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About - The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation
A Brief History of the Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation (Hawaii).
After Chieko Maekawa returned from completing her acupuncture studies in Japan, she and Jeffrey Dann recognized the need for their own continuing education and upgrading of acupuncture skills on the Big Island of Hawaii. Originally working together in 1985 as directors of the Big Island Acupuncture Association they started bringing Japanese masters to Hawaii. The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation was then founded with the addition of Keiko Gibo, RN, L.Ac. who had just returned from the New England School of Acupuncture. In 1985 they first brought Kiko Matsumoto to the Big island and then again the following year 1986.
 Since then the Traditonal Japanese Acupuncture Foundation (Hawaii) has brought some of the most outstanding contemporary masters from Japan. Sorimachi Taiichi taught in Hawaii 1987 , 1988 , 1989 , and 1990.
The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation then through the efforts of Maekawa sensei invited Denmei Shudo , master of Meridian Therapy (keiraku chiryo). Shudo sensei came to teach in Hawaii in the years 1998 , 1999, 2000, and 2001 . It was then that Stephen Brown and Robert Hayden joined forces with the Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation. The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation introduced sensei Masakazu Ikeda and Eddie Obaidey in their first teaching visit to the US.
The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation ( TJAF ) is committed in an openminded and non-dogmatic way to, invite masters from Japan to the US. For example they hosted in a unique venue the joint teaching of Meridian Therapy master Denmei Shudo and Sawada moxa master Junji Mizutani.
The Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation has since become loosely affiliated with other groups in the US who continue to study with and bring Japanese masters to the United States. A prime example of this is Peter Yates and his New York Edokai group which just hosted sensei Akizo Okada in April 2002.
About the Staff
Chieko Maekawa Ph.D., D.Ac.
Begining her acupuncture studies under the instruction of Dr. James T.Y.So in 1981 at the New England School of Acupuncture, Boston, Massachusetts . Chieko Maekawa then returned to Japan and attended Waseda College of Medical Arts and Sciences in Tokyo and received her license in acupuncture and moxibustion in 1985 . During that time 1982-1995 Chieko Maekawa studied with and was a clinical assistant to Dr. Taiichi Sorimachi, specializing in his Seitai-Shinpo style of acupuncture.
From 1993 to the present Chieko Maekawa has been the president of the Big Island Acupuncture Association; Chieko Maekawa has been the chair of the Hawaii Acupuncture Association's education committee (1996-present); and is a founding member of the Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation (Hawaii) since 1985. She received her Ph.D. in 1991 and her D.Ac. in 2000, from the University of Health sciences in Honolulu.
Jeffrey Dann Ph.D., L.Ac.
Jeffrey originally did field work for 3 years in Japan as a medical anthropologist studying mind-body training practices of the traditional martial arts. He completed his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Washington , Seattle in 1978. He studied shiatsu and other bodywork systems such as Sei Tai Ho and achieved the following ranks: kendo yondan , iaido nidan; and naginata-do shodan. He also had the great pleasure to work and train with Donn Draeger, master budoka while in Japan.
After teaching at the University of Hawaii Hilo campus and working as a cross-cultural consultant for Pacific-rim Peace Corps training programs, Jeffrey returned to Asia for formal acupuncture training. He studied in Sri Lanka with Rhada Thambiraajah and at the Dehiwela General Hospital, in Hong Kong with Gary Butt, and in Beijing at the Beijing Municipal Hospital of TCM. He completed his state and national requirements in Hawaii schools in 1985. He has studied with various masters since and for the past 15 years has focused on Japanese styles of therapy.
Jeffrey is also an instructor of eclectic shiatsu certified by the AOBTA (Asian and Oriental Body therapies Association). He is a clinical instructor at several acupuncture and massage schools in the Boulder area.
He has taught introductory classes in Japanese acupuncture in Istanbul to the Turkish Medical Acupuncture Association and will be a presenter at their National Acupuncture Congress in October , 2002.
He is currently the director of the Aloha Wellness clinic in Boulder, Colorado.
Stephen Brown, L. Ac.
Stephen graduated from Japan Central Acupuncture College at Tokyo in 1983 and obtained his license to practice shiatsu, acupuncture, and moxibustion in Japan. In 1984 he attended the Advanced International Acupuncture Training Course at the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.
Stephen began his teaching career in 1985 as an instructor for the International Acupuncture Training Program of Kuretake Institute in Tokyo. He moved to Seattle in 1986 and started teaching shiatsu and acupuncture at the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture. He is also a practitioner and teacher of traditional exercises for health including yoga, taichi, sotai, and chigung.
Being a native speaker of Japanese, Steven has translated many texts on Oriental medicine and exercises for health and has served as an interpreter for international seminars and conferences. He is a founding member of the North American Journal of Oriental Medicine a journal devoted to traditional Japanese medicine, and he served as the editor from June 1994 to Mar 1998. He has served as the vice-president of the Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Foundation since 1998.
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