Italy
Dr. Fulvio Palombini made the announcement on June 23rd in Rome that the Italian School of Shiatsu of Rome will host a celebration on October 23rd – 24th, 2004, the 10th Anniversary of the death of Rudy R. Palombini.

In November, 1991, the international shiatsu congress was held in Rome, Italy, hosted by Rudy Palombini, who had nearly 25 years of experience. Rudy used to be a masseur and worked with many topnotch athletes, including marathon runner Abebe Bikila, an Olympic gold medalist. Rudy was the official masseur of the Italian Olympic team and came to Tokyo in 1964 for the Summer Games. He had heard about Japanese shiatsu before he left Rome for Japan and was looking forward to meeting a master of shiatsu. During his spare time in Tokyo, he visited the Japan Shiatsu School and was treated by Tokujiro. Rudy was so impressed with the technique that he switched from massage to shiatsu right away. He trained under Tokujiro and started to practice in Rome.
(Excerpt from SHIATSU-DOH, CHAPTER 10, Kensen Saito)


world health organization (WHO) prepares to approve shiatsu

CANADA
Toronto
On June 4th, Kensen Saito, Director of the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo in Toronto ON Canada, met with Dr. Xiaorui Zhang, supervisor of the Traditional Medicine Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy of the World Health Organization. Their discussion involved the importance of shiatsu on an global level. A follow up meeting was then held on June 5th with Dr. Ted Lo, President of the Friends of Alternative and Complementary Therapies Society (FACT) and its members. Dr. Zhang informed them at this meeting that the World Health Organization chose six therapies to be accepted under the category of manual therapies within the traditional medicine designation worldwide. The six manual therapies include: Chinese Tsuina; Japanese Shiatsu; Judo therapy; Thai massage; Chiropractic; and Osteopathy. This is an important development for shiatsu therapists worldwide, as it gives credibility and respect to a profession that helps so many people. The WHO guidelines on manual therapies is still on the initial phase of preparation. As soon as guidelines are ready, they will put them on their website which is: http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/trm/orgtrmmain1.shtml.
Stay tuned for more information when their policy in formally accepting these therapies will be official.