Takasu Clinic’s Dr. Takasu & Nishitan Clinic’s President Nishimura Discuss Aesthetic Medicine
Heresy Dialogue [Part 2
What is the essence of the “Chokubi” problem?
Two people who are actually very similar to each other talked about it in every direction
Katsuya Takasu, 80, director of the Takasu Clinic and a leading figure in the cosmetic surgery industry, and Seiji Nishimura, 54, president of XCOM Global Corporation, which operates the industry-leading beauty clinic Nishitan Clinic. Their latest commercial, which went on air last November, transcended their position as competitors and became a topic of conversation.
What kind of mindset do the two men have in dealing with cosmetic medicine?
Part 1: Director Katsuya Takasu and President Seiji Nishimura, the Unexpected Birth of “Yes!”
Business Leaders, Put Down Your Spears!
Nishimura: I don’t really feel like I’m in the beauty industry at all. Right now, I’m focusing more on reproductive medicine rather than cosmetic treatments because I believe that’s Japan’s biggest challenge. Whenever there’s a societal issue, I want to tackle it, so I don’t see things with a narrow focus on beauty.
Takasu: I don’t consider being a doctor my main profession either—I just happen to “also” be a doctor. I’ve always believed that a clinic would be more successful if it were run by someone who isn’t a doctor rather than a doctor managing both medicine and business. As long as I’m the one wielding the spear and fighting, I won’t be able to break out of that framework.
Nishimura: I started a beauty clinic after my telecommunications business, “Imoto’s WiFi,” gained recognition. People around me would say, “It was just good timing and a lucky hit.”
Normally, when launching a new business, you’d stick to a related field. But I deliberately chose something completely different to test my marketing skills. That led me to the beauty industry. Thanks to that, “Nishitan Clinic” has gained recognition, and people no longer dismiss my success as luck.
Takasu: Strategy is essential. If you want to run a fun and successful business, you don’t need a medical license. In fact, it can be a hindrance.
Doctors tend to be narrow-minded. They say things like, “How can a doctor do something like that?” But when I respond, “I just happen to also be a doctor, it’s not my main job,” they get angry and say, “You’re disgraceful. The bad drives out the good.” In that case, I guess I’m the bad currency.
“If you can only do wrinkle-removal injections, then you’re not really a doctor anymore.”
Nishimura: I heard that when you founded “Takasu Clinic,” cosmetic medicine didn’t have the public acceptance it has today. Was it really a time when customers had to enter through the back door?
Takasu: It was like that for a long time. It’s only in recent years that cosmetic medicine has become mainstream. My entire family consists of doctors, but they used to say, “Cosmetic surgery is a disgrace to the Takasu family.” They even compared it to love hotels that couples use when they can’t be seen in public.
Nishimura: But it’s thanks to the foundation you built back then that the industry exists as it does today. Every doctor practicing cosmetic medicine now owes you a great deal of respect.
Takasu: Yet, the young doctors who graduate and come to “Takasu Clinic” say things like, “My first choice is cosmetic surgery,” acting all high and mighty.
We call those who try to jump straight into cosmetic surgery “Naomi” (Chokubi). I tell them, “You guys are in a backstreet profession!” “Cosmetic surgery is for the lowest of doctors!”—and yet they keep coming in droves, drawn by the money.
Nishimura: Even if someone suddenly starts infertility treatment, with enough training in a specific field, they can reach a certain level. But I’d prefer they gain real experience and become properly certified OB-GYN specialists first.
Takasu: Whether it’s “Naomi” or infertility, if that’s all someone does, then they should establish a specialized qualification for it. If they systematize it nationwide, it could expand significantly. But the essence of being a doctor is dealing with life and death.
If all you can do is double eyelid surgery or wrinkle-removal injections, then you’re no longer a doctor. In that case, a specialized certification would be enough.
Changing Consciousness in Your 50s and Beyond
A broad perspective from Director Takasu, who is both a doctor and a business owner. And the sharp business acumen of President Nishimura, whom even Director Takasu acknowledges as a skilled entrepreneur. What do these two energetic individuals want to convey to readers?
Nishimura: I believe many readers of FRIDAY are around my age. I’m well aware that the majority of people are fully occupied with their daily lives.
However, even within that reality, I hope as many people as possible will take action to change society through their own efforts or serve as role models for others. It’s about giving back for the kindness we’ve received. Now that I’ve passed 50, I’ve entered that phase myself.
Takasu: That’s wonderful! The other day, when I was asked, “What message do you have for the next generation?” I impulsively answered, “Reproduce!” But from now on, I think I’ll respond with, “Give back for the kindness you’ve received!”
Seiji Nishimura
In 2012, he successfully established a telecommunications business, including Imoto no WiFi. In 2019, he opened Nishitan Clinic. Currently, he has made a name for himself in the industry by expanding Nishitan ART Clinic, a specialized fertility treatment facility, to 11 locations nationwide.
Katsuya Takasu
In 1976, he founded Takasu Clinic, which now operates in five locations across Japan. Beyond Japan, he has been dedicated to promoting aesthetic medicine, particularly in South Korea and China. Despite battling advanced cancer, he continues to work at Takasu Clinic’s Ginza branch once a week.
Reproductive Medicine as the Top Priority
“Naomi, don’t come here!”
From “FRIDAY” February 21 and 28, 2012
PHOTO： Takehiko Kohiyama
