Shiatsu Intensive)
Upcoming start dates for the Shiatsu Intensive
Amsterdam
- Side position, Monday evening 29 September 2025
Amersfoort
- Side position, Sunday 5 October 2025
Delft
- Side position, 5 October 2025
-
Amsterdam: Monday evenings from 19:00 to 22:00
-
Amersfoort & Delft: Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00
What makes our training unique?
You learn Shiatsu by doing. In each class, you’ll receive clear explanations and demonstrations – and then immediately practise with fellow students. Even outside the classroom, you’ll be encouraged to keep practising, for example with classmates, family, or friends.
The theory is presented in a clear and practical way, always directly linked to hands-on experience. This helps you develop insight into Eastern medicine – not just with your mind, but also through your hands and personal experience.
Through the online learning platform, you’ll have access to readers, assignments, videos, webinars, and your study progress. This allows you to continue studying, deepening your understanding, and practising at your own pace at home.
High-quality training rooted in Eastern tradition
Our program is based on the teachings of Kazunori Sasaki Sensei, one of the close assistants of Shizuto Masunaga, the founder of Iokai Shiatsu. You’ll learn Shiatsu in its original form, with a holistic view of health and healing.
Hands-on from day one
Ninety percent of the first year is focused on practice. From the very beginning, you’ll work with fellow students, giving and receiving treatments, and learning by doing.
Personal attention
We work in small groups so that you always receive personal guidance from our experienced teachers. This helps you grow into your own style and develop as a therapist.
Flexible and modular
You can register for individual modules or for the full foundation year. The program is designed to be flexible, so you can combine it with work or other commitments.
Marcos Bravos
Nurse / 2nd-year student
-
- You learn to treat both physical and emotional issues on a deeper level.
- The teachers are highly skilled, committed, and support you in your personal growth.
- The combination of practice and theory helps you apply everything you learn right away.
“After many years working in healthcare – where the pressure is high and there’s less and less time for personal contact with clients – I was looking for more depth in my profession. The Iokai Shiatsu training offered me that holistic perspective, treating both the body and the energy that flows through it.
What I especially value is the combination of personal development and the practical focus on the craft. The teachers are one of the great strengths of the program – they bring a wealth of experience and guide you with genuine care and attention, which really helps you grow.
Now that I’m entering my third year, I notice I feel calmer and more balanced. In two years, I hope to start my own practice and support people in a meaningful way – with more presence and peace than I ever found in regular healthcare.”
What will you learn?
The professional Iokai Shiatsu training consists of four levels and is structured in modules. You can join step by step and decide each year whether you want to continue. The full program takes approximately four years to complete.
The training is known for its strong focus on hands-on practice, personal guidance, and experiential learning. You’ll grow not only as a therapist, but also as a person – with more energy, vitality, and balance.
Basic level
You’ll learn the basic techniques of Shiatsu and practise treatments in different positions: prone, supine, side position, and seated. You’ll also be introduced to the theory of Eastern medicine and take classes in therapeutic development. After completing this level, you’ll be able to give relaxing treatments.
Modules:
Practice modules – side position, prone, supine, and seated
Theory module – including therapeutic development
Meridian level
You’ll learn to work with meridians and the flow of Ki. You’ll develop greater sensitivity to energetic work, deepen your theoretical understanding, and continue building self-awareness through Do-In and meditation.
Modules:
Meridian theory and practice 1 and 2 – including therapeutic development and entrepreneurship
Diagnosis level
You’ll learn to make diagnoses and develop treatment strategies based on Eastern pathology. You’ll further deepen your understanding of Ki diagnostics, observation, and therapeutic skills.
Modules:
Diagnosis & treatment strategy 1 and 2 – including therapeutic development and entrepreneurship
Clinical level
You’ll further deepen your skills in diagnosis and treatment, work with case study clients under supervision, and prepare for professional practice as an independent Shiatsu therapist. This level concludes with an international exam.
Modules:
Clinical practice 1 and 2 – including therapeutic development and entrepreneurship
Final phase
At the end of your training, you demonstrate that you are working at a professional (bachelor’s) level.
You choose between two pathways:
Practical pathway: Evidence-Based Medicine, Do-In teacher training, reflection paper
Theoretical pathway: Evidence-Based Medicine, case study, and final thesis
Aanmelden Shiatsu Opleiding
Meld je aan voor het basisjaar:
Twijfel je nog, start dan eerst met een shiatsu intensive!
Je start de Shiatsu-opleiding met een Shiatsu Intensive – een mooie manier om onze aanpak te ervaren en te ontdekken of de opleiding bij je past. Dankzij een subsidiepot van onze sponsoren ontvangen de eerste 8 deelnemers: €400 korting op de eerste Shiatsu Intensive en €200 korting op een tweede Shiatsu Intensive. Na afloop beslis je of je verder wilt met het basisniveau. Het betaalde lesgeld voor de Shiatsu Intensive wordt dan in mindering gebracht op het in rekening te brengen lesgeld voor het basisniveau.
Ben je klaar om de kunst van Shiatsu te verkennen en te zien hoe je deze kunt integreren in jouw professionele praktijk of persoonlijke leven? Zet de eerste stap op jouw pad in de wereld van Iokai Shiatsu en ontdek hoe je met aanraking een diepe impact kunt maken op de gezondheid en het welzijn van jezelf en anderen. Wij kijken ernaar uit om je te verwelkomen in onze opleiding!
Meestgestelde vragen
When does the training start?
You can start the basic level three times a year – in October, December, and February.
New to the training? You can begin with a Shiatsu Intensive, which covers part of the basic level. Over two months, you’ll attend classes and learn to give a complete treatment. After that, you decide whether to continue with the rest of the basic level.
You can register for Amsterdam, Delft, or Amersfoort.
In Amsterdam, classes are on Monday evenings from 19:00 to 22:00.
In Delft and Amersfoort, classes are on Sundays from 9:30 to 17:00.
You can find the full schedule here.
Is the training taught in English
In Amsterdam, the training is taught in English.
In Delft and Amersfoort, lessons are either in English or will be translated simultaneously when English-speaking students are present. All course materials are available in English.
Do I need to commit to the full 4-year program right away?
No, you start with the basic level and decide afterwards whether you want to continue.
Even within the basic level, you can begin with a two-month Shiatsu Intensive to first experience the training.
After completing the basic level, you’ll already be able to give relaxing Shiatsu treatments – and if you wish, you can start charging for your sessions.
To meet legal requirements, you’ll register as a student member of the professional association and take out liability insurance.
If you choose to make Shiatsu your profession, the full training takes 4 years and 4 months.
This time is essential to truly master Shiatsu at a high level. The program meets the standard of 240 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), which corresponds to a Dutch higher professional education (HBO) level.
This also means you qualify for VAT exemption under Dutch tax law – so you don’t need to charge VAT on your treatments. In addition, your treatments will be recognised by health insurance providers.
During these four years, you won’t just learn the therapeutic craft – you’ll also develop entrepreneurial skills to build a successful practice of your own.
How much time does it take?
In the first year, the training can easily be combined with a full-time job and a busy family life.
Classes are usually once a week in the evening. You’ll also practise the techniques weekly with friends or people in your network. In addition, there are a few assignments that you complete and discuss with a small study group.
In the following years, the study load gradually increases. You’ll spend more time giving treatments and writing reports.
How much time you actually spend studying or practising varies from person to person. What matters most is that Shiatsu is something you enjoy – something you feel passionate about and that brings you energy. Making time for something that brings you joy is time well spent.
In the third and fourth year, many students find that Shiatsu becomes part of their life.
At that point, they often choose to free up more time – for example, by working half a day less each week or by investing time in building their own Shiatsu practice.
What will I learn?
In the basic level, you learn the foundation of Iokai Shiatsu – everything you cover in these modules forms the basis for the rest of your training.
Central to this first year is developing a sensitive and grounded touch, and applying the basic techniques to the receiver’s body in different positions.
This year is also your introduction to the core principles of traditional Eastern medicine. Eastern ways of thinking are fundamentally different from Western perspectives. In the theory classes, you’ll be introduced to this unique worldview.
To strengthen your own body awareness, physical condition, and control, each class begins with Do-In, Ki training, meditation, or occasionally Qi Gong.
In addition to the Shiatsu modules, the first year also includes therapeutic development. You’ll learn how to give and receive feedback, and how to stay centred and neutral during treatments.
After successfully completing all basic level modules, you’ll receive a certificate.
You’ll be able to give deeply relaxing treatments to people around you. You’ll have learned to use your body in the right way, and to offer touch that is both effective and pleasant to receive. You’ll also have experienced personal growth – both physically and mentally.
What are the costs?
Find an overview of the costs here.
Is it possible to pay in instalments?
You can pay the tuition for the basic level in eight monthly instalments.
What makes this training unique?
At Iokai Shiatsu, you learn through experience – with a strong focus on practice, personal guidance, and working from heart to heart. The training is rooted in the Japanese Iokai tradition and based on the teachings of Kazunori Sasaki Sensei, a direct student of Shizuto Masunaga.
From the very beginning, you learn by doing: practising treatments, developing your touch, and deepening your awareness. You grow step by step – not only as a therapist, but as a person. With more vitality, presence, and connection.
During the classes, there are always several teachers or assistants present to support you and be there when you need them.
We believe in a personal approach where every student feels seen, supported, and at ease.
We are a European organisation with high standards for the teachers and assistants who guide you throughout your studies.
Our teaching team takes part in annual training and continuing education to ensure high-quality instruction and a consistent, mindful approach to teaching.
Christina Tosoni
Graduated Shiatsu Therapist
- The training has a clear, practical structure that helps you support others on a deeper level.
- It offers space for personal growth and awareness.
- Working together with teachers and fellow students provides constant support.
“While working in the cultural sector, I felt the need to work more with my hands and spend less time behind a desk. The Iokai Shiatsu training appealed to me because it’s not just about relieving physical complaints, but about restoring balance and energy.
The structure and quality of the program are strong – it helps you gradually understand and feel the principles of Eastern medicine. This has not only helped me treat others, but also brought more balance into my own life.
Now that I’m building my own practice, I can truly see how valuable this training has been – both professionally and personally. If you want to support others, are open to discovering a new world, and are ready for your own development journey, I wholeheartedly recommend this training.”
Curious but not sure yet? Join an open day, workshop, or intro class.
Are you feeling inspired but want to experience more before you apply?
Come to one of our open days or introductory days. You’ll meet our teachers, get to know our teaching approach, and experience the unique atmosphere of our training. During the intro day, you’ll even get hands-on with basic Shiatsu techniques.
Sign up for an open day or introductory day and discover what Iokai Shiatsu can mean for you!