Japanese Massage Chair Brands

The Japanese designers have created some of the most innovative and effective massage chairs for home use. 

They designed sturdy and efficient high-tech massage chairs on the market. 

We made the most comprehensive list of genuine Japanese brands that offer their products in the US and other Western markets. 

Below is the list of the most reputable Japanese Massage Chair Brands:

D Core

Fujiiryoki

Inada

JP Medics

Ohco

Panasonic

Synca

Now, let’s take a closer look at each one of them.

Japanese Massage Chair Industry and Brands

Japan has a strong home massage chair culture. According to some estimates, almost 20% of households have massage chairs.

For comparison, in the US, massage chair possession is less than 1%.

Japan is the birthplace of electronic massage chairs (sometime after WWII.) and has lots of excellent global massage chair designer brands.

1- D Core

D Core was established in February 2018 by Soschu Inada. He had 20 years of industry experience before creating his own brand. 

The brand currently has 3 distinct massage chair models:

• Cirrus
• Stratus
• Cloud

Even though the company has an extensive dealership network all over the US, it doesn’t sell its products on Amazon or other major stores.

So, just check the online store and look for the local dealers. 

2- Dr. Fuji

Dr. Fuji’s brand is a tricky one. Even though he is originally Japanese, he’s been a certified medical doctor in California for the last 30 years.

The company’s main office and all operational heads are in the US, but they use Japanese design and massage techniques.

Dr. Fuji got involved in the electric massage chair sector 20 years ago and primarily produced medical massage chairs.

The brand has 18 dealers throughout the US and 1 in Toronto.

But its online existence seems low. It doesn’t offer its products in major online stores.

3- Fujiiryoki

Fujiiryoki is the perfect example of Japanese massage chair obsession. 

The brand is one of the oldest massage chair designers and manufacturers (if not the oldest), founded in 1954.

The company, exclusively the founder Nobuo Fujimoto, is the pioneer in the massage chair industry.

Credit: Fujiiryoki

He created the first automated massage chair in 1954. The design actually got accepted to the Mechanical Engineering Heritage in 2014 (No. 68: Fuji Automatic Massage Machine).

The enterprise has models under the topical name “Cyber-Relax” and a strong sales network in North America. 

Johnson Health Tech bought the majority shares in 2020 and then Synca Wellness (check below for the details) has been the sole distributor in the North American region. 

But also you can find the products in the Amazon online store. 

4- Inada

Another old and reputable Japan-originated massage chair brand, Inada (or Family Inada), was founded in 1964.

The company’s vision from its establishment is to bring the most advanced massage chair experience to all households.

Most significantly, the brand founder and owner Nichimu Inada said, massage chairs are “the only cultural health product the Japanese invented.”

Thus, massage chairs are not just mechanical toys but also a form of showing the pieces of the Japanese way of living.

The company has more than 20 massage chair models, including:

• Cube Plus (Folding Type Massage Chair)
• Embrace
• Yume Robo
• Vita
• Therapina
• Flex 3S
• Medical Chair

Unfortunately, the brand’s online existence is weak in North America. So, you may have to make an extra effort to bring one to your home.

5- JP Medics

Founded in 1996, JP Medics has manufactured health and massage products since then.

Currently, the company has three models on the market, 

• Kumo
• Kawa
• Nami

The US Headquarter is in California, and the brand carries its online sales through its website.

6- Ohco

The brand, previously Dreamwave, was launched in 2019 as a part of the American brand FFL (Furniture for Life). 

It’s not easy to classify the Ohco brand as 100% Japanese since the owner is a Chinese American, Cliff Lewin, and the headquarters is in Colorado.

On the other hand, Japanese designer Ken Okuyama develops Ohco massage chairs. Also, all massage chairs are manufactured in Japan.

So, for North American consumers, we can say that it’s the perfect blend.

The brand has 4 top-notch massage chair models on the market:

• M.8
• M.8 LE (most advanced and pricey)
• M. DX
• R.6 (cheapest but still around $9k)

7. Panasonic

Panasonic is the leading electronics manufacturer with more than 100 years of experience and is proud of Japan’s industrial revolution. 

In 1935, the brand introduced its first home massage device, an electromagnetic household massager (a simple massage gun).

Credit: Panasonic

Currently, it has two massage chairs on the market: MA73 and MAJ7.

The brand also works with FFL for North American sales and distribution, like D Core and Ohco.

8- Synca

Again the background story is complicated, but let’s explain. 

Synca is one of the brands of Johnson Health Tech, a Taiwanese multinational company founded in 1975.

Johnson Healthcare also has the majority shares of Fujiiryoki massage chairs. 

Corporate stuff!

The company launched the Synca Wellness brand as a subsidiary in 2017. The headquarters is in Osaka, likewise all the manufacturing facilities.

So, the Synca brand is Japanese for sure. 

The difference between Fujiiryoki and Synca is that 

• Fujiiryoki was 100% Japanese but was acquired by a big corporation couple of years ago,
• Synca, on the other hand, was recently formed by this global health and wellness giant in Japan. 

But for us, both brands are Japanese since their operational headquarters are in Japan. 

Also, they use Japanese designers, facilities, technology, and labor.

Japanese Massage Culture and Model

Japan’s long and conventional massage culture is highly affected by Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.

Healing and recovery are about energy distribution and balance. 

Japanese massage technique Shiatsu is the application of this philosophy and the primary purpose of Japan-originated massage chairs. 

Shiatsu is the Japanese term for “finger pressure.” This technique includes finger, thumb, palm, and foot movements to acupressure points. 

Beyond the Shiatsu method, Japanese massage chairs offer high-tech features such as Zero Gravity and SL Tracking. 

So, investing in a Japanese massage chair is totally worth it.

Japanese Massage Chair Buying Tips

• Recline-angle massage chairs are best. More angles, a better massage chair, 
• More body weight boosts the massage’s effect,
• A costly chair will last longer before deteriorating,
• Prioritize replaceability while buying a massage chair.
• Massage chairs might need parts replacements, but you can use them for up to 20 years,
• Some brands have Japanese names, selling on the major online stores but don’t have an English website (a proper one) or dealers in the US. These brands are not Japanese for sure.
• Most brands have production facilities in China

Non-Japanese Massage Chair Manufacturers

Some foreign companies also have their names in Japanese (or sound like Japanese) to benefit from Japanese massage brands’ reputations.

Or, customers may think these brands are Japanese because of their product quality and Shiatsu massage feature.

Let’s look at these brands and their origin countries.

• Bodyfriend – Korea

• Daiwa – the USA

• Hutech Kai – Korea

• iRest – China

• Kahuna – the USA

• Kiwami (made by Osaki) – the USA

• Kyota – China

• Mynta – Chinese

• Ogawa – Malaysia

• Osaki – the USA

• Osim – Singapore

• Real Relax – the USA

• Relaxonchair – the USA

• Smagreho – China

• UIIU – China

Finale

Massage chairs are convenient ways to get massage therapy’s benefits inside your home’s comfort zone.

Japan has a strong reputation in terms of designing and producing massage chairs. 

The country is respected for its traditional massage practice, Shiatsu, and the highest quality engineering.

The most well-known Japanese massage chair brands are; D Core, Fujiiryoki, Inada, JP Medics, Ohco, Panasonic, and Synca.