There are a group of islands that, for one reason or another, are home to inhabitants with exceptionally long lifespans.
The Okinawa islands in Japan have several residents who are centenarians and researchers have long studied why.
A range of reasons have been explored including the lifestyle and diets of the locals.
The archipelago boasts beautiful landscapes and has been dubbed the ‘Hawaii of Japan’.
Okinawa consists of more than 160 islands and overall has a population of around 1.4million.
The residents have ‘ikigai’, according to the BBC, which refers to having a uniquely strong sense of purpose in life.
Instead of being focussed on materialistic and power goals, they connect with nature and keep active, whilst also being with loved ones.
Locals enjoy a diet consisting of plenty of vegetables and antioxidant food, as per the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, cited by the BBC.
The Okinawa islands in Japan have several residents who are centenarians and researchers have long studied why
They consume a lot less sugar than Japan’s general population and often do low-intensity exercises.
What’s more, the people of Okinawa only eat until they are 80 per cent full.
The practice is called ‘hara hachi bu’ and it’s about listening to your body and stopping to assess how full up you are.
To celebrate their long life expectancies, residents of the village Kitanakagusuku partake in a pageant every year that celebrates woman aged over 80 years old.
Paul Marshall, a travel writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, visited Okinawa and recalled walking through a local park and seeing ‘about a dozen 100-year-old men whacking balls around with mallets and chasing them across the grass’.
He described how many were chain-smoking, drinking beer and eating fried chicken – examples of the laid-back attitude of the locals.
While he was there, Paul was offered awamori – a traditional spirit made from rice.
He described it as a ‘sweet, kidney-cleansing water’ and quipped it may be a possible ‘true secret’ behind the long life expectancy.
A range of reasons have been explored including the lifestyle and diets of the locals
Interestingly, Spam featured in many of the classic Okinawa meals, Paul noted, which he admitted wasn’t ‘food you associate with good clean living’.
The capital of Okinawa is Naha, and is located on the main island.
It’s known as the cultural and economic hub.
But despite the vast amount of natural beauty and rich history, most travellers don’t even know the island exists as it can barely be seen on a map.
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