Dear Reader,

If you type into the Google search bar, “What is the healthiest prefecture in Japan?” one spot comes out on top in big, bold letters: Nagano Prefecture.

Some people might be surprised, expecting Okinawa to be the healthiest prefecture. The Okinawan diet is famous around the world and its people are known for living long, healthy lives. While this is true, especially among traditional Okinawan communities that continue to adhere to old ways of living, Nagano has surpassed it.

Nagano is now the healthiest prefecture in Japan, but it wasn't always

In 2015, the people of Nagano had a life expectancy of 84.72 (81.75 for men, 87.68 for women), an average that put it at the top in terms of longevity in the country (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

The prefecture also has the lowest rate of deaths due to illnesses such as heart disease, liver disease, cancer, and pneumonia in the country.

So why don’t we hear about Nagano that often?

Until quite recently, Nagano was among the unhealthiest prefectures in the country. They had the highest rates of salt consumption, and, correspondingly, notoriously high rates of deaths due to strokes and heart attacks.

Why did Nagano citizens eat so much 'unhealthy' food?

Unlike coastal prefectures, Nagano doesn’t have access to the sea and historically had a very difficult time farming enough food to make it through winters. To survive, they relied heavily on pickled foods to conserve whatever they were able to cultivate and added salt to a lot of their foods for preservation.

With a local culture so heavily dependent on salted foods, even with the arrival of modern agriculture and food preservation technology, it was very difficult for the people of Nagano to shift their diet.

These 'bad' food choices were not due to a lack of discipline, willpower, or excessive gluttony. Nagano citizens ate it simply because it was ingrained in their culture, traditions, and what they understood as food.

​

How Nagano saved itself

Beginning at the local level, community leaders began to promote campaigns that encouraged less salt consumption. Among their recommendations were eating fewer pickles rather than an entire bowlful, and to drink up only half of the soup bowl when enjoying noodles.

They also promoted their prefecture’s local agriculture as delicious and best in quality, and public officials began to organize public demonstrations at supermarkets to teach passersby ways to cook with fresh vegetables.

Over time, households began to cook with fresh vegetables more often. Now, Nagano regularly ranks as on average №1 in per capita vegetable consumption in Japan.

In fact, the campaigns were so successful that Nagano is now known for its fresh vegetables and juicy ripe fruits, and tourists from all over visit the prefecture in anticipation of fresh, healthy food.

We don't need willpower to make healthy choices, we need empathy

Notice that campaign recommendations were not to eliminate eating pickles, or to cut out enjoying noodle soups altogether. Local leaders understood how salted pickles or soba play a cultural role.

Rather than disciplining citizens to eliminate salted foods and shaming them for having too much of it, the focus was on ways to still enjoy their local foods, but in ways that could complement a healthy lifestyle.

Today, Nagano is one of the healthiest prefectures in the country: They regularly rank top in longevity, the number of active elderly over the age of 65, and have low medical bills for individuals over the age of 75, about $1,000 less per person than the national average.

Their efforts in preventative medicine now save the prefecture millions of yen every year in healthcare costs, and this tax money can be reallocated to building new sidewalks for walking, parks, and public welfare programs to improve the quality of life.

While we should be demanding government-level intervention for better healthcare, lessons from Nagano can also be applied to the way you approach health at home: Instead of relying on willpower and strict dieting, emphasize moderation with the foods you love, and add fresh fruits and vegetables that you enjoy.

Seems too simple? Maybe, but it works.​​

Empathy keeps healthy living simple and sustainable

When we lack empathy for ourselves, treating ourselves like machines (ie. Why can't I just do XYZ?) taking care of our health begins to feel complicated. We begin to focus on restriction, punishing ourselves with exercise, or going to the extremes.

But when we treat ourselves with empathy, the path of moderation and balance becomes much easier to find. We're gentle with ourselves, we find creative solutions, and we let ourselves find joy in the process.

The foods we love and enjoy can coexist with the foods that nourish, heal, and build our bodies — this was the key idea in getting Nagano to change for the better.

Warmly,

Kaki

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to your friends and family (or share the article) 🌱

If this email was forwarded to you, it's nice to meet you 😊

​

Follow on Instagram for more health tips, tricks, and inspiration:

​