The fishing harbor is empty today. A typhoon is approaching, and the village has prepared. The longer I spend in Japan’s remote longevity hotspots, the more ...

As I continue traveling through Japan’s longevity hotspots, I keep noticing recurring patterns. One of them is simple: Many of the people who age well tend ...

In a remote village near where my boat Wahine is moored in Amami, a weathered stone has long been part of a local coming-of-age ritual. At first glance, it ...

The goal is not to stay young. It is to remain engaged with life. Curious. Connected. Active. Participating in the world around you. A small Field Note from ...

Fresh food. Local people. Shared meals. The deeper I travel into Japan’s longevity hotspots, the more I suspect healthy aging is not just about what people ...

Back in my remote island village in Japan. The more time I spend traveling through Japan’s longevity hotspots, the more I notice the same patterns repeating ...

I've been traveling to remote areas in Japan over the last 2 years to explore longevity hotspots and meet 'red zone rebels' – people who are defying the odds ...

Over the past two years traveling through Japan’s longevity hotspots, I kept noticing something unexpected: Many older people practice haiku. This week in ...

For years, Japan has fascinated the world with its long-lived population. But what if part of that story was never just diet, exercise, or healthcare? What if ...

Two women shaped how I think about aging. Both lived to 92. One was my mother in Canada. The other, my neighbor in Japan. One experienced years of ...

May 1st marks the beginning of Golden Week in Japan—a time for travel, rest, and celebration. But there’s another side to this season. After the beauty of ...

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 ...

I took a 91-year-old woman sailing. She came with four generations of her family—the youngest just one year old. She lives independently, plays golf and ...

Pacific Solo is gone. Long live Japan Solo! After seven years and nearly 400 videos, Pacific Solo comes to an end. What began as a journey by boat became ...

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 ...

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 ...

I arrived in Tokyo to mark the end of one chapter—and the beginning of another. After seven years of Pacific Solo, I’m stepping into Japan Solo. But before I ...

Walking around a Japanese castle during cherry blossom season. Moats were designed to protect—keeping outsiders out, and insiders in. Years ago, a mentor ...

I was speeding away from Tokyo after a week at an aging conference when something unexpected interrupted the moment: A photo, A first. And then a question I ...

It`s Cherry blossom season in Japan. Each spring, people gather under the sakura with friends, family, and colleagues—celebrating their beauty while knowing it ...

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 ...

Every morning across Japan, millions of people begin the day with Radio Taiso — a short series of simple exercises broadcast nationally. It only takes a few ...

In cities, time often feels segmented. In the countryside, it feels cyclical. Quarters versus seasons. Spending time in both makes you notice how differently ...

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 ...