If you ever informed yourself about Japan’s demographics you will probably have read that the country has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. After living there for several months I really wonder how this is possible in a society where the majority still follows the philosophy “live to work”. An average company employee ends his life with several hundred days of commuting (Tsuukin), overtime work (Zangyou), afterwork obligations (Tsukiai-Zangyou) [i] and family matters; and all this combined with lack of sleep, as well as physical burnout and psychological stress. The later is actually one of the main factors harming one’s lifespan. So, I’m asking again: how can an intense working society lead the oldest-population rankings? Apart from a well working national health care system and the country’s affinity to wellness and harmony, I experienced the effects of one – and probably the most important – factor by myself: traditional food.
(This is one of the common dishes you get in a Japanese fast food restaurant. Picture-copyright belongs to Nosfelix.)
When I came back to Austria I was insanely happy to consume all the food I couldn't get in Japan. Unfortunately I ended up having severe stomach problems afterwards. Maybe that was the object lesson for committing the sin of gluttony. However, when I came back to Japan I iterated this "sinful process" with my favorite Japanese dishes without painful consequences. Hence the deadly sins provoke no effect in Japan [ii]. No, now seriously, I guess my stomach got totally accustomed to the easily digestible Japanese food. Japan’s traditional eating culture is in general very balanced and healthy. Even most fast food places can’t be compared to other countries when it comes to quality. In Austria especially children use to say “everything that looks healthy doesn’t taste good”. Of course taste varies from person to person, but I really enjoy the healthy and – at the same time – tasteful dishes here [iii]. Now it also makes sense to me why “Oishii” (delicious) is one of the most frequently used words in Japan…
Endnotes:
[i] This term is especially referring to the consumption of afterwork-entertainment with colleagues.
[ii] Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins in catechism.
[iii] I’m by no means saying that there is no healthy food in Austria. In Japan it’s just more usual to use healthy ingredients without the addition of flavor enhancers.
References:
When I came back to Austria I was insanely happy to consume all the food I couldn't get in Japan. Unfortunately I ended up having severe stomach problems afterwards. Maybe that was the object lesson for committing the sin of gluttony. However, when I came back to Japan I iterated this "sinful process" with my favorite Japanese dishes without painful consequences. Hence the deadly sins provoke no effect in Japan [ii]. No, now seriously, I guess my stomach got totally accustomed to the easily digestible Japanese food. Japan’s traditional eating culture is in general very balanced and healthy. Even most fast food places can’t be compared to other countries when it comes to quality. In Austria especially children use to say “everything that looks healthy doesn’t taste good”. Of course taste varies from person to person, but I really enjoy the healthy and – at the same time – tasteful dishes here [iii]. Now it also makes sense to me why “Oishii” (delicious) is one of the most frequently used words in Japan…
Endnotes:
[i] This term is especially referring to the consumption of afterwork-entertainment with colleagues.
[ii] Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins in catechism.
[iii] I’m by no means saying that there is no healthy food in Austria. In Japan it’s just more usual to use healthy ingredients without the addition of flavor enhancers.
References:
The statistics I’m referring to can be found here.
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