Fuji Shiatsu

No nonsense, straightforward deep tissue massage done with a sheet over your body — great if you’re ticklish or self conscious. I’ve done the massage gamut — Thai, Chinese foot and body massage, fancy spa — and this is hands down the best if you need a deep tissue massage with no fuss.

I like it rough. And boy did she give it to me!
I’ve never had a shiatsu massage before, but I’ve had Thai and Korean. My back was kinked and I needed an appointment asap. Luckily they were able to squeeze me in the next morning with no probelms. As others have mentioned this isn’t a fancy establishment… and that’s ok because I’m there to get a message, not some organic tea or aroma.
This chick, although small, had strong hands. What I loved the most was that she made sure my alignment was correct throughout the massage. Anytime my back or legs didn’t lay straight she adjusted me before getting into the muscles. At under $ 60 this place is a steal in SF. I haven’t had a massage place to call my own before, but I definitely see myself coming back here time and time again.

There’s two types of massages. To explain, the best analogy is that of taking care of your car. Sometimes you just need a oil change. Sometimes you need a mechanic. The massage at Fuji Shiatsu is like going to a mechanic. There’s nothing pretty about it. Its a lot of fingers, thumbs, palms and a whole lotta pain. The good pain! This is the type of massage you enjoy a bit more after the massage on top of what you do during. There is the good pain during the massage and the bad pain gone away after.
Now to the actual Masseuse. I have, for the past couple of years gotten my massage only with Kimi. I believe there are two Kimi’s there now. She is around 4’5, bit older lady. Here physical description is exactly the opposite of her massage. Upon request, she goes full pressure on me which is by far the deepest, strongest massage I have ever gotten. I’ve definitely tried quite a few.
I call her a knot detective. A good masseuse is someone who has very good technique. A great masseuse someone like Kimi is one who can scan your body for knots and literarily makes them vanish. She is simply the best!
The Place on the other hand is just Ok. Clean and decent. But nothing fancy. Prices are great too. Its $ 55 before Noon and $ 58 after for an hour. Quite a bargain for these days.

I had a wonderful experience with Sarah. Very competent Shiatsu therapist, the massage was painful in the good way, it definitely helped release a lot of the tension in my shoulders.
I’ve been looking for a strong and effective massage in the Bay Area for a long time with no success before finding this place.
The room is lovely, very cozy and Japanese style, which is something I personally enjoy.
Besides from being very experienced as a massage therapist, Sarah was also extremely nice.
Definitely going back!

I always carry my tension in my neck/​shoulder and upper back. It was especially bad this week, and l was in pain. I saw Connie, and she gave me an intense deep pressure massage. This is not for the faint of heart. It was painful, but it was the good type of pain. Also, this is a no frills place. That is not to say the service isn’t good — I was offered water or tea on my way in, and everyone was very nice. But if you want candles, dim lighting and music, this place is not that. $ 58 for the hour ($ 55 if you come in the morning) — probably the best deal in San Francisco.

Just went back the other day after a few months off, and it was awesome! Was recommended by a friend, so I tried it out. I usually request Min after reading through the reviews. I have gotten many massages though out the years and I finally found my favorite. She has a great combination of pressure and technique, mixed with some much needed stretching. This is not a soft or pampering massage, it is deep tissue and helps target areas of pain. It is amazing!

I just came back from my amazing massage with Sarah. I had very tight upper traps that sent a pain up into my neck. At times I couldn’t even turn my head without discomfort. I went to this place, which is in the heart of Japantown. I was greeted with Sarah’s beautiful smile and welcoming aura. Sarah worked so hard with just the right amount of pressure. She loosened me right up. After having a little tea, I left feeling much better. I have tried many other massages in this city and nobody works as hard as Sarah. The price is just right too, just bring cash because no cards are accepted. I will definitely be back.

Had a super excellent massage with Wendy. She took my appointment last minute. She took extra time to work on the nasty knots I had in my shoulders, which I really appreciate. She knew exactly what she was doing — not too hard but with enough pressure to loosen me up. Peaceful atmosphere. Cash or check only. Highly recommend.

Being a big fan of massage with really strong pressure, I was dying from tired knots in my shoulders and desperate to find a spot to relieve me of my tension!
Found this place on Unilocal and decided to give it a try.
I had Lisa– the chinese /​cantonese lady who was insanely good. I told her I also spoke cantonese so we were chopping it up during the session-​you can tell she is very well versed in shiatsu and knew all the right pressure points – all I can say is AHHHH. She said she was happy to have a cantonese/​chinese speaking client finally as she said although she speaks english its nice to «speak your own language» and sometimes she has difficulty explaining the pressure points to her american clientele, or that they sometimes will feel pain and they don’t like it. She is a kind lady – I enjoyed our brief conversation but the massage I will definetely be back for!
Its a very strong massage and not the typical «feel good» light hand stroking your skin ones you get at a traditional american spa. This is a place you come to, to get your knots kneaded out. You will feel the pain but the pain is so good! You can certainly ask for lite or more pressure, I told Lisa to go hard and she was polite in telling me she didnt want to go that hard as I was «petite». I told her don’t let my tiny frame food you, I can take it! Her strong pressure for me was perfect as I wasnt in severe pain where I am to the point of telling her to stop. She just was in between where it felt really good and strong– so I also got to enjoy it as well, where compared to some STRONG massages in the past that I’ve recieved it has hurt so bad I had to hold my breathe!
The price is also right, $ 55 before noon for 1 hour or $ 58. I tipped $ 15.
The place is clean, and beds are comfortable. Nothing fancy, no spa music, but they do serve tea at the end.
The place is more like a apartment with small rooms and tatami style shoji screens– very japanese. When you walk up you will see some asian ladies making their lunch as there is a kitchen there– so dont let that fool you, this is a legit shiatsu haven!

Hold onto your butts, and get ready for a deep massage!
The environment is that of being in someone’s personal apartment. So if you are looking for a fancy pants spa experience, this is not your place. However, if you are looking for a seriously deep massage, this is it. The pricing is good, roughly $ 1/​minute. The masseuse said she went gentle on me since it was my first shiatsu massage, and I would say it was very deep — great — but also probably the maximum deepness I can tolerate, and I like a deep massage. Forgot those long, soft, Swedish massage strokes. The women here will surprise you with the strength in their hands!
A few notes on the massage — it is a dry massage. Meaning, while you are in your undies only, you are under a sheet the whole time. No oil. So if you are a person who is anxious about the nudity involved in a typical massage, this might be a good option for you (or perhaps if you have somewhere to go after and you don’t want to be all oiled up). If you are not a nevernude, it will still be enjoyable. The only part about the massage that startled me was that they do massage your front a bit. There was a bit of abdomen and armpit massaging, which tickled a bit but didn’t last too long… maybe 3 minutes max.
There is a small bit of stretching involved in the massage, but not too much. Mostly just deep deep muscle crushing awesomeness.

Since Michiko is not available, now I am seeing Kimi. She is such a tiny, petite lady, but she is SUPER STRONG!!! Plus, she can give you a real Shiatsu massage. Thanks to her, my back has not gone out for a long time, and I have been headache free! If you want to try a real Shiatsu, you should see Kimi. She is highly recommended!

If you’re looking for a relaxing massage/​spa experience this is not the place. If you’re looking for a massage to release the tension, soften your rock hard shoulders, fix those knots, then this is the place. Shiatsu is a very strong massage, so expect a little pain (good pain of course).
SERVICE– First, the appointment was easy to make. I called and was able to make an appointment the same day. I had a great massage therapists who had very strong hands. She repeatedly ask if the pressure was ok, and asked questions about why my muscles were so tight. She gave good advice after the massage to.
AMBIANCE– the space looks to be a converted apartment, hence, the kitchen. But the rooms were comfortable and private, so no complains here.
I’ll be back again thats for sure.

We were looking for a quick massage after camping and forgetting our pillows and having our airmattress break, and Fuji shiatsu was the perfect choice! Our therapists, min and kei immediately scanned our bodies to find our most sore parts and worked tirelessly to relieve our tension and knots! At only $ 30 for 30 min, the price is great, and they were able to work us in right away. The therapists used their whole bodies and found lots of interesting pressure points that really hit the spot! After only 30 min, we felt immediately relieved and so satisfied with our experience! Another bonus: heated sheets! Will certainly get the full hour next time, it would be well with the $ 58!!!

Ask for Kei, she has golden hands, she’s very kind and she definitely knows what is she doing! The place is very clean and organized, I was feeling like home.

Kimie and Judy, thank you. I had this pain near my right shoulder for months and oddly I couldn’t really pinpoint where it was. I went to my primary doctor (she prescribed Naproxen) and many other massage therapists, who never got to the source of the problem. While the massage was painful (good pain, of course), it finally got to the point and most importantly, got rid of the shoulder pain. Yay, thank you!

I had two excellent massages at Fuji Shiatsu by Min. I came in today for a third massage by a different therapist (I believe her name was Karen?). I’ve had deep tissue massage before. I’ve had shiatsu massage before. This was something else entirely. The massage was so deep that I repeatedly asked her to reduce the pressure, but she said that it wouldn’t give me the benefits. At the end, when most therapists will karate chop your back, she open-​palm slapped my body with enough force that I started tearing up.
Clearly, I should have walked out. But I felt uncomfortable and stuck, and now my back and neck look like I went into the ring with Mike Tyson. Not what I’m looking for with a massage.

I went in for the 90 minute for $ 77 with two of my friends. After it was all done, I gave the masseuse (Cantonese speaking with red lipstick, long curly hair, and small profile) $ 100, but instead of giving me back $ 33 change, she asked me how much tip I wanted to give. I wanted to give her $ 11 (15%), but she said it was too little. She demanded $ 18 (23%) and would only give me $ 5 back. She’s very rude; she ruined my experience of my first massage ever. I will never will come back. I will go elsewhere that wouldn’t upsell me on tip. My friends gave their masseuse the 15% and they did not complain. This review is only about the rude lady.

Great place — good price — Judy’s awesome at her work.
Really relieved my shoulder and neck pains. Will come back soon.

A mind-​blowingly good hour-​long massage for $ 52 bucks (cash only) for an hour. Min is a gem. Tip her well. It was not too hard — just right. I will be back!

My shoulders are harder then the ice in a hockey rink. Then for some odd reason my muscles locked up from my right shoulder to my rib cage. Time to get a quick fix!
Judy took care of me and loosened up my shoulders, pushed out all the knots and my muscles all loosened up again. I usually sleep through my sessions but this time it was just too much good pain for me to doze off. It was tortuously good. Now I’m ready for another day of torture at work and I’ll be back again for more body work. When I told Judy I want a hard massage I should have known and been warned by other reviews it is not just hard. IT’S TORTURE!!! In a good way of course.
Thanks Judy