Blind masseur to give hands-on lessons in Malaysia

A blind Tokyo masseur will put his healing hands to work as a volunteer at a facility for the physically disabled in Malaysia with the hope he can "pass techniques on and make a difference."

Saburo Sasada was due Tuesday to head to Malaysia on a two-year stint as a senior overseas volunteer for the Japan International Cooperation Agency. According to the agency, he is the first totally blind volunteer it has sent abroad for an extended period.

Sasada, 61, retrained as a masseur after losing his sight at 22 in a chemical explosion in a university laboratory, and has been teaching massage for more than 30 years at facilities such as state-run rehabilitation centers for the disabled.

Aside from teaching massage, Sasada built up his skills by attending international meetings on massage techniques and joining research groups during his days off.

Over the years, Sasada, a resident of Setagaya Ward, felt an increasing desire to learn about techniques he could not find in Japan, and also to pass on the best Japanese techniques.

He applied to become an overseas volunteer shortly after leaving behind his more than 30-year career as an instructor last spring.

After getting through a resume screening and passing an English language examination, JICA made the decision to send him to the Malaysian island of Penang. He is to spend two years introducing massage techniques for adults and training instructors at a support facility for the physically disabled run by a nongovernmental organization on the island.