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Tsuneo Okamoto

Mr. Okamoto was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1924. After returning from Siberia　where he had been held by the Soviet Union as a Japanese prisoner of war, he founded Okamoto Company Ltd., in 1958. In 1963, he co-founded Nichii Company Ltd., and served as Director Head of Sales, Chief Director of Sales, and Executive Vice President of Nichii. In 1985, he developed neurosis which was so severe that so he could barely eat. However, he encountered Morita therapy. which helped him to achieve miraculous recovery. Based on his experience of Morita therapy, he used his private funds to establish the Mental Health Okamoto Memorial Foundation in July, 1988. This foundation was created to promote research for neurosis and promote Morita Therapy. He published a few books such as Jibun ni katsu ikikata (Overcoming weaknesses to live fully), Watashi wa morita ryohoni sukuwareta (I was saved by Morita therapy). [Both books were published by Gomashobo].

Outline of Experience

Overcoming 40 years of gastrointestinal neurosis with Morita therapy

Developing gastrointestinal disease from my experience of being detained as a prisoner of war in Siberia

World War Two ended in 1945 when I was in China. After that, I was detained in Siberia, and my captive life lasted over 4 years. 

Initially, the meals in Siberia were terrible. A soy bean only diet lasted for over a month. Due to this horrible diet, I had severe diarrhea, which lasted for days and days. From that time, I began particularly to be conscious of my gastrointestinal condition. I started to not eat breakfast, and I chose to have only two meals a day, every day. I always tried to be moderate in eating.

So for the 15 years after returning home to Japan, I decided to eat staple foods with bread and udon noodles, and select only easily digestible foods. Still, if whenever I ate too much, ate greasy food, or ate anything between meals, my stomach would feel bad. This state lasted for 40 years. I had thus developed a so-called chronic illness.

Finally I only had one meal a day, my weight was drastically reduced

Well, since the autumn of 1986, when I was concurrently taking positions as a vice president and a sales chief of the headquarters of the Nichii Corporation, my appetite suddenly began to decline. A couple of days a month, I was having only one meal a day. Eventually, it became almost every day in the spring of the following year.

The meal portions became so small as well. For example, it was like only half a slice of bread, a cup of soup, half of an egg, and a little bit of ice cream. Therefore, my weight, which was usually 45 kg, finally fell to 36 kg. It was hard even to walk.

At the end of hospital visits

“I have to treat my gastrointestinal problems.” Being very determined, I tried various kinds of treatments. Starting with detailed physical examinations at several hospitals, I tried everything that people taught me that might be helpful for my symptoms, such as medicine, health foods and various health methods.

However, nothing worked. I was worried since I had no clear understanding of the cause for my lack of appetite.
(The results of the examinations at the hospitals were multiple diagnoses including gastroptosis, leukocyte deficiency, malnutrition etc.)

Then, I just happened to meet my friend, Mr. Teruo Oonishi, and we talked about my situation. Mr. Oonishi had experienced a problem like mine once. He expressed that he got better because of Morita Therapy. At that time, he gave me a few books and cassette tapes about Morita Therapy. This was my first encounter with Morita Therapy.

Learning from Morita Therapy

When I heard Mr. Oonishi ‘s experiences, I intuitively felt that, “I can heal my stomach (with Morita Therapy), too …”.
After that, I started listening to cassette tapes about Morita Therapy on the way home from work, I read books at home, and I wrote important points down in a notebook. I did this repeatedly, and I tried to learn Morita Therapy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Oonishi encouraged me, and told me that, “please take meals three times a day without worrying, whatever you eat your stomach will digest for you, don’t think too much.”Empowered by his words, I began to eat three meals a day every day, with just small amounts of food, little by little.

It was strange that I was fine when I started to eat three times a day. Because I learned Morita Therapy, I identified what my real issue was.

Indeed, it was only my misbelief that I believed I couldn’t eat. Then, I was gradually able to increase the amount of food I ate.

To my surprise, the next month, I gained 2 kilograms of body weight, and I continuously gained 2 kilograms every month. After half a year, I weighed about 50 kilograms. Thanks to Morita Therapy, I got mentally and physically well, and I am still doing well at the present moment.

The cause was psychological

Now, I think back, in my case, I was lucky to be introduced to Morita Therapy, and because of that I overcame my issues. However, if I didn’t know about Morita Therapy, what would have happened to me? I feel horrified.

First of all, from learning the theory of Morita Therapy, I was able to grasp clearly the cause of my gastrointestinal problems.

My symptoms were rooted in the following two causes. The first cause was that I developed a fear of my gastrointestinal disorder due to the horrible conditions during my Siberian captive life. From that time, I was always concerned about the condition of my stomach. I was nervous about meals. Another reason was that I was a complete perfectionist. I pushed myself to be perfect with my work, and I overworked myself too much.

The conflict of mind (vicious circle) by this “anxiety and perfectionism” was the origin of my neurosis. In Morita therapy, recovering in a very short time only with books and tape recordings, like me and Oonishi and myself is exceptional. In other words, I think that we had natural abilities to accept Morita Therapy. I believe because of the following reasons, Mr. Oonishi and I got well quickly with Morita Therapy:

  • We studied a variety of psychological and physical health methods, and we had basic knowledge of them.
  • We had suffered with our symptoms for a long time, and nothing else worked before. We sincerely believed Morita Therapy was only the way to overcome our problems. 
  • Because we had experienced more suffering than ordinary people, we were able to master Morita Therapy not only as knowledge, but also experientially.

Therefore, Morita Therapy facilitates one to change the way of thinking from his/her own wrong view or misbelief, corrects the direction of effort, and encourages one’s “desire for life” (desire of one’s existence and improvement).

Morita Therapy teaches that neurosis can be solved by practicing a positive daily life, while a person is feeling anxiety and fear.