The Japanese believe that everyone has their own ikigai. This is one of the main concepts of their philosophy of health and longevity, which can be deciphered as “a sense of one’s own purpose.” In December, Alpina Publisher will publish the book “Ikigai: Japanese Secrets to a Long and Happy Life.” Researcher Hector Garcia (Kirai) and writer Francesc Miralles studied this phenomenon and visited the centenarian village of Ohimi on the island of Okinawa, whose youngest resident is 83 years old. “Theories and Practices” publishes a fragment about their trip.
“Ikigai: Japanese Secrets to a Long and Happy Life”
To get to Ohimi, we had to fly three hours from Tokyo to Naha, the capital of Okinawa. A few months earlier, we contacted the administration of the “centennial village” and explained that we wanted to interview the elders in the community. After long negotiations, with the help of two officials, we managed to rent a house near Ohimi.
A year after the start of the project, we were ready to lift the veil of secrecy and meet the oldest people in the world. We immediately realized that time stood still in Ohimi, as if everyone was living in an endless present.
A little history
The Japanese islands began to be populated by people back in the Paleolithic era. Initially, the inhabitants here were engaged in hunting and gathering and led a nomadic lifestyle. The first settlements in Japan arose during the Jomon era - approximately 12 millennium BC. At that time, the climate on the islands began to change due to the formation of the Tsushima warm current. The inhabitants of Japan switched to a sedentary lifestyle. In addition to hunting and gathering, the population also began to engage in fishing and animal husbandry.
Today, Japanese villages are often home to many people. But it was not always so. Initially the number of inhabitants on the islands was very small. However, in the 13th millennium BC. e. People from the Korean Peninsula began to actively migrate here. It was they who brought the technologies of rice cultivation and silk weaving to Ancient Japan, which are still actively used today. The population of the islands increased by 3-4 times in those days. And of course, many new settlements arose in ancient Japan. At the same time, the villages of migrants were much larger than those of local residents - up to 1.5 thousand people. The main type of housing in Japanese settlements in those days were ordinary dugouts.
From the 4th century The process of establishing statehood began in Japan. During this period, the culture of the islands was greatly influenced by Korea. In the country then called Nihon, the first capital of Nara was founded. Of course, Korean villages were also actively built in those days. They were located mainly around the capital, as well as in the valley of the Asuka River. Dugouts in settlements at that time began to gradually be replaced by ordinary houses.
Arrival in Ohimi
We drove away from Naha and after two hours we finally escaped the traffic jams. On the right hand is the sea and deserted beaches, on the left are mountains overgrown with yangbaru
(this is what forests are called in Okinawa).
We passed by the city of Nago, where Orion beer, the pride of Okinawa, is produced, along Highway 58 along the sea to the municipal district of Ohimi. On both sides of the road there were houses and small shops, sandwiched between the highway and the mountain - apparently, there was no center as such in the village.
The GPS navigator led us to our destination - the Ohimi Health Center, which turned out to be an ugly concrete building at the exit of the highway.
We enter through the back door, where Tyra is already waiting for us. Next to him is a small smiling woman, she introduces herself as Yuki. Two women are sitting nearby and working at a computer; they immediately get up and escort us to the conference room. They bring us green tea and give us a couple of shikuwas fruits.
Tyra is dressed in a business suit and is the head of the health department in Ohimi. Tyra sits down opposite us and opens her diary and file cabinet. Yuki sits down next to him.
Taira's archive lists all the villagers, names arranged by seniority within each "club". Taira tells us that every resident of Ohimi belongs to a certain “club,” or moai, whose members all help each other. These groups do not have any specific purpose, they are somewhat like families.
Taira also reports that in Ohimi, many initiatives exist through volunteer work rather than money. All residents are ready to assist, and the village authorities distribute tasks. In this way, everyone feels a sense of belonging to the community and feels useful to it.
Ohimi is the second to last village on the northern tip of Okinawa. From the top of one of the mountains you can see it entirely - it is very green, all in the Yanbaru forests. We ask ourselves where people live here: Ohimi has a population of 3,200 people. From the mountain only lonely houses are visible - near the sea or in the valleys.
© bee32/iStock
Wars
Later, by the 8th century, Korea's influence gradually began to fade away and the Japanese rulers turned their attention to China. At this time, a new capital was built on the islands, in which up to 200 thousand people lived. By this time, the formation of the Japanese nation itself had been completed. In the 8th century, the emperors of the country began to gradually conquer the forested territories of the aborigines, some of whom still led an almost primitive way of life. In order to strengthen their positions in these regions, the rulers forcibly resettled residents of the central part of the country here. And of course, new settlements began to emerge in these places - villages and fortresses.
Enjoy every day together
Celebrations and fun are the most important part of life in Ohimi.
We were invited to play gateball - this is one of the favorite games of Okinawan centenarians. Gateball is similar to cricket - you also need to hit the ball with a bat. Gateball can be played anywhere and is a great excuse to have some fun and exercise. Gateball competitions are held in Ohimi, and there are no age restrictions for participants.
We also took part in the match and lost to a woman who had just turned 104 years old. Everyone had a lot of fun looking at each other after the game.
In addition to holidays and entertainment, religion plays an important role in the life of the village.
© maroke/iStock
Ancient way of life
The type of activity of the Japanese has always directly depended on their place of residence. Thus, residents of coastal villages were engaged in fishing, evaporating salt, and collecting shellfish. During the conflicts with the aborigines, the population of forested areas was subject to military service. Residents of villages located in the mountains were often engaged in breeding silkworms, making fabrics, and in some cases, producing gunpowder. On the plains, settlers most often grew rice. Blacksmithing and pottery were also practiced in Japanese villages. Between settlements of different “specializations” at the intersection of trade routes, among other things, market squares were formed.
The rhythm of life in Japanese villages was almost always calm and measured. The villagers coexisted in complete harmony with nature. Initially, the Japanese lived in communities in fairly large settlements. Later, of course, detached estates of the nobility began to appear in the country, surrounded by a fence.
Is it worth a visit
Residents of the villages of the Land of the Rising Sun, judging by the reviews of tourists, are very friendly. They also treat well foreigners who come to visit them. Of course, tourists don’t visit remote Japanese villages too often. But some settlements that have existed since ancient times still attract the interest of foreigners. In such Japanese villages, among other things, the tourism business is well developed.
Judging by the reviews of travelers, modern country settlements in the Land of the Rising Sun look very beautiful and cozy. In Japanese villages, flower beds bloom everywhere, spectacular shrubs grow, and rock gardens are laid out.
How houses were built in the old days
One of the peculiarities of Japan, unfortunately, is frequent earthquakes. Therefore, since ancient times, a special technology for building houses has been used in this country. In Japanese villages, only frame residential buildings have always been erected. The walls of such buildings did not bear any load. The strength of the house was given by a wooden frame, assembled without the use of nails - by fastening with ropes and rods.
The climate in Japan is quite mild. Therefore, the facades of houses in this country were not insulated in ancient times. Moreover, in such buildings there was always only one main wall. Between the sheathings it was stuffed with grass, sawdust, etc. All the other walls were just thin wooden sliding doors. They closed at night and in cold weather. On warm days, such doors were moved apart and the residents of the house were able to coexist in complete harmony with the surrounding nature.
In ancient times, floors in Japanese village houses were always raised high above ground level. The fact is that the Japanese traditionally sleep not on beds, but simply on special mattresses - futons. Spending the night in this way on a floor located near the ground would, of course, be cold and damp.
There are several styles of Japanese ancient buildings. However, all houses in this country share the following architectural features:
- large cornices, the size of which can reach a meter;
- sometimes curved corners of the slopes;
- asceticism of the exterior.
The facades of Japanese houses were almost never decorated with anything. The roofs of such houses were covered with grass and straw.
Community life
We are invited to have lunch at one of the few restaurants in Ohimi, but when we arrive, it turns out that all three tables are already booked.
“It’s okay, then we’ll go to the restaurant next door, there’s always room there,” Yukiko says, walking back to the car.
She's 88, still drives and proud of it. Her neighbor is 99, and he also decided to spend this day with us.
We rush after them along the dirt road. Finally we leave the forest, there is a restaurant where we can finally eat.
“I don’t usually eat in restaurants,” Yukiko says, sitting down. — I eat what grows in my garden. I buy fish from Tanaka, he and I have been friends all our lives.
The restaurant is located right next to the sea and resembles the planet Tatooine from Star Wars. The menu says in big letters that it serves “natural food” made from organic vegetables grown in Ohimi.
“Okay, food isn’t the main thing,” Yukiko continues. She seems open and sociable and enjoys serving as the head of several organizations in Ohimi.
“Food does not prolong life; the secret is to smile and have a good time,” she says, lifting a tiny sweet from the day’s menu to her mouth.
Ohimi has no bars at all and only a few restaurants, but this does not stop the islanders from leading an active social life - it revolves around community centers. The village is divided into 17 neighboring communities, each of which has its own president and officials responsible for different aspects of life - culture, holidays, social events and longevity - he is given special attention here.
We are invited to a club in one of 17 communities. This is an old building that hugs the slope of one of the mountains covered with the Yanbaru jungle, in which the Bunagaya, the patrons of Ohimi, live.
Bunagaya - Yanbaru spirits
Bunagaya © Mazimun / Wikimedia Commons
Bunagaya are magical creatures who, according to legend, live in the forests of the Yanbaru - in Ohimi and neighboring villages. They are depicted as children with long red hair. Bunagaya love to hide in the treetops and go down to the sea to fish.
Many wonderful stories are told about these forest spirits in Okinawa. They are great jokers, love to play pranks and are generally extremely unpredictable.
The people of Ohimi say that Bunagaya love mountains, rivers, sea, trees, earth, wind, water and animals, so if you want to make friends with them, you need to show respect for nature.
Modern style
Today in Japanese villages (you can clearly see this in the photo) only frame houses are still built. After all, earthquakes happen quite often in this country even today. Sometimes in villages in Japan you can see frames built using Canadian technology, which has become widespread in the world. But most often houses here are built according to local methods that have been developed over centuries.
The walls of modern Japanese houses, of course, are lined with fairly strong and reliable materials. But at the same time, spacious, bright terraces are always built next to such buildings. The eaves of Japanese houses are still long.
Floors in residential buildings in villages are not raised too high these days. However, they are not being developed on the ground either. When pouring slab foundations, the Japanese provide, among other things, special ribs, the height of which can reach 50 cm. Indeed, even today, in village houses, many Japanese still sleep on mattresses.
The older, the stronger
Now, some time later, I see that our days in Ohimi were full of events, but at the same time passed in an atmosphere of relaxation. This is roughly how people live in this village: on the one hand, they are always busy with important things, on the other, they do everything calmly. Always follow their ikigai, but are not in a hurry.
On the last day we went to buy souvenirs at the market at the entrance to Ohimi. They sell only vegetables grown in the village, green tea and shikuwas juice, as well as bottles of “longevity water.” It is bottled from a spring hidden in the heart of the Yanbaru jungle.
We bought ourselves “longevity water” and drank it right in the parking lot near the market, admiring the sea and hoping that these bottles contained a magic elixir that would give us health and longevity and help us find our ikigai. Finally, we took a photo at the Bunagaya statue and read the declaration of centenarians again.
Declaration of the village of centenarians
At 80 I'm still a child.
When you come for me at 90, forget about me and wait until I'm 100.
The older, the stronger.
Don't let our children babysit us.
If you want to live long and be healthy, welcome to our village, here you will receive the blessing of nature, and together we will learn the secrets of longevity.
April 3, 1993
Federation of Centenarians' Clubs of the Ohimi Village
In a week, we conducted 100 interviews - we asked old people about their philosophy, ikigai, and the secrets of a long and active life. We filmed the interview with two cameras to later make a short documentary.
For this chapter, we selected fragments of conversations that we found most important and inspiring. All heroes are 100 years old or more.
Do not be nervous
“The secret to living a long life is not to worry. At the same time, you need to remain receptive and not let your heart grow old. If you smile and open your heart, your grandchildren and everyone else will want to see you more often.”
“The best way to fight sadness is to go out and greet people. I do this every day. I go outside and say: “Good afternoon”, “All the best.” And then I return home and take care of my garden. I visit friends in the evening.”
“No one quarrels with anyone here. We try not to create unnecessary problems. Being together and having a good time is what it's all about."
Develop the right habits
“Every morning I happily get up at six, pull back the curtains and admire my garden - I grow vegetables there. Then I go out into the garden and look at tomatoes, tangerines... I really like to look at them, I relax so much. I spend an hour in the garden and then go make breakfast.”
“Growing my own vegetables and cooking them is my ikigai.”
“How not to become stupid over the years? The secret is in your hands. From hands to head, and vice versa. If you work constantly, you will live to be 100 years old.”
“I get up at four every day. I set an alarm for this time to drink coffee and do exercises. It gives me energy for the rest of the day.”
“I eat everything - I think that’s the secret. I like a variety of foods."
"Work. If you don't work, your body breaks down."
“When I wake up, I go to the family altar to light incense. We need to remember our ancestors. It's the first thing I do every morning."
“I get up at the same time every day, early, and spend the morning in my garden. Once a week my friends and I meet to dance.”
“I do exercises every day and walk in the morning.”
“I do taiso exercises every morning.”
“Eat your vegetables and you will live long.”
“To live a long life you need to do three things: exercise, eat right and communicate with people.”
Maintain friendships every day
“Meeting friends is my main ikigai. We get together and talk, this is very important. I always remember the next time we meet, these are the meetings I love most in life.”
“My main hobby is communicating with neighbors and friends.”
“Talking every day to those you love is the secret to living a long life.”
" "Good morning! See you!" - I say to children who go to school, and to those who are driving, I shout “Drive carefully!” From 8:00 to 8:15 pm I stand on the street and say hello to everyone. And then I go home.”
“Drinking tea and chatting with your neighbors is the best thing in the world. And also sing together.”
“Every morning I get up at five, leave the house and go down to the sea. Then I go to visit a friend and we drink tea. That's the secret to a long life: dating other people."
Live slowly
“I keep telling myself: “Calm down,” “Slow down.” Without haste, you live longer. This is my secret to longevity."
“I weave willow baskets every day, this is my ikigai. I wake up and first thing I pray, then I have breakfast and do exercises. At seven I start work. By five I’m tired and go meet my friends.”
“There’s a lot to do every day. Find something to do all the time, but not do them right away, one after another.”
“The secret to a long life is to go to bed early, get up early and walk a lot. Live in peace and have fun. Get along with friends. Spring, summer, autumn, winter... Enjoy every season."
Communications
More than 80% of Japan's territory is mountainous. And laying gas pipelines on islands is often simply impossible. Therefore, in most cases, houses in villages in Japan are not gasified. But of course, Japanese housewives in such settlements do not cook in ovens at all. Blue fuel in villages is obtained from cylinders.
Since the climate in Japan is not too cold, there is no central heating in houses here. During the cold season, residents of local villages heat their premises using oil or infrared heaters.
The most beautiful Japanese villages
In the Land of the Rising Sun, as already mentioned, several ancient villages have been preserved, worthy of the attention of tourists. For example, very often antiquity lovers visit Japanese villages called Shirakawa and Gokayama. These settlements have existed in Japan for several centuries. In winter, the roads leading to them are covered with snow, and they find themselves completely isolated from civilization.
Many residents of these villages are engaged in silk weaving and cultivation of rice and vegetables. But the Japanese living in these settlements receive the bulk of their income from the tourism business. There are cafes, souvenir shops, and shops of various specializations here. Some residents of these Japanese mountain villages also rent out rooms to tourists.
The settlements of Shirakawa and Gokayama are famous, among other things, for the fact that houses built in the gassho-zukuri style are still preserved here. The peculiarity of these frame buildings are low walls and a very high, usually gable roof, under which there are another one or two floors. The houses in these settlements are covered, as in ancient times, with grass and straw.
How to get there?
You can get to Shirakawa Village by bicycle: an hour from the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture and three hours from the city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. You can also take a bus from Takaoka to Gokayama and Shirakawa villages. The total cost of a ticket from Takaoka to Shirakawa is 1,800 yen.
Shirakawa Village in winter
(public domain)
Japanese village of Mishima: how to move
Japan has one of the few settlements in the world where new settlers are invited to live in exchange for money. The village of Mishima is located on three islands southwest of Kyushu and is experiencing a labor shortage. Mostly pensioners live here. Young people prefer to move to cities.
To revive the local economy, the village community took an original decision to attract new young and hard-working residents. All Japanese citizens, as well as long-term residents of this country, are invited to move to Mishima for a fee. For several years, the settlers are promised to be given a large monthly allowance (about 40 thousand rubles translated into domestic currency) and to be provided with a free cow.
People from other countries, including Russia, can also move to the village. However, foreigners unfamiliar with Japanese culture can only be allowed into the village if the community elders deem it possible.
Birthday
We enter the community center and about twenty people greet us. They say with pride: “The youngest of us is 83 years old!”
We sit at a large table, drink green tea and talk with centenarians. After the interview, we are escorted to the assembly hall, and we all celebrate the birthday of three members of the community - one woman is turning 99, another is 94, and the youngest birthday boy is 89 years old.
We sing songs that Ohimi loves and end with Happy birthday in English. The 99-year-old birthday girl blows out the candles and thanks the guests. We try homemade shikuvasa cake, dance - in general, the birthday party goes the same way as for 22-year-olds.
This is our first holiday in a week in Ohimi. Soon we will be singing karaoke with older people who are better at it than we are, and attending a traditional festival with local musicians, dancers and street food.
