Reference; https://mbp-japan.com/jijico/articles/32376/
Modified and translated by CFJA
Is Katakori (Shoulder Stiffness) Unique to the Japanese?
If you’re wondering, “Is katakori a symptom unique to Japanese people?” — the answer is:
“No, it can happen to anyone, but it has received particular attention and cultural significance in Japan.”
What is referred to in Japanese as katakori (commonly translated as shoulder stiffness or neck and shoulder tension) is a condition experienced globally, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. It is widely considered a modern lifestyle-related issue.
However, in Japan, katakori has been studied more deeply and is more culturally recognized than in many other countries.
Many people in Japan are familiar with the sensation of “shoulders stiffening.”
But why does it occur?
And what can be done to relieve it?
Let’s explore these questions by referring to an article by Dr. Seino, a Japanese acupuncture researcher.
From the 1990s into the 2000s, the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JSAM)—the largest academic society for acupuncture in Japan—operated a special research team called the Katakori Clinical Committee.
Dr. Seino served as vice-chair of the committee for the final two years and contributed to a comprehensive summary of katakori research alongside the chairperson.
The detailed findings were published in the society’s academic journal—although, ironically, reading through them might make your shoulders feel stiff.
The expression katakori is thought to have originated in Japanese literature, with one of the earliest known uses appearing in Sōseki Natsume’s novel “The Gate”:
“When pressed with the fingers, the area between the neck and shoulders, slightly toward the back, felt as hard as stone.”
This expression has contributed to the belief that katakori is a uniquely Japanese symptom. It’s worth noting that katakori is not a formal medical term, but rather a commonly used phrase.
Dr. Seino recalls his surprise during his 1985 studies in China when he was told that Chinese people do not experience katakori. Other international students at the time also said that Westerners rarely experience it.
However, interestingly, non-Japanese living in Japan—including Chinese and Westerners—do report experiencing shoulder stiffness, which raises curious questions.
Over the course of more than 100 research trips abroad related to acupuncture, Dr. Seino noted that katakori was never a central topic. While people abroad may say their shoulders feel “tight” or “tense,” the nuance differs from the distinctly Japanese perception of katakori.
There are few large-scale English-language medical studies that focus specifically on katakori.
At the time, English equivalents for katakori were found in Japanese-English medical dictionaries as follows:
- shoulder discomfort
- shoulder stiffness
- stiff shoulder
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and dictionaries like the Medical Terminology Dictionary described:
- stiffness as “rigidity” or “hardness”
- stiff shoulder as a term for katakori
- stiff neck as stiffness of the cervical region
Based on this, the research committee standardized the English term as “Shoulder Stiffness.”
However, it’s unclear how widely accepted the term is today. In the Western world, katakori is relatively unknown, and since it is not a life-threatening condition, it has not been a serious focus of medical research, despite being a common source of discomfort.
In recent years, computer work has been increasingly cited as a major cause of shoulder stiffness.
With the rise of internet-based lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue may now be becoming more universal, and we may even begin to see a “Japanese-style katakori” spreading worldwide.