KANJI PHYSICAL JAPAN is a Japanese manual therapy clinic in Singapore, located at City Gate on Beach Road, specialising in hands-on techniques (手技) to correct joint misalignment and relieve muscle tension, pain and numbness. Founder Kanji Hiramatsu developed the clinic's approach over more than 30 years of practice in Japan before bringing it to Singapore, and the clinic notes that Mr. Hiramatsu will retire on 31 March 2026, with Tomoyuki Habashita taking over as his successor from 1 April 2026.
The clinic treats a wide range of patients — from the elderly to primary school children, and including Olympic and professional athletes — with staff able to communicate in English, Chinese and Japanese. Services are tailored to different patient groups: Singapore residents and expats dealing with issues like "air-con sickness," the elderly, children and students, women (including menstrual pain, postpartum back pain, and hallux valgus from high heels), adult men (desk-work posture issues, golf swing alignment), sports participants, and patients with acute symptoms such as sprains, jammed fingers, or acute lower back pain ("gikkuri goshi").
The clinic operates on a strictly appointment-only basis, with treatment sessions of 40 to 50 minutes including consultation. Numerous patient testimonials describe improvements in conditions ranging from sports injuries and sprains to chronic back pain, migraines, and post-accident neck and hip pain, often after just a handful of sessions.
At City Gate on Beach Road, KANJI PHYSICAL JAPAN brings a distinctly Japanese approach to manual therapy to Singapore, built around correcting joint misalignment and releasing muscle tension through hands-on technique alone.
The clinic's founder, Kanji Hiramatsu, developed his manual therapy approach over more than three decades of practice in Japan, working with patients ranging from ordinary residents to Olympic and professional athletes. His stated goal was to find faster ways to relieve pain and numbness by addressing small misalignments in the body — an approach he eventually brought to Singapore, choosing the city as a base to reach patients across Asia's financial hub.
The clinic has announced that Kanji Hiramatsu will retire as Director on 31 March 2026, after years of service since the clinic first opened. From 1 April 2026, Tomoyuki Habashita will take over as his successor, with the clinic's staff continuing to focus on delivering the same standard of manual therapy technique going forward.
KANJI PHYSICAL JAPAN organises its approach around the specific patient groups it sees. Singapore residents and expats often present with issues linked to the climate — air-conditioning-related lower back pain, headaches, dizziness and shoulder stiffness, sometimes worsened by unfamiliar furnished-apartment bedding. Elderly patients are treated gradually for lower back, knee and shoulder pain. Children and students come in with sports injuries, growth pains, or posture-related pain and headaches from long hours of study. Women are seen for menstrual pain, hip misalignment, postpartum back pain, hallux valgus from high heels, and menopausal symptoms, while adult men often present with desk-work posture issues or hip misalignment affecting their golf swing. Sports participants and acute injury patients — sprains, jammed fingers, sudden lower back pain — round out the clinic's patient base, with the clinic recommending early treatment for the best results.
Every visit begins with an intake questionnaire and consultation, followed by a physical check where staff palpate the body to pinpoint the source of pain or numbness. Once the cause is identified, staff explain the planned treatment using a bone model so patients understand what to expect before treatment begins. The session itself focuses on releasing muscle tension and improving lymphatic flow, with staff explaining any discomfort as it happens. Afterwards, patients are shown stretches suited to their condition and given a plan for follow-up visits. Sessions run 40 to 50 minutes including consultation.
Because the clinic's technique focuses on correcting joint position rather than standard massage, patients may experience a rebound soreness for two to three days after treatment. The clinic advises against bathing (a shower is fine), drinking alcohol, or rubbing, tapping or stretching the treated area during this period, as this can worsen inflammation.
The clinic's testimonials describe a wide range of outcomes — a young man treated for insomnia linked to neck misalignment, a teenager back to playing futsal after an ankle sprain within three sessions, a woman regaining neck mobility after a cycling collision, an 80-year-old regaining the ability to walk 30 minutes after herniated disc and spinal stenosis treatment, and a ballet student overcoming hip pain after 28 sessions. Several patients describe trying medication or hospital treatment first without success before finding relief through the clinic's manual therapy.
KANJI PHYSICAL JAPAN is located at 371 Beach Rd, #02-15, City Gate, Singapore 199597 — a 3-minute walk from Nicoll Highway MRT (CC5), 7 minutes from Lavender MRT (EW11), and 9 minutes from Bugis MRT (DT14), with parking available in the building. The clinic is open 7am to 6pm (reception until 5pm), closed Wednesday afternoons and all day Thursday, and operates on a strictly appointment-only basis — though urgent cases are asked to call regardless.