Hisako Oba

Highly recommended for musicians suffering from tension-​related pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. I always leave feeling like the weight of the world is no longer on my shoulders. She showed me tricks of how to stretch and lessen the need for massages for my shoulders — truly a beautiful soul, because she cares about the wellbeing of her clients — not about how often they come back to her. All knots are gone at the end of each session…*KNOT a joke.

I’ve come for weekly massages for a loooong time.
Not only do regular massages have other cumulative benefits for my health (mental, physical, emotional to name a few), Hisako’s massages and advice has helped me reduce the number of severe migraines.
She is lovely, knowledgeable and very talented. I HIGHLY recommend her.

Amazing. Repeating what everyone else has written, she’s the real deal.

Hisako is the best massage therapist I have ever had. Other reviews cover the details. Her rates are super reasonable. I was devoted to one massage therapist for years – a larger woman who is amazing. But Hisako is better. Go see her.

This was the worse massage ever… NO, i’m lying. She’s so good that I want to save her for myself and keep you from over-​booking her. I have no doubt that she is currently the best kept secret in Berkeley.
As a former athlete, I used to get massages every one to two weeks. This has made me very in tune with my body and how it is treated during therapy.
Hisako is hands down one of the best massage therapists I have tried in California. For the Bay Area, her price levels are all surprisingly reasonable making a massage a month suitable on a student budget, or a massage every two to three weeks for someone with median income in the Bay Area affordable.
No scented oil was used, light instrumental music was played, and the room was kept at a warm and comfortable temperature. (For me, I asked for the heater to be turned off because the pregnancy hormones keep me warm as an oven.)
Hisako is very warm and approachable so it’s easy to ask for more or less pressure if you can manage to stay awake or conscience during your massage. She consciously asks if you want to use the restroom before taking you to the massage room. She also has water available for before and after the massage.
Hisako also exhibits, what is in my opinion, the hallmark of a great massage therapist. That is, she asks you to write all the painful areas which she references to develop and immediately execute a full-​body massage that addresses the source of the tension to relieve your pain. Inexperienced massage therapists will ask you for the pain areas and only focus on those areas leaving you with little to no relief. A massage with Hisako will leave you feeling relief and relaxes, as well as energized in a peaceful way. It’s remarkable how rejuvenated you feel after her treatment.
Lastly, if aesthetics and spa-​like ambiance is more important to you than an incredible and effective massage, this is not for you. The massage room is peaceful, comfortable, and very clean, but you won’t find candles, modern decorations, or modern meditation music playing.
I highly recommend her if you are serious about your massages.

I suffer from TMJ and migraines and since seeing Hisako weekly, they have completely gone away. She the kindest person I’ve ever met, so receptive your needs, and truly wants to help you. She always goes past the allotted appointment time. She is extremely talented with pressure points and stress relief.

Hisako is gentle, very present, and super strong. Do not let her size fool you. As a recovering massage addict I can vouch that hisako is one of the best around.

Hisako is a wonderfully thorough and expert masseuse – she induces a state of complete relaxation. I highly recommend her!

don’t let her slight build fool you. found out about her on Unilocal.came to her because i’d been suffering pains on my mid-​back and right neck and shoulder from a really bad bout of asthmatic bronchitis. deep, thorough massage worked wonders! not only a master technician, she also exudes really good vibes. booked another appointment for next month.

IF you need a splendid, re-​splendid, exemplary deep tissue/​sports massage, go see Hisako.
Don’t let her size dissuade you. She knows how to use leverage, and is by far, one of the BEST MSTs I’ve ever had. Having formerly been a highly trained intercollegiate athlete, I have an inordinately high threshold for pain and need an MST who can grind out all my knots and kinks. Hisako gets the job done and then some.
She’s intuitive and most effective about knowing when to back off and dispense more gentle techniques. I’ve even had cupping administered which was also an unexpected bonus. She is also very good about adjust accordingly if you provide her verbal feedback – and she appreciates the feedback.
I HIGHLY recommend her. And compared to what I have paid to othe MSTs in the East Bay and SF, her rates are INCREDIBLY reasonable! You can’t do better. Believe that!

My sister recommended her after a chiropractor recommended it to her. Since then, I recommended her to my husband and my Unilocalers! She is great! I had lots of knots in my upper body, I’m a new mom and from carrying the baby, everything hurt. Well, no more! Never thought a tiny woman could give such a strong massage and remove all my kinks! Her rates are super affordable and her energy by itself calms you down. Look no further. She’s your woman!

She is strong, fluid and generous with her massage. She also exudes positive karma. I used to live in Oakland when I first started going to her, and now I live in the city, and I still make the trek over to Berkeley to get the knots out of my body. I have been to lots of fancy spas (Canyon Ranch in Las Vegas, Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe, Burke Williams in San Francisco and Pasadena, etc…) and without hesitation, the quality of her massage exceeds those impersonal places! Book it, your body will thank you.

I used to get a massage by Hisako weekly at Whole Foods in Berkeley (I don’t know if she still works there). Her strong hands were extremely effective at working out my knots from carrying around all my books. I always thought she was too good to be working the massage chair at Whole Foods, and am glad to see that she seems to be working for herself now. Will book a session with her soon as a gift to myself.