You could argue massage chairs are something for old people, but after coming to Japan over 5 years ago, I had the chance to relax in more than one of these for a few hours. And let me tell you these chairs, especially those made by Japanese makers, are awesome, provided you don’t mind passing out while watching a movie.
The problem is that these massage chairs are usually pretty expensive, just like this new model Panasonic announced [JP] yesterday. The main selling point of the EP-MA70 is the built-in ceramic heater that’s supposed to relieve fatigue. Special “balls” are used to heat up your back, waist, shoulders and neck area to up to 40C.
There’s also a set of “airbags” that can massage the muscles located in your pelvis, a massage system for the feet and a special mechanism that makes sure your shoulders relax, too (see picture above). Overall, you can choose between six massage courses, which you can start by using a remote control.
Panasonic plans to start selling the EP-MA70 in Japan on April 21 in two colors (black and white). Too bad the massage chair, which will cost a whopping $4,500, is Japan-only at this point.