New York Kampo Institute
An educational institute dedicated to the time-honored art and medicine of Kampo.
The New York Kampo Institute (NYKI) is dedicated to the study, practice, and advancement of traditional Japanese herbal medicine. Located in the heart of New York City, the Institute has provided clinical care and postgraduate education since 1999, serving as a center for practitioners seeking rigorous training in the theory and clinical application of Kampo medicine.
Founded and directed by Nigel Dawes, M.A. (Cantab.), L.Ac., an internationally recognized clinician and educator with more than four decades of experience in East Asian medicine, NYKI combines the depth of classical Japanese tradition with the demands of modern clinical practice. Our programs emphasize direct clinical observation, abdominal diagnosis (Fukushin), pulse and tongue assessment, pattern differentiation, and the thoughtful application of classical herbal formulas.
Rather than viewing Kampo simply as a collection of herbal prescriptions, NYKI teaches Kampo as a living clinical tradition—one grounded in careful palpation, nuanced observation, and an understanding of the body's dynamic patterns of health and disease.
Video of the art of Fukushin (abdomnial diagnosis) by Nevine Deluca
Mission
The mission of the New York Kampo Institute is to preserve, advance, and disseminate the knowledge and practice of Kampo medicine throughout the United States and internationally.
Through its educational arm, the Kampo Fellowship, the Institute is committed to providing exceptional postgraduate education through seminars, intensive clinical training, certification programs, and international collaborations. We support the continued evolution of Kampo through scholarly publication, case study research, peer-reviewed contributions, professional outreach, and the cultivation of future generations of Kampo clinicians and educators.
Vision
We envision a future in which Kampo medicine is recognized worldwide as a sophisticated, evidence-informed, and clinically relevant system of herbal medicine that complements contemporary healthcare while remaining rooted in its classical Japanese foundations.
The New York Kampo Institute strives to be a leading international center for the teaching and practice of hands-on, applied Kampo herbalism, fostering excellence in clinical education, research, and patient care. By cultivating highly skilled practitioners and encouraging meaningful collaboration across healthcare disciplines, we seek to ensure that Kampo medicine continues to evolve while preserving the diagnostic sensitivity, therapeutic precision, and humanistic philosophy that define its tradition.