A path through work, study, and independent practice — and the decision to share it with others.
Teaching since May 2013
Seminars held
730
Total seminar attendance
10,570
Figures reported by Koto as of . Attendance includes repeat participation. Source (Japanese) ↗
Finding his own path
Before seitai, there were company jobs, freelance writing about professional wrestling, and travels through Europe and North America. Koto’s route into hands-on practice began with a search for a way to work independently.
A brochure for a seitai school became the starting point. He trained, worked in a seitai practice, and later worked as a rehabilitation assistant at an orthopedic clinic. These experiences preceded the opening of his own salon.
Building a practice
In 2004, Koto opened K-STYLE in Hiyoshi, Yokohama. The salon moved to Jiyugaoka, Tokyo, in 2007.
Alongside daily sessions, he continued studying different approaches to bodywork. In his autobiographical account, he connects his growing interest in working with the head to his own experience of illness. Practice and further study gradually shaped the approach he calls “Koto-shiki Atama no Seitai.”
In 2016, the salon moved to Okusawa and took the name Solecka. The name now connects his practices in Tokyo and Fukuoka.
From practice to teaching
In his autobiographical account, Koto describes the 2011 Tohoku earthquake as a turning point. It prompted him to reconsider keeping his techniques within his own practice and to begin thinking about sharing them more widely.
He began presenting his own seminars in May 2013. His teaching has since covered head-focused techniques, assessment of joint range of motion, and relationships between the head and the whole body.
These subjects appear in programs including “Koto-shiki Atama no Seitai,” “NOW & THEN,” and “AtoZ.” Beginning in 2014, he also shared his teaching through instructional DVDs, covering head-focused techniques, joint movement assessment and whole-body seitai.
Across borders
In May 2018, Koto presented a three-day program of professional seminars in Baoding, China. He returned that July for a further program.
His work in North America that summer took different forms. In Vancouver, Canada, he gave a talk for the local Japanese community and offered individual sessions. In Seattle, in the United States, he offered individual sessions.
A visit to Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2019 included a seminar and sessions with Japanese and Russian residents. These activities brought his work into classrooms, community gatherings, and individual practice outside Japan.
Continuing the work
His work today spans individual practice, seminars, and video education. THE SOLECKA opened in Fukuoka in November 2023. In March 2024, the Tokyo salon moved to Jingumae, in the Omotesando area.
Online education
Koto’s Japanese-language video subscription service, Solecka members only, has been running continuously since .
By , the service had published more than 1,200 videos.
Technique demonstrations and recordings of live talks offer students varied ways to learn and develop their practice, bringing together hands-on skills, salon management, and reflection on the values of professional practice.
Talks, workshops & gatherings
Alongside his technical teaching, Koto has held talks exploring salon management, money, and the values of professional practice. The event record below spans 2021–2026, beginning with Smells Like Fifty Spirit in August 2021, before the launch of his video subscription service.
In January 2026, he introduced the Study Day series: dialogue and knowledge for seitai practitioners.
· Akasaka, Tokyo
Smells LikeFifty Five Spirit
On , Koto held Smells Like Fifty Five Spirit, a talk event in Akasaka, Tokyo. Through conversation, he reflected on his path in practice and the values that guide his work.
The event marked his birthday, 22 years of independent practice, and four years of his Japanese-language video subscription service.
Before the launch of the video subscription service.
Talk
Koto’s Approach to Business Management
Event
and… Vol.1
Talk
Money Matters for Bodywork Practitioners
Anniversary party
First Anniversary Party: NxT
Party
HALLOWEEN PARTY 2023
Event
Road to FUKUOKA
Talk
How Koto Chooses a Salon Space — and the Story Behind Three Salon Relocations
Talk
Koto’s 100 Rules from 20 Years of Salon Management: An In-Depth Discussion — Part 1
Talk
Koto’s 100 Rules from 20 Years of Salon Management: An In-Depth Discussion — Part 2
Workshop
Solecka Workshop Vol.1: Deconstructing Yourself — Creating Your Own “New Anatomy”
Talk
Study Day 1
Dialogue and Knowledge for Seitai Practitioners
Talk
Study Day 2
Dialogue and Knowledge for Seitai Practitioners
Exploring the Kidneys, Practicing Compassion
Talk
Study Day 3
Dialogue and Knowledge for Seitai Practitioners
Understanding the Gut, Understanding the Person
Birthday talk
Koto's 55th Birthday Event: Smells Like Fifty Five Spirit
Talk
Study Day 4
Dialogue and Knowledge for Seitai Practitioners
The Gut and Allergies: The Body’s Boundaries
DVD works.
Alongside in-person seminars, Koto has developed a body of instructional DVD work. The releases bring together practical teaching and his perspective on working as a seitai practitioner.
Selected DVD works · 2014–2023
2016
AtoZ
A seminar recording exploring Koto’s approach to whole-body seitai.
2017
AtoZ 2
Techniques exploring relationships between the upper limbs, the head and the whole body.
2020
THE EDGE
Frontal bone theory and hands-on techniques, alongside reflections on professional practice.
2023
THE GAME
Occipital bone theory, anatomy and manual techniques, with Koto’s outlook on professional seitai practice.
Further releases
2014–2015Koto-shiki Atama no Seitai
A three-part DVD series of seminar recordings covering head-focused techniques, the jaw joint, and relationships between the head, breathing and the whole body. Volumes 1 and 2 were released in 2014; Volume 3 followed in 2015.
2017–2018Back to Basic / Back to Basic 2
Joint range-of-motion assessment: the hands and upper limbs in the first volume (2017), followed by the feet, lower legs and knees in the second (2018).
2019STAR TRAIN
A presentation of Koto’s STAR TRAIN approach, accompanied by a separate disc explaining the principles behind his manual techniques.
Selected milestones
2004
Opened K-STYLE in Hiyoshi, Yokohama.
2007
Moved the practice to Jiyugaoka, Tokyo.
2013
Began presenting his own seminars.
2014
Released the first volume of Koto-shiki Atama no Seitai, beginning a three-part instructional DVD series.
2016
Introduced Solecka in Okusawa; released the AtoZ instructional DVD.
2018
Seminars in China, a community talk in Canada, and individual sessions in North America.
2019
A seminar and individual sessions in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2021
Held the talk event Smells Like Fifty Spirit in August, before launching his video subscription service.
2022
Launched Solecka members only, a Japanese-language video subscription service, on 1 July.
2023
Opened THE SOLECKA in Fukuoka.
2024
Moved the Tokyo salon to Jingumae, Omotesando.
2025
Reported reaching 1,000 published videos in his Japanese-language subscription service in August.
2026
Introduced the Study Day talk series in January; held Smells Like Fifty Five Spirit in Akasaka, Tokyo, on 18 August. By September, his Japanese-language video subscription service had published more than 1,200 videos.
