Leg Two begins in Shizuoka. I'm travelling to the Top Ten and Bottom Three prefectures identified by my True Longevity Index™—without revealing which is which ...
Japan Solo
Small population. Big numbers. And an intriguing question: **is there a connection?** My True Longevity Index™ brought me to Kagoshima Prefecture, and then ...
I’m 71, and today I tried to keep up with three guys older than me. Hajiwa-san, Yamashita-san and Yasuda-san are all 75, already beyond Japan’s average ...
This autumn I’m traveling to 13 Japanese prefectures identified by my True Longevity Index™—the Top Ten and Bottom Three. I won’t tell you which is which. ...
The typhoon had passed, but its tail was still blowing through Buren Bay. I’m on typhoon watch for my friend Mitsu, Wahine’s new owner, while he is in Mexico ...
I’m not in Okinawa. I’m in “Typhoon Alley” on Amami Oshima—one of Japan’s longevity hotspots and, on and off for the past three years, my longevity laboratory. ...
Back in Buren Bay, Amami Oshima — my longevity laboratory. I'm here for a few weeks, keeping an eye on Wahine during typhoon season while her new owner, ...
Meet Skye I've just completed my first 500-kilometer journey in this 22-year-old Suzuki Every Wagon Joy Pop, now minimally converted into my sleeping ...
They don`t birthdays in Japan. Here is why. In my travels across Japan, I’ve noticed something striking: many older people don’t count their birthdays. In ...
The first line of John Steinbeck`s book, Travels with Charley, recently shared with me by Professor James McNally, resonates even at 71 In Japan’s longevity ...
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 ...
This morning I leave Wahine, my boat in Buren Bay on Amami Ōshima, for a few weeks. The next month will take me to an international aging and gerontology ...
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 ...
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. ...
Kiyotaka Mizuno, Japan’s oldest man, died at 111. His mayor described him as “a symbol of vitality and good health.” Longevity at that level is rarely ...
In 2025, I set out to follow the cherry blossoms the length of Japan by boat. What unfolded instead was a slower journey through Japan’s longevity hotspots, ...
Some days are loud… but this one wasn’t. This one was perfect. A slow start on the boat, followed by joining the Buren Bay community to clean the beach, a ...
After visiting 14 prefectures, spending time in Japan’s longevity hotspots, and interviewing some remarkable people, I’m finally back in Amami — and heading ...
Japanese Walking isn’t just a TikTok trend — it actually has two distinct forms: 1) Traditional Japanese Walking A slow, steady, mindful style practiced by ...
This morning I joined a national ritual in the grounds of a Japanese castle — Morning Taiso. It’s a gentle stretch-and-strength routine familiar to every ...
This is Leg 2 of my Journey Beyond the Blue Zone. I visit Ama Island in Shimane Prefecture — a Longevity Hotspot with Japan’s highest number of centenarians — ...