Who is the Traditional Japanese Wife Behind the Godfather?

TAINAKA Rika, President of Tainaka Acupressure and Massage Co. Ltd.

Tainaka Acupressure & Massage Company headquartered in Nagaokakyo in Kyoto is growing at a rapid pace. The company started from zero three years ago and now have approximately 60 clinics around Kyoto and 200 massage staff. Behind this amazing growth there is an unbelievable story.

Her ordinary life was turned upside-down by a sudden call
Rika met her husband, TAINAKA Keiichi, now the chairman of the company, when they were high school students. She was attracted to him due to his clear thinking and leadership skills, and his ability to find the truth and not be distracted by trivial matters. They eventually married and had a daughter. Rika was satisfied with her ordinary and peaceful life with her husband, who runs a real estate agency and loves their daughter dearly, but four years ago the peace was shattered when she received a sudden phone call from the police informing her that her husband had been arrested under suspicion of unfair real estate trading.

At the police station, Rika received another shock when she was told her husband had once been a boss of a Yakuza (Japanese mafia) group of gangsters accused by the police. "The police were trying to get information out of me, but I really did not know my husband was a yakuza," Rika recalls. "He gave me his salary every month and took care of my family very well. He never brought any 'dangerous' friends to our home and loved our daughter. He often left home, but I thought it was for business."

Her husband was prosecuted and sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for three years. What did she feel at the time? "His parents came to apologize to me and advised me to divorce him," she said. "They were very anxious about me, but I had no intention to leave him at all. My parents also agreed with me saying he was not a bad guy. However, our daughter was shocked and had a nervous breakdown. I consoled her, saying 'Your father is all that you know,'" Rika explains without emotion. "But those who I thought were good people did not show up to see me. On the contrary, people who had not been very friendly cared for me. I saw the true face of people."

Re-starting from nothing
On his release from prison, Keiichi quit the Yakuza underworld. However, it is extremely difficult to leave the organization, and he lost all his property in the process since he had to pay to get out. The couple's new beginning began at this point. Keiichi regretted his past life and decided to do something useful for society, but it was not so easy to find a business that the couple could start. After much consideration, they reached a decision. Their new business would involve acupressure and massage, a skill in which Rika's nursing experience could be utilized. They believed it would work since they could start with no money and create many happy customers.

However, they had no place to start their business. Keiichi visited many hospitals and homes for the elderly, but he was refused every time. His requests were often not understood and he was sometimes refused at receptions. But even though he was rebutted, Keiichi's strong will to rebuild himself gave him the energy to continue to call on these facilities and when he had visited about 1,000, he received a call from a home for the elderly. The manager said they would provide Keiichi and Rika with some space in return for their services free of charge. Keiichi accepted the offer with pleasure. This was the actual start of Tainaka Acupressure and Massage Company. After that, they received offers from such places as a nearby onsen (hot spring) where the couple and their relatives commuted to carry out their work, and over time, their business gradually expanded.

After that, Tainaka Acupressure and Massage Company began to experience skyrocketing growth. One of their main sales points is the way they greet their customers. Customers feel good when they receive a cheerful greeting upon arrival. Even if the skills of the massage staff are not always perfect, customers are usually very happy with their attitude. This simple service that appeals to the human heart is really gaining a reputation and word is spreading from mouth to mouth and subsequently, they have received many offers of clinic space. A manager at one of Japan's Don Quijote (discount store) shops where a Tainaka clinic is located, is thankful for the couple's service, saying "Since Tainaka joined, awareness of our shop assistants and tenants has changed and they have all begun cheerfully exchanging greetings which has brought a warm and bright atmosphere to the store." It is things like this, that leads to the next introduction, and the next ...

Very unique husband
What is the secret of their success? It has to be the powerful character of Rika's husband Keiichi. With his dyed blonde hair, painted eyebrows, pierced ears, irezumi (tattoo) showing on his arms and a swaggering, open-strided walk, most people will be scared when they see him for the first time. Part of his office wall is decorated with, among other things, two hanging Japanese swords and a large black lacquered dragon design. His meishi (name card) displays a fearsome dragon against a black background above his name. Even now, Keiichi looks just like the yakuza shown in movies.

However, once you speak to him, your impression will completely change. When he speaks about his business dreams, his eyes shine like a boy's and his stern face softens. To cope with this growth, Mr. & Mrs. Tainaka established the Tainaka Healing Academy to train massagers. After that, they set up an NPO called "New Oriental Medicine Association" to promote the social positions of those involved in Oriental medicine and provide work opportunities for the weak. Keiichi himself knows how difficult it is for those who are "branded" to return to normal society. With this in mind, he positively accepts people who have been discriminated against such as ex-criminals, people with large debts, single mothers, and domestic violence victims. Surprisingly considering his background, he is a man with a chivalrous spirit.

Furthermore, he is actively working to promote the internationalization of Oriental medicine, the global standardization of an NPO qualification, and the improvement of employment opportunities for overseas victims of discrimination and underprivileged people. Keiichi is now holding meetings with politicians and people in the industry in Taiwan and Thailand. His plans for their business are on a global scale and include expanding into China, India, U.S.A. and Europe. His strong leadership and will to have his own way have something in common with revolutionary ODA Nobunaga and Livedoor CEO "Horiemon." On the other hand, he is very frank and good at making jokes. If he wanted, he could be a leading TV personality. He doesn't hide the fact he was once a yakuza; rather, he maintains his yakuza style. He may be acting as a pierrot for the company's advertisements. A staff member close to Keiichi says, "I think his style works as a test to see whether people judge others by their appearance or not."

Wife with a big heart who ignored husband's love affairs with a smile
Rika, who resembles KUROKI Hitomi, Japan's most favorite actress, is so pretty that she received a special award at a beauty contest in Kyoto. While the "Wives of Yakuza" movie series is popular in Japan, Rika can easily be mistaken by outsiders as a poor woman who was deceived by a yakuza member. However, looking at Keiichi closely, you will understand why Rika is attached to him. On the other hand, it is also understandable why Keiichi loves her. The answer must be Rika's big heart that always keeps her calm. Keiichi openly remarks that his days in the yakuza were a mix of money and women. "I knew he had some lovers," Rika smiles. "I didn't care much as I know most men have an animal aspect about them," Her magnanimous personality is her charm.

A representative Tainaka clinic is in the "Nene no yu" (Nene's Bath), the biggest super sento or public bath in western Japan located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. "Nene" was the official wife of TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, who came to dominate Japan from a humble beginning as a poor farmer in the late 16th Century. Nene was well-known as a woman who supported Hideyoshi's success. At the entrance of the Tainaka clinic, a stern faced poster of Keiichi, who is ambitiously working to become the Godfather of the healing business, is displayed. Interestingly, there are no pictures of the cute Rika displayed anywhere. It seems she is a traditional Japanese woman who supports her man behind the scenes. Rika's attitudes are influencing her staff who welcome customers cheerfully every day.

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