Want to know where to look to live a long, prosperous, healthy life? It’s simple. Just look east. Not only do Japanese men and women routinely rank at the top of lists detailing humanity’s longest and healthiest life spans, but, in the most recent World Health Organisation study, Japanese women came in first with life expectancies of 87.0 years. From diet to environment – there are many parts of the Japanese lifestyle that we can add to our own, to help battle stress, keep on top of our dreams and aspirations and help us to lead a happier life!

Environment

You might think the entire country is covered in vast cities, but it’s actually pretty green; portions of the country are temperate rainforests. Given its beauty, it’s not surprising that reverence for nature has rooted its way into Japanese culture.

How to bring this home

Why not alter your garden to mimic that of a Japanese Zen garden? Or invest in plants that are associated with the culture. A Japanese Maple from The Tree Center would be a good place to start. Spending time outdoors is a great boost for your vitamin D, and boost creativity and general wellbeing!

Bath time

Bath time is a serious thing in Japan. Here it’s often a quick way to wash off the day and even relax for ten minutes before moving onto the next task; in Japan most Japanese end their day with a bath in mineral filled water. Which has been scientifically proven to help problems such as heumatism, skin disorders and neuralgia. As far as the Japanese are concerned, treatment for an ailment is just a soak away.

How to bring this home

Invest in bath salts that are rich with minerals. Forget skin drying and tightening bath bombs and highly fragrant oils, go back to basics with a simple mineral soak to help you aches and pains simply wash themselves away.

Teatime

A Japanese tea ceremony is a gorgeously stylised ritual in a country full of them. The tradition, studied for years by practitioners, takes place in a small structure modelled to look like a hermit’s hut. The idea is to lead your mind away from the everyday of life.

Despite the specialized ritual, tea consumption is an integral part of the everyday Japanese lifestyle. Most tea consumed in Japan is green. In fact, the word for “tea” in Japanese automatically means green. Green tea is not only delicious, including green tea ice cream – but also insanely beneficial. Studies have connected drinking green tea to reduced risk of heart disease and cancer and higher levels of cognitive function.

How to bring this home

Who doesn’t like a cup of tea? And green tea is extremely beneficial! So, go out and treat yourself to some. Avoid drinking your tea in such a rush, dedicate an amount of time to enjoy every sip and  you could even go a step further and purchase a Japanese tea set to really get into the spirit of the ritual.