Longevity: 14 Japanese Secrets for a Longer and Healthier Life

Vogue Arabia

4 days ago

Longevity is at the heart of well-being issues. A whole industry gravitates around our aspiration to live longer, with the help of supplements, anti-aging treatments, reverse aging programs and bio-hacking—yet simple daily habits are all it takes to optimise longevity. Inspiration comes from Japan, where well-being is central to life.
14 Japanese habits for a better, longer life
Japanese beauty is a goldmine of good ideas: face massages, matcha, rice water for your hair and so many other rituals that have been exported all over the world. But the Japanese are also masters of well-being, their daily lives enriched by zen practices to feel good for both the body and mind. The Instagram account @lescopainszen_ has listed 14 Japanese habits for a better and longer life. Move gently. Align yourself with the rhythm of the sun. Practice any art for pleasure and for pleasure only. Here's a list of tips that, if followed over time, will help you live longer.
1. Hara Hachi Bu
Eat up to 80% satiety. Not "fill up", but "suffice". A lighter stomach = a more peaceful body.
2. Asa ichi
Rise in the light of day and align your rhythm with the rising sun—for a livelier body and a more stable mood.
3. Drink green tea (sencha)
Several times a day, to soothe the heart, regulate digestion and gently/slowly age.
4. Asagohan (traditional Japanese breakfast)
Rice, vegetables, fish: a light, nutritious, savoury meal for stable energy levels all day long.
5. Neru futon
Sleep on a futon in a cool, dark, well-ventilated room. Results: body alignment, deeper sleep and lighter awakening.
6. Tabi sökusu
Wearing split-toe socks stimulates circulation, enhances stability and prevents tension in the feet and back.
7. Karada o ugokasu
Move your body every day, not to perform, but to circulate. Sweeping, walking, gardening, dancing...
8. Geijutsu o suru
To practice art without purpose. Create just for pleasure. Not to succeed, but to breathe.
9. Ofuro (warm evening bath)
A hot bath in the evening calms the nervous system, releases tension and improves sleep.
10. Zazen (passive meditation)
Not necessarily like in the West: just sit without doing anything, looking at the void, letting the mind settle.
11. Miso o taberu (eating miso every day)
A fermented, alkalising or probiotic-rich diet supports the intestines and immune system.
12. Niwa zukuri
Taking care of a garden or plants is a daily gesture of attention, an active meditation connected to natural cycles.
13. Kansha
Gratitude as a daily muscle for inner balance: say thank you to your bowl of rice, to the rain, to your body.
14. Ikigai
Find what gives you a reason to get up in the morning, even if it's a detail. What makes sense makes you live longer.
Article originally published on Vogue France