5 Incredibly Simple Japanese Habits

I’ve gone to Japan twice previously—when I was a teenager.

But back then I didn’t really appreciate the country and its culture as much as I did when I just went to Japan for a work trip. Walking about Japan, you normally will find healthy and able-bodied people walking pretty much wherever they go, whether to school, a job, or even simply to supermarkets.

Even the elderly run for miles in parks, which made me wonder what habits they pick up daily.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about Japan previously.

Yet, as I was visiting Tokyo before and after business hours, I realized there’s a lot we can learn from them. They are the basic practices that they seem to follow each day that help them live a longer and healthier life with an above-average life expectancy of 84 years.

Here’s what I found.

1. Declutter

Walking around the streets of Japan, you’ll probably observe that there’s little to no rubbish lying about the streets.

Heck, garbage bins aren’t even commonplace in Japan.

It’s why most foreigners would say something like, “How is Japan so clean even though there are so few trash bins?!”

One reason is Japan has stringent regulations and norms regarding garbage disposal, so they will have to keep their waste with them till they find a place to dispose of their trash away in the suitable bin. So you can understand that this mentality is ingrained in them from a young age that they should always keep things tidy.

It might also be impacted by “Shintoism,” which is the greatest religion in Japan and promotes purity and cleanliness.

So if they are prepared to keep the streets clean, the Japanese would be more likely to maintain their apartments clean too.

Research indicated that: “Cleanliness and orderliness are associated with positive emotions and mood.”

So when you have a clean environment, you’re likely to be happier, more pleased, and have a more positive well-being compared to living in a chaotic location.

And it’s no wonder why Marie Kondo has acquired fame over the years as a professional organizer to help people arrange their homes and alter their lives.

Therefore, by improving the cleanliness of your environment, you’ll finish up:

Being physically healthy—since you clean bacteria, dust, and allergies

Improving mental clarity—since it generates a sense of calm, reduces tension, and reduces anxiety

2. Radio Calisthenics

Working in Japan, I had no access to a gym.

Only morning runs allowed me to get cardio. Since I was living in the business district, I could only find the neighboring park to get my cardio in, and that’s where I encountered a group of individuals performing “Radio Taiso” or “Radio Calisthenics.”.

Radio Taiso is a short 5-minute mobility program that’s transmitted on the public national TV station and radio.

To improve digestion, some do it in the morning, others after lunch. Both able-bodied people and those in wheelchairs can be seen doing it because Radio Taiso can be done sitting or standing.

But typically, it helps with moving the joints, improving flexibility, and improving balance, which helps to lessen the risk of falling and aids with daily movements like bending, reaching, and walking. This is why people of all ages do this daily, especially people of older ages.

Even officer professionals who sit for long hours behind the desk doing a 9–5 can also benefit from this since the exercises help to release some tension in the body also.

It isn’t an intensive workout, but it nevertheless helps the body remain healthy and able-bodied. A key driver of why the Japanese continue to do this as they mature is because this practice has been taught to them from a young age too.

It’s a simple movement each day that people of all ages can benefit from, but you will likely:

Improve cardiovascular health

Improve coordination and balance.

Improve posture, flexibility, and mobility.

Improve mental well-being with some movement.

3. Movement

On top of radio calisthenics, movement is a component of their everyday life.

Wherever the Japanese go, their major form of transport is walking. Because of the natural geography of Japan, public transit is usually the suggested way to get across the country.

Japan is home to several mountains, including the well-known Mt. Fuji.

Fujisan World Cultural Heritage Council says that:

“It’s a sacred place to the Japanese people, and it has been an object of worship since ancient times and has had a large influence on the way that Japanese people view nature.”

Some Japanese have climbed Mt. Fuji, and even for those who haven’t climbed it yet, they presumably have traveled to the town or lake nearby to get some steps in while savoring the view.

Besides mountains, sections of Japan are also noted for their natural environs, such as parks, forests, and water bodies. And Japanese may readily travel to those sites to get some movement in.

Of course, getting some movement in the sun and in nature has been proved by study that you’ll experience:

Reduce stress

Improve mood

Increase overall well-being.

Enhance cognitive function

Besides the mental health benefits, you’ll likely be raking in thousands of steps, which always help with burning calories and boosting your cardiovascular health and leg muscles.

All of which encourage a healthy life.

4. Japanese Cuisine

If you’ve ever noticed, you’ll barely discover any Japanese folks being obese.

In fact, the Japanese have one of the lowest obesity rates in the world at just 4.5%, compared to 42% in Americans. And the main driver of a managed weight is due to the stuff we put into our body.

It’s why, while I was eating Japanese food, I continuously felt that the meal was normally nutritionally balanced, and it helped to maintain a robust and healthy stomach.

You could be familiar with food like:

Raw fish and soy—high in protein

Miso and natto—fermented foods to help digestion

Rice and ramen—high in carbs, which offer energy

Part of the reason why Japanese like to eat raw fish is related to Shintoism’s emphasis on purity too.

There’s usually not a lot of spice, and the Japanese chefs usually strive “to make as much as possible of the ingredients’ natural taste.” Because for them, less is more. 

Of course, we cannot end the topic of food without talking about matcha.

Matcha has been drunk in Japan for years, and it has been proved to possess a higher concentration of L-theanine amino acid, antioxidants, and other nutrients, and it even has caffeine. Harvard studies have also shown that regular use of matcha can assist to lessen your risk of heart disease and cancer also.

Therefore, I make it a point to substitute my coffee consumption with matcha whenever I can since it offers higher benefits than drinking plain old coffee.

5. Warm baths

Part of visiting Japan is its nature, which is generally accompanied with hot baths or hot springs.

Huge lakes like Hakone and Nikko are relatively convenient to get from Tokyo, and you can soak in the hot water. As part of an old Japanese rite called ablution, the Japanese have been using hot springs as a kind of purification, physical and spiritual regeneration, and cleansing of the body.

But apart from the historical rite, it also offers a ton of health benefits.

For one, exposing your body to high temperatures allows your arteries to relax and widen, which boosts circulation, allowing greater blood flow and increasing oxygen and nutrients to the cells while moving carbon dioxide and wastes away.

Some athletes even leap into a cold plunge tub after the hot bath as part of a process called contrast treatment, which is supposed to assist in enhancing the flexibility of blood vessels while encouraging a healthy cardiovascular system and hence enhancing recovery.

From the mental viewpoint, it helps to alleviate stress and soothes the mind.

All of which contribute to enhancing health and well-being and increasing the quality of your sleep.

Even if you aren’t able to bathe your body completely in a bathtub, you may also immerse yourself in a warm shower followed by a cold shower to take advantage of this technique. 

Wrapping It All Up

There are so many things we can learn from the Japanese.

A significant part of why kids have these habits is because they are imprinted in them from a very young age. Therefore, these routines have become second nature to them. Without thinking twice, individuals are already integrating all these beneficial benefits into their daily lives.

You don’t necessarily need to follow them all at once. Simply choose the one that inspires you the most and give it a shot. You might be amazed at the benefits it can bring with its simplicity.