健康な日本

healthy japan

The Japanese are among the longest-living people on earth, attributed in part to a healthy traditional diet. Looking inward, there’s a degree of mindfulness that could also play a part in Japan’s exceptional culture of wellness and longevity. The importance of the group and appreciating every connection helps ward off the feelings of isolation that can afflict people struggling through the daily grind of modern life. Meanwhile, the concept of ikigai (purpose) asks us to find our reason for getting up in the morning, and encourages the older generations of Japan to continue to get out and stay active. There are also ways of thinking ingrained in Japanese culture that provide a different perspective from Western thought, many adopted from ancient, spiritual principles. Shinto, for example, fosters a love of the outdoors with its nature worship and deities residing in every aspect of the world around us. Natural extensions of those principles include shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) to help reduce the stress of urban living, and, most pleasurable of all, soaking in Japan’s onsen (hot springs).