So you want to live to be 100? The answers to living a long and happy life may come from Japan which has the longest average life expectancy in the world (83.84 years) and where 2 million people are over the age of 90.
Believe it or not, 6 of the top 10 oldest people alive are from Japan including Nabi Tajima of Kagoshima who is 117 years old and the last human alive born in the 19th century! How did so many Japanese get to live so long? What are some of the things Japanese do right? In this episode, John travels to Tottori Prefecture to the area around Mt Daisen where his friend Tomiko-san gives him some advice about how to live a long life and how she’s lived to be 106 years old and still working on the farm! Her secret? Tofu. She started to make tofu in the 1950s when doctors said residents had to reduce high blood pressure. She made her own tofu for her family and her diet combined with good habits including staying busy and working hard have strengthened her mind and body. She still walks and writes tanka poetry. I also ask Mr. Seiichi, my 97 year old Japanese neighbor his secret and hear from a Shinto priest about his thoughts and personal experiences with living a very long and happy life in Japan.
It’s impossible to say exactly what has led to Japan having the longest average life expectancy in the world but these things may help:
★ Green Tea ★ Less fatty foods ★ Seafood ★ Fermented foods ★ Bath culture / Hot Springs & Onsen ★ Smaller portions ★ Education on personal responsibility ★ National safety / low crime rates ★ Respect for the Elderly (It’s a national holiday too!) ★ DNA
by ONLY in JAPAN
