The Japanese lifestyle is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world. But do you know why? And what makes Japanese people’s life expectancy so high? This issue of JapanUp! focuses on several aspects of Japanese health, from diets to health equipment. We hope you can benefit from a healthy Japanese lifestyle.

Lessons in Longevity from Japan

Practicing Hara Hachibun-me (腹八分目) can be another reason for Okinawan longevity. Hara Hachibun-me is a term meaning “eating until 80% full”. This practice reduces calorie intake and puts less stress on the digestive process. This expression derives from the intent of not being greedy.
Moreover, 1,200 years of Japanese history included a pescatarian lifestyle because the emperor prohibited his subjects from eating meat, specifically from the Tenmu emperor (675 CE) to the Meiji emperor (1875 CE). As a result, tofu, miso, whole grains, and vegetables became staples of the Japanese diet.
Religion was the main reason for this prohibition. Japan’s dominant religion Buddhism, believes in reincarnation, and people can be reincarnated as other people or as animals. Therefore, harming animals meant possibly harming reincarnated ancestors. The emperors also banned the consumption of meat to protect animals from agricultural development, because raising livestock was too labor-intensive, and it would ultimately compete with other more important foods such as rice.
With the rise of Zen Buddhism from China, vegetable-based cuisine shojin ryori spread in 13th century Japan. The main ingredients of the shojin ryori are soy foods, daikon radish, eggplant, mushrooms, and kabocha. In addition, the traditional shojin ryori requires different preparations such as baking, boiled, fried, roasting, steaming, and stewing. Also, it requires the use of five primary colors such as red, green, white, black, and yellow, and the use of five different flavors including sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory. These shojin ryori concepts influence the well-balanced traditional Japanese meal even today.
However, Japanese diets, including those found in Okinawa, have changed drastically due to the modernization of food products such as processed foods and animal products. We see many Japanese fast-food restaurants and convenience stores that use additives and preservatives in their products. In fact, within 20 years of the original Blue Zone studies, Okinawan life expectancy significantly dropped from No.1 to No.7 for women and No. 36 for men.
But now, it is time to improve our lifestyles and apply a more traditional Japanese approach to our modern diets.

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Japanese-owned sushi restaurant RICE, located in Manhattan Beach, celebrates their tenth anniversary this year. RICE owner Hiro Igarashi acquired a knack for restaurant management while working at several Japanese restaurants, including the well-regarded Katsuya. For almost 10 years, RICE has been providing Japanese cuisine focusing on natural and organic vegetables and seafood.
Just a stone’s throw away from the heartbeat of downtown Manhattan Beach, RICE can be found on the quiet 9th Street at Manhattan Avenue. Before you step into this cozy restaurant, don’t forget to take a moment to appreciate the amazing ocean view and the radiant California sunset. Outdoor seating is available, with two small tables in front of the restaurant as well as several others in a quaint courtyard where one can relax with the ocean breeze on warmer days.
Hearing the traditional Japanese customary greeting “Irasshaimase” and Jazz music, and seeing lots of sake bottles and a little bar counter, you would not expect anything different from a usual Japanese sushi restaurant.
But when you start moving your gaze to the blackboard-lined walls filled with hand-drawn art, you will notice something unique about this restaurant. Aside from the daily specials, guests are introduced to the restaurant’s core values: High-quality seafood; every day is earth day; Natural and Organic gluten-free healthy foods as well as no chemical preservatives, no artificial color, and no chemical seasonings; vegan friendly.

Dining at RICE gives you the opportunity to enjoy food with the comfort of knowing that your meal has been carefully prepared with your health in mind.
What really grabs customers’ attention is the blend of sushi rice. When you bite into RICE’s sushi, you will immediately notice the absence of acidity. Instead of the regular sugar and vinegar sushi rice, RICE uses organic brown rice and sweet brown rice without any seasoning. Even without the use of vinegar, the sweet brown rice helps the rice stick together. The brown rice is whole grain and rich in fiber. Also, the low glycemic index of brown rice reduces blood glucose levels. Extending this healthy concept, the restaurant serves sushi with gluten-free soy sauce. Even the to-go soy sauce is labeled gluten-free. Igarashi says that “most of the customers are skeptical about using brown rice, but they always leave the restaurant satisfied.”
Today’s special Farmers Market would be the most simple dish of the day including fresh and sweet raw carrots, corn, radish, and asparagus with Miso paste dip. This miso is made using homemade koji and tastes smooth, not salty, but light. Koji is a type of Japanese fermentation starter and brings food richer and deeper flavors. Vegetable dishes at other restaurants can often be too simple, but the RICE will provide you with an oishii vegetable experience.
You do not want to miss the gluten-free as well as vegan-friendly desserts at RICE. Their matcha cake gorgeously layered with green tea sponge, red bean mousse, and matcha mousse is gluten-free and vegan. The mousse melts smoothly in your mouth and the cake is pleasantly moist. Above all, even if you do not like the taste of coconut, you will fall in love with this cake.
With Igarashi’s marketing skills and a health-conscious menu, RICE has attracted many customers including local, gluten-free, health-conscious people, vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians. Igarashi comments that we do not have to make big changes to our diet to be healthier. Instead, simply acquiring a little knowledge about food additives or preservatives may help us bring more awareness of what we should and should not eat.
So let’s eat healthy at RICE today!

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On the third floor of the Little Tokyo Market Place, not far from Downtown Los Angeles, the Japanese vegan restaurant Shojin has been providing authentic Japanese healthy food for 15 years. No artificial ingredients, no white and brown sugar, and no table salt.
Shojin’s owner has been involved in many restaurant businesses, but many restaurants seem to prioritize making profits by buying cheap ingredients. They often ignore the customers’ health and happiness, even though food service is a dominant segment of the Hospitality industry.
Shojin is one of the few only ones in LA that understands what hospitality really means in the food industry and pursues the customer’s happiness and health through their unique cuisine and customer services.
To provide healthy food, their executive chefs have been creating original menus according to the customers’ needs. Because each dish is made originally from scratch, Shojin is able to adjust the menu to each customer, such as onion-free, garlic-free, soy-free, and sesame-free.
In fact, when Shojin initially opened, the menus were not gluten-free. About 10 years ago, to meet the customer’s needs Shojin started a gluten-free menu with the opening of their Culver city location.

Today, Shojin uses a variety of vegetables: lotus roots, pumpkin, asparagus, and different kinds of mushrooms including enoki, shiitake, and maitake to create rich flavors. Shojin’s creativity is different from other vegan restaurants. For instance, they have created Aburi “WAGYU” Nigiri out of eggplant and they sear it at the table! They created “Eel” out of tofu, which is used in their Dragon Roll. The Dragon roll has a smoky flavor and is accented with sansho pepper. So don’t forget to try it when you visit there.
Exceptional service highlights the exceptional food. All the servers wear black suits as if they were working at an expensive Japanese department store. To show respect to clients, they crouch down to take orders. Nodding, they communicate to each customer with big smiles and make sure whether they have any allergies or not. They explain each dish carefully in detail. They welcome you as a family there.
We eat without really thinking every day. But what we are eating actually makes our body. It is possible to create health from our body inside. A bad skin condition is a red signal from our internal body. If you have stress, you cannot be truly happy.
It is important to select ingredients that make our bodies feel happy. The idea of only satisfying our stomachs is over. Let the new standard of a restaurant be whether a restaurant can lead customers to health or not.
In the 22nd century, we can find and buy things we want easily online. We can buy a car. We can buy jewelry that we dreamed of. We can stay at a 5-star hotel. We can travel. We can eat at a nice restaurant. There are so many things that we can do. Then what is a luxury to you?
Shojin hopes all customers will experience “the real luxury dining”.
So find your luxury meal at Shojin.

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Health Food

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Health Products

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