Are These Japan’s Last Superagers? #Japan #Longevity #Aging
After nearly two years researching and writing Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, I thought I’d be ready to let it go. But this book isn’t letting me go.
One question keeps coming back. Early in my journey, my mentor and colleague in the International Academic Forum, Dr James McNally, a renowned gerontologist, said to me:
“You may be studying the last cohort of superagers in Japan.”
That stayed with me. So I went looking for the data—cross-referencing research with my own observations across the country.
He might be right.. And if he is, the implications are significant.
Not just for Japan. But for all of us.
I wrote a blog piece of what I have found so far. https://www.nevertoolateacademy.com/post/is-japan-producing-its-last-cohort-of-super-agers
I’m Lowell Sheppard, 71, sailor, author, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. I’m the Founder of the Never Too Late Academy and Special Advisor to the International Forum. Through Japan Solo, I’m exploring longevity, community, and what it means to live well at every stage of life.
#Japan #Longevity #Superagers #Aging #HealthyAging #LifeLessons #JapanSolo #Research #Ikigai #Community #NeverTooLate #BlueZones
After nearly two years researching and writing Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, I thought I’d be ready to let it go. But this book isn’t letting me go.
One question keeps coming back. Early in my journey, my mentor and colleague in the International Academic Forum, Dr James McNally, a renowned gerontologist, said to me:
“You may be studying the last cohort of superagers in Japan.”
That stayed with me. So I went looking for the data—cross-referencing research with my own observations across the country.
He might be right.. And if he is, the implications are significant.
Not just for Japan. But for all of us.
I wrote a blog piece of what I have found so far. https://www.nevertoolateacademy.com/post/is-japan-producing-its-last-cohort-of-super-agers
I’m Lowell Sheppard, 71, sailor, author, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. I’m the Founder of the Never Too Late Academy and Special Advisor to the International Forum. Through Japan Solo, I’m exploring longevity, community, and what it means to live well at every stage of life.
#Japan #Longevity #Superagers #Aging #HealthyAging #LifeLessons #JapanSolo #Research #Ikigai #Community #NeverTooLate #BlueZones
Are These Japan’s Last Superagers? #Japan #Longevity #Aging Locations
- Japan (36.204824,138.252924)
Pacific Solo
Hi, I`m Lowell, a 67-year-old rookie sailor, and a never-too-later! I preparing myself for the biggest challenge of my life: a solo journey across the North Pacific. I am a Canadian living in Japan, and in 2019, I purchased Wahine, a 1988 Gib Sea 402. I moved on board while she was moored in Tokyo. In March 2021, I terminated my contract with the Marina and have been cruising Japan full time since gaining valuable experience all the while working remotely from the boat. Wahine is my home, my studio, and my lab. Join me on my learning voyage around Japan, trying to prepare myself for Pacific Solo. If you want to see where I am please go to my website and click on the Where`s Wahine Button at https://www.pacificsolo.com Also, if you are a fellow never-too-later check out www.nevertoolateacademy.com PSThe History Channel asked if they follow me into various remote ports for a new series called Dare to Dream. The pilot airs in Japan July 24th at 8pm.
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Pacific Solo Lastest Videos
Are These Japan’s Last Superagers? #Japan #Longevity #Aging
After nearly two years researching and writing Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, I thought I’d be ready to let it go. But this book isn’t letting me go. One question keeps coming back. Early in my journey, my mentor and colleague...
A 92-Year-Old Is Going Sailing…
Last day in Tokyo. I was invited to an event on Aging in Japan. Tonight, I head back to the island… back to the boat. To prepare for something special. In a few days, I’ll be taking a 92-year-old out sailing. A reminder that learning, exploring, and ex...
3 Rules from an Old Sailor That Changed My Life #japansolo #sailing #lifelessons
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Life Is Fleeting. Legacy Isn’t #CherryBlossoms #Japan #lifelessons
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Okinawa Boat Tragedy: Captain Explains What Matters #japan #boatsafety #aging
Like many people in Japan and around the world, I was saddened by the recent boating tragedy off Henoko in Okinawa, where a 17-year-old high school student and a 71-year-old captain lost their lives. I’ve been asked by many viewers to comment—particul...
A Global Aging Conference in Tokyo #IAFOR #longevity #japan
Just wrapped up the IAFOR Aging and Gerontology Conference in Tokyo. 865 delegates from 65 countries, bringing together perspectives that are international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary. A few days of plenaries, panels, and parallel sessions— a...
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Like many people in Japan and around the world, I was deeply saddened by the recent boating tragedy in Okinawa, where a 17-year-old student and a 71-year-old captain lost their lives. A number of you have reached out asking questions—especially in compa...
From a Village of 29 … to Tokyo #JapanSolo #Longevity #Community
I’ve just left the remote island village of 29 people in southern Japan, where my boat is moored, and arrived in Tokyo for a conference on aging and gerontology with IAFOR ( The International Academic Forum) Before that, I’m walking across the city to...
Back on the Mainland #fieldnotes #sunset #japan
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She’s 92 and Wants to Sail With Me #longevity #japan #superagers
I’m flying to the mainland for a conference on aging with the International Academic Forum But when I return to Amami, something special is happening. A 92-year-old woman named Chiharu, who still plays golf and tennis, is coming to sail on my boat. She...
Leaving Wahine for a While / A New Chapter Begins #JapanSolo #healthyaging #IAFOR
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The Sweet Potato Truck #fieldnotes #superfood #japan
A few minutes ago I heard singing drifting through this tiny village of twenty-nine people. Then a small truck appeared selling roasted sweet potatoes — a favorite food of Japan’s super-agers. Neighbours stepped out of their homes one by one to buy s...
The Morning After the Gale #fieldnotes #sailing
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Three Days. Same Bay #fieldnotes #JapanSolo #mindset
Three days in the same bay. Wednesday calm. Thursday rain. Friday wind. Life near the sea offers a simple reminder: The weather keeps us humble and shapes our mindset. Field Notes from Japan`s Longevity Hot Spots Lowell Sheppard is a writer and sailo...
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A calm morning in Amami. When the Bay goes still, things appear twice. Above and below. Sometimes a familiar place looks different when you pause long enough to notice. #JapanSolo #FieldNotes #SailingLife #Amami #SlowTravelJapan #beautiful
The One Thing Sailing Teaches You #JapanSolo #sailinglife #writerslife
Waiting day in Amami. The wind is too strong to paddle out to my boat, Wahine, anchored in the bay — so I wait. At the same time, far away in London, my agent is showing my new book, Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, to publishers...
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Longevity`s Trait is Often a Quieter Rhythm. #fieldnotes #longevity #japan
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Japan’s 3-Minute Longevity Habit #fieldnotes #RadioTaiso #Longevity
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While I was visiting Longevity Villages … This Happened #fieldnotes #japan #community
While I’ve been away visiting Japan’s longevity hotspots and gathering field notes for my book, Wahine has been quietly waiting at the dock. But apparently not alone. Some local visitors decided to make themselves at home, so on this trip away, I’v...
Why Rural Japan Doesn’t Feel Lonely #Japan #VillageLife #fieldnotes
Rural Japan is often described as aging, shrinking, or falling behind. But spend time in a small village and you see something else. Less speed. More ritual. Less separation. More belonging. In aging societies, community isn’t sentimental — it’s s...
There Isn’t One Japan | Unlearning Number 1 #fieldnotes #japan #longevity
From a distance, Japan looks uniform. On the ground, it fragments. A fishing village in Okinawa doesn’t move like Osaka. A mountain town in Nagano doesn’t age like Nagoya. Longevity in Japan isn’t national. It’s local. This is the first in a sh...
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