针灸美容在日本再掀新潮流

Forget cosmetic¹ surgery. The ancient treatment of acupuncture² is gaining new popularity as a beauty secret in Japan about 1,500 years after it first came there from China.

别再想着去整容了！约1500年前由中国传入日本的古代“针灸疗法”目前作为一种美容秘诀在日本再掀新潮流。

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An undated file photo shows an acupuncturist inserts a needle into a woman\'s face. The ancient treatment of acupuncture is gaining new popularity as a beauty secret in Japan about 1,500 years after it first came there from China.

As aesthetic⁴（美学的） sessions increasingly go organic or employ traditional remedies（救济方法） , women at the "Beauty World Japan" exhibition this week lined up to try acupuncture（针灸） , long known for its health advantages.

Inserting tiny needles into faces, boosts natural facial healing powers, says therapist Takeshi Kitagawa.

"This is not a medical or surgical⁵ procedure," said Kitagawa, acupuncture therapist and owner of Yojo spa.

"We use the healing powers that a person's body naturally possesses, and within the general trend toward a more 'natural beauty' our acupuncture is very well accepted."

Japan is the world's number two market for beauty products and services, with sales estimated at over $15 billion last year alone.

Acupuncturist licensing⁶ began during Japan's Meiji Era, about 130 years ago, and Kitagawa says his clients, mainly in their 30s, are increasingly pinning their hopes on the treatment, seeing cosmetics⁷（装饰品，化妆品） or facelifts as pricey（高价的） and not as healthy.

"It's different from plastic surgery（整形外科） , it doesn't have the risk of failure. Besides, it uses the innate⁸ power of human body to create beauty, and that's the reason I like it," said Rie Hayashida.

Japan has an estimated 40,000 registered acupuncturists and over 150 schools, mainly focused on traditional uses.