Professional Postgraduate Training in Japanese Herbal Medicine
The Kampo Internship is an intensive postgraduate training program in the theory and clinical practice of Kampo medicine—the traditional system of Japanese herbal medicine derived from the Classical Chinese medical tradition and refined through centuries of Japanese clinical experience.
Developed for practitioners already familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine or other East Asian medical systems, the program offers a distinctly Japanese approach to herbal prescribing that is pragmatic, clinically focused, and rooted in direct patient observation. Central to this approach is the cultivation of refined diagnostic skills, with particular emphasis on Fukushin (abdominal diagnosis), constitutional assessment, and pattern-based herbal prescription.
Students learn not simply which formulas to prescribe, but how to perceive the patient's unique presentation and match it to the precise formula pattern (Sho) through careful palpation, observation, and clinical reasoning.
Kampo Internship
Program Structure
The complete curriculum consists of 8 modules, each comprising three days of intensive instruction, for a total of 24 classroom days and approximately 200 hours of postgraduate education. The program may be completed over one or two years, with alternative scheduling formats available to accommodate hosting institutions, including six four-day modules or four six-day modules.
Curriculum
The curriculum is organized into four integrated areas of study that together provide a comprehensive foundation in Kampo medicine.
Theory
Students develop a thorough understanding of the theoretical framework that underpins Kampo diagnosis and treatment. Topics include:
Byōshō (Disease Pattern)
Taishitsu-shō (Constitutional Pattern)
Yakushō (Formula Pattern)
Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids
Ichō Kyōjaku (Digestive Weakness)
Hieshō (Cold Pattern)
Fukushin (Abdominal Diagnosis)
Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the patient's Sho—the unique constellation of constitutional characteristics, presenting symptoms, physical findings, and subjective experience that guides individualized treatment.
2. Classical Formulas
Students study approximately 120 of the most frequently prescribed Kampo formulas, primarily drawn from the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) and Jing Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet), all of which are readily available through Japanese and Taiwanese herbal manufacturers.
In addition, the curriculum explores a selection of important formulas developed during Japan's Edo period, illustrating the evolution of Kampo as a distinct Japanese medical tradition. Each formula is studied through its characteristic pattern (Sho), clinical indications, modifications, and therapeutic applications.
3. Clinical Therapeutics
The therapeutic portion of the program examines Kampo treatment strategies across a broad range of clinical conditions. Disorders are studied according to both biomedical systems and Kampo pattern differentiation, enabling practitioners to develop a practical framework for clinical decision-making.
Special emphasis is placed on:
Internal Medicine
Dermatology
Women's Health and Gynecology
Pediatrics
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Circulatory Disorders
Chronic and constitutional conditions
4. Clinical Teaching Seminar
The clinical component provides students with direct experience applying Kampo principles in a supervised teaching clinic.
Working in small-group, grand-rounds-style sessions, participants engage in every aspect of the clinical process, including patient interviewing, abdominal diagnosis, pattern differentiation, formula selection, herbal pharmacy management, and dispensing.
Through observation, discussion, and guided practice, students refine the diagnostic sensitivity and clinical reasoning that characterize expert Kampo practitioners, developing confidence in applying classical herbal medicine to contemporary clinical practice.
Tuition
$6,500
Standard Program Tuition
$6,000
Early Bird Registration
Payment Plan
Reserve Your Spot
$500 deposit
By Module 1
50% of tuition due
By Module 4
Remaining balance due
Accepted Payments
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Student Reviews
“Taking the KAMPO certification program was a turning point in my practice and clinical understanding on so many levels, beyond learning formulas and their application. This hand-on approach makes the knowledge tangible, accessible and alive. Nigel is a knowledgeable, approachable and gifted teacher, studying with him is a real privilege and joy.”
— Ruth Mayroz RA, Sydney, Australia.
“I started Nigel’s Kampo Medicine course as an acupuncturist with a very limited and basic knowledge of some more common herb formulas. I REALLY enjoyed the course for its depth and practicality, and Nigel’s teaching style is gentle, engaging and rooted in a deep knowledge of the subject. The integration of Chinese Herbs into my practice has gone smoothly and I’m appreciating more confidence and better outcomes.”
— Greg Scanlon RA, Brisbane, Australia
"Nigel's Kampo trainings have significantly enhanced my accuracy in application of formulas in the practice of East Asian Herbal Medicine, and my improved herbal prescribing has led to some excellent success stories for my patients. Narrowing down the formula or combinations of formula based on the disorder and differentiation of Qi, Blood and Fluids as well as determining the patient's constitution and confirming the right formulas through the fast and efficient application of Fukushin (Abdominal Diagnosis) really helps one select the exact appropriate formula(s) for the patient. Having access to Nigel's vast experience with patient cases and stories also fast tracks one's ability in prescribing, as it's like having his years of experience behind you in the clinic. Learning from an open and giving teacher who cares about your development also makes the whole seminar experience unique and enriching. I highly recommend Nigel's Kampo trainings."
— Peter Scarsalletti, Sydney, Australia
“Learning Kampo is essential for any herbalist wanting to be more effective. Nigel presents the Kampo system and thinking to help practitioners process seemingly complex patient patterns and helps to quickly narrow the findings into useable information for accurate prescribing. Kampo is the only system for my practice that is precise enough to produce results every time. “
— Charlie Newberry DOM, LA
“The Kampo Certificate Program is the better herbal training I have ever attended. Nigel is an excellent teacher and makes it easy to immediately begin incorporating Kampo prescriptions into my meridian therapy practice. I particularly enjoyed the focus on abdominal diagnosis as a way of confirming the herbal pattern.”
— Ehrland Truitt DOM, Santa Fe, NM
“Learning Kampo has made my Traditional East Asian Herbal Medicine practice viable. The pragmatic and practical approach to understanding each formula's action plus the use of abdominal palpatory diagnosis to obtain tangible evidence directly from the patient’s body means that I now “Hit the Target” with every prescription and it is only a matter of tweaking (based on tangible physical evidence) to “Hit the Bullseye” for the patient. The actual Kampo program achieves all the marks of a quality post-graduate experience: small, intimate class size with an emphasis on practical, hands-on training, delivered by an experienced and skilled teacher. This all adds up to a direct, results-driven approach to Herbal Practice which has become sustainable for me and, more importantly, which my patients appreciate.”
— T’agyol Daniel Adler RTCMP, Toronto, Canada.