“Cosmetic Acupuncture” Has Swept Japan
“针灸美容”风靡日本
Forget cosmetic surgery. 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.
别再想着整容了！“针灸疗法”1500 年前由中国传入日本，现在这一古老的疗法作为一种美容秘诀开始在日本风靡了。
As aesthetic sessions increasingly go organic or employ traditional remedies, women at the “ Beauty World Japan ” exhibition this week lined up to try acupuncture, long known for its health advantages.
如今美容界越来越推崇有机美容和传统疗法。上周在日本举办的“美丽世界美丽日本”展览会上，女性朋友排队争先恐后地尝试针灸美容。
Inserting tiny needles into faces boosts natural facial healing powers, says therapist Takeshi Kitagawa.
据优可水疗馆老板、针灸师武北川介绍，在脸部插入细针头,能激发面部肌肤的自愈能力。
“This is not a medical or surgical 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.”
“这不属于外科手术或医学治疗的范畴。我们只是激发了人体内本身就拥有的能量。因为针灸美容符合时下‘自然美’的流行趋势，所以很受欢迎。”
Japan is the world's second largest market for beauty products and services, with sales estimated at over $15 billion last year alone.
日本是全球第二大美容产品与服务消费市场。据估计，去年一年美容行业的销售总额超过了150 亿美元。
Acupuncturist licensing 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 cosmetics or facelifts as pricey and not as healthy.
大约130 年前，在明治天皇时期，日本就出现了针灸师行业。据北川介绍，他的顾客年龄大都在30 岁上下。因为化妆品和整容手术价格昂贵且不健康，所以她们现在都寄希望于针灸美容。
“It's different from plastic surgery; it doesn't have the risk of failure. Besides, it uses the innate power of human body to create beauty, and that's the reason I like it,” said Rie Hayashida.
林田理惠说：“针灸和整容不同，它没有风险。它利用人体天生的能力来达到美容的目的，所以我很喜欢。”
Japan has an estimated 40,000 registered acupuncturists and over 150 schools, mainly focused on traditional uses.
据估计，日本目前有4 万名注册针灸师，以及150 多所关注针灸传统治疗的针灸学校。
