Ever wondered where Kenko Wellness Spa, the foot reflexology chain, got its name? Though it is not owned by a Japanese businessmen, the brand was inspired by the Japanese.
The owner, 57-year-old Jimi Tan, first started offering his service back in 2000 making house calls. Later, he and his wife invested $10,000 in a four-chair shop on Joo Chiat Place and called it Healthy Family.
Business didn’t do so well in the East, so Tan opened a branch at Tanglin Shopping Centre where he became a hit with Japanese tourists. That’s when he changed his business name to Kenko, which means healthy in Japanese.
Watch the Straits Times video below.
