How to tell which massage chairs are made in Japan
This year, Japanese made massage chairs have made a huge comeback. If you like a precise and methodical massage chair, A Japanese massage chair brand may be your first choice. But how do you know which massage chair is made in Japan?
We'll show you with our Easy Guide.
Key Takeaways
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Japanese massage chairs are usually denoted with the letters JP in the model
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Happy customers of Japanese massage chairs usually like deep tissue massage experience
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More manufacturers are shifting back to Japanese designers
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Japan has some of the best massage chairs in the world
JP Denotes Japanese Made
If you look at the list of Japanese made massage chairs, 90% of the list will start with the letters JP. Usually you will see the brand name before the JP or the case with JPMedics in the brand name:).
This provides and easy system to tell where your massage chair is manufactured when you are shopping. You will also see these Japanese made chairs priced in the luxury massage chair market of $5,000 and above. Japan has always focused on quality massage chairs and the price reflects it.
Another key feature is Japanese massage chairs focus on innovation and high level massage chair technology. You'll always have a high quality massage chair with advanced features like heated massage rollers. You'll also see a focus on wellness and overall stress reduction.
Japanese Households Massage Chair Adoption Rate
A staggering 20% of Japanese households have massage chairs (compared to 1% in the US and other countries). Japanese brands dominate domestically in Japan. With Japan's focus on a quality of life, it is easy to see why high quality chairs are a must.
Features of Japanese Massage Chairs
When you compare Japanese made to Chinese made massage chairs, you will get a very different feel. Japanese made massage chairs are very methodical deep tissue massage in their movements. Several factors come into play for this.
Japanese massage chairs focus on the health benefits and shiatsu style massage. Shiatsu is a Japanese massage therapy technique that uses pressure points on the body. These pressure points are sometimes called channels and the goal is to loosen the pressure points to improve overall health. The word "shiatsu" translates to "finger pressure" in Japanese.
Another key feature of Japanese massage chairs is a focus on massage on the neck and shoulders. This is helpful for relaxation and relieving upper back pain.
Newer Japanese massage chairs also have advanced AI technology and elite level air compression massage. They are voted some of the best massage chairs for deep tissue on the market.
Why do many people trust things Japan made?
Japanese manufacturing has long been a status symbol for quality around the world. The country's "Kaizen" approach to manufacturing focuses on constant improvement. A Japanese company is known for higher quality goods than those made in China.
Japanese massage chairs are recognized worldwide for quality and lasting 10-20 years after purchase. Based on our 27 years in the massage chair market, most people upgrade their Japanese Made massage chairs for new features and not because they wear out.
The "Kaizen" approach also reflects in the massage features in the chair. In recent years advanced features have come out to improve circulation like heated massage rollers of the JPMedics Kumo.
Japanese Massage Chair Brands
There are over a dozen massage chairs made in Japan. We have 3 favorites we recommend based on massage experience, customer support, user reviews, and chair longevity.
Our 4 favorite brands are, Furniture For Life, Synca Wellness, JPMedics, and Osaki.
These brands continue to bring Japanese innovation and quality to America and Canada.
Buying Guide for Japanese Massage Chairs
We put together a list of our 5 Best Japanese Massage Chairs on the market. This is an excellent resource that goes overs users unique needs. It also covers the world class massage chairs made in Japan. Also there are some notes like which body type usually isn't a good fit for Japan made chairs.
You can also learn how we review massage chairs and what we look at when we review massage chairs. You can also look at all the Japanese Made Massage Chairs we carry by clicking on the link below:
