"If I wanted to go back, I could. But there is a part of me that doesn't want to choose that." A student who started a salon on weekends while remaining a company employee.
Hello. I am Motoki Kato, Representative of the Japan Intestinal Therapy Association.
The other day, I spoke with our graduate, Ms. Yuasa. During our conversation, there was one phrase I cannot forget.
"If I wanted to go back, I could. But there is a part of me that doesn't want to choose that."
This is not a criticism of being a company employee. It means that while she knows the path to return remains open, she still chooses her current path.
"If I can work this hard, I want to use this energy for something I have chosen myself."
Ms. Yuasa spent her days focused entirely on her work until her 30s.
Looking back on that time, she told me this:
"If I can work this hard, I want to use this energy for something I have chosen myself."
I was surprised by the order of these words.
Many people look for their next step because they "can no longer work this hard." However, Ms. Yuasa looked first at the fact that"there is a version of me that can work this hard."
It wasn't about wanting to quit. It was about wanting to do something she chose for herself.
When your starting point is here, the way you progress afterward changes.
This is because it becomes a story of changing where you place your efforts, rather than changing jobs to escape.
She did not start after quitting.
This is the part I most want to convey.
Ms. Yuasa did not start intestinal therapy after quitting her company.
She says she didn't have confidence when she first started learning, either. She began while wondering, "Is this right for me?"
And after graduating, she began performing treatments at a rental salon only on weekends while continuing to work as a company employee.
She didn't open her own shop, nor did she throw away her income. She started with just a few hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
The phrase "becoming a therapist" sounds like a big step.
However, all she actually did that day was book a rental salon space for one slot and treat one client; that was it.
Many people who feel they cannot take that first step overestimate the size of that step.
What increased were referrals and word-of-mouth.
How did it expand from just weekend treatments?
She didn't do any flashy marketing. She simply faced each person who came to her with care, and they would bring someone else along. It was just a repetition of that.
This is something I have realized through my own 13 years of experience. Those who continue for a long time with a one-person salon usually expand in this way.
Those who spend time on the person right in front of them, rather than those who chase after numbers, are the ones who end up surviving.
It might seem like a slow way of doing things.
But for someone who can only work on weekends, it is also the most realistic approach.
Nagoya, Kakuozan "studio une"
Currently, Ms. Yuasa runs the intestinal therapy salon "studio une" in Kakuozan, Nagoya.
Focusing on intestinal therapy, she also incorporates mugwort steaming and head spas, providing treatments that address both the body and the mind.
A place where women who have been working hard can finally relax. That philosophy is reflected directly in the atmosphere of the salon.
She shares her daily activities on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/studio___une/
I can go back. But I don't want to go back.
Returning to the words at the beginning.
"I could go back if I wanted to. But there's a part of me that doesn't want to choose that."
I think these words are important because they show she isn't forcing herself.
It's not about being a company employee being bad, nor is it about independence being the only right answer.
It's just that she reached a state where she could choose how she works, and her current situation is the result of that choice. That is all.
And this state was not something she achieved after quitting. It was something she built little by little on weekends while continuing her job.
I don't think you need to decide right now. I just want you to know that there is a way to test things out before you make a decision.
The full interview is now available.
What I wrote this time is only a part of our conversation.
Why intestinal therapy? The reality of balancing it with being a company employee. Encounters with clients. What changed while continuing. And the reason she felt, "I could go back. But I won't."
She shares this in her own words.
▶ Full graduate interview: https://cho-therapy.com/voice-yuasa/
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Thank you for reading until the end.
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About the Author
Motoki Kato | Representative of the Japan Intestinal Therapy Association
I have been running a specialized intestinal therapy salon in Nagoya for 13 years. While working with women suffering from abdominal discomfort, I developed a unique method that combines Eastern medicine and anatomy. I have opened schools in Tokyo and Nagoya and have trained over 100 therapists.
On our official LINE, we provide free booklets such as "The Truth and Myths of Gut Health" and "How to Start a Solo Salon."
▶ Official LINE
▶ For those who want to know more about the school: https://cho-therapy.com/advance-course/
▶ Association Website: https://cho-therapy.com
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cho_therapy