Month: October 2021

Categories
Wellness

Eating early is best

A recent study (1) found that people who start eating before 8:30 a.m. had lower blood sugar levels and less (which is better) insulin resistance, which could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Both higher insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels affect a person’s metabolism, the breaking down of food to its simpler components: proteins, carbohydrates (or sugars), and fats. Metabolic disorders such as diabetes occur when these normal processes become disrupted. (2)

The average time that the Japanese have breakfast is 7.10 a.m, with probably near 90% of people starting breakfast before 8.30 a.m.

Japanese Breakfast Start Times on Weekdays (2011 survey)

Time (a.m.)%
Before 65.6
6 to 730.6
7 to 842.7
8 to 915.2
After 95.8

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (3)

One explanation for the health benefits of early eating is the body’s circadian clock, and how regular patterns help the body’s efficient functioning. The circadian clock regulates sleep/wake cycles, hormonal activity, body temperature rhythm and eating/digesting.

Japan’s SW to NE archipelago has one time zone, and population densities tend towards the eastern edge of the time zone. Tokyo’s sunrise, for example, oscillates between 4:30 a.m. at the height of summer and 6:50 a.m. in the depths of winter.

This all seems consistent with the Japanese being able to wake with the sun all year around and start breakfast before 8.30 a.m. – a healthy lifestyle.

There appears to no benefit to shorter eating durations (time-restricted eating): Shorter eating durations were associated with worse metabolic outcomes, except when paired with an earlier start time. All subgroups with an early eating start time had better metabolic outcomes regardless of eating duration. (1)

References:

  1. Eating Timing: Associations with Dietary Intake and Metabolic Health, by Amy Taetzsch, Susan B Roberts, Asma Bukhari, Alice H Lichtenstein, Cheryl H Gilhooly, Edward Martin, Amy J Krauss, Adrienne Hatch-McChesney, and Sai Krupa Das, 2021
  2. Endocrine Society press release, 17 March 2021: https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/featured-science-from-endo-2021/eating-before-830-am-could-reduce-risk-factors-for-type-2-diabetes
  3. Hatena Blog: What time do Japanese people have breakfast?  https://nbakki.hatenablog.com/entry/What_Time_Japanese_Have_Breakfast%3F
Categories
Wellness

Green tea, Growing in Japan

Green tea in Hamarikyuteien

From the convenience of PET bottle green tea to the leisurely traditional tea ceremony, and the specialist green tea shops and casual cafes in between, green tea remains ubiquitous in Japan.

Expenditure in Japan on green tea products at ¥11,625 per household in 2019 was a new high (dataset from 2003), table below.

This has been driven by the growing popularity of pet-bottle green tea, with sales exceeding leaf tea sales for the first time in 2007.

Green Tea Expenditure per Household by Year (Yen)

 200320072019
Leaf6,1385,2903,780
Bottled4,6275,8027,845
Total10,76511,09211,625

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Household Statistics, Conceptasia, October 2021

Green tea offers a deep sensory experience of color, flavor, and aroma, as well as delivering health benefits.

Recent human studies suggest that green tea may contribute to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.

For those interested in learning more about the health benefits of drinking green tea, crude leaf production in Japan, types of green tea by taste and aroma, and the names of some leading brands, please see the background paper here.

Categories
Wellness

Adventure Tourism, Sustainable Tourism

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is maintaining its target for inbound visitors in 2030 at 60 million. (1)  This compares to achieved numbers of 31.88 million in 2019 and 4.12 million in 2020.

In the attempt to hit the target, the government will be promoting promising growth areas.

The JNTO spokesmen expects “adventure tourism” to be popular as people escape the confines of their homes. In addition, “sustainable tourism”, wherein tourism businesses seek to preserve their local environment and community, is expected to be a broadening multi-year trend worldwide.

Both activities above can be experienced in Japan’s 34 National Parks. A good place to start planning a trip is the National Parks Discovery Center at Shinjuku Gyoen.

In 2019, inbound tourists made 6.67 million visits to national parks. This implies one in five visitors to Japan visited a national park.  

However, visits were highly concentrated with the top four national parks welcoming three-quarters of the total visits, implying that there is still significant potential for growth.

For more details on Japan’s forests and parks, please click on the link here.

A reality check: In our book, J-Wellness 2020, we made the case for Japan’s inbound tourism market having achieved maturity. Our 2030 forecast of 44.5 million is based on a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic by 2025 and trend growth in line with an estimated global tourism market growth rate of 3% pa. The analysis is available here. With the recognition of vaccine passports currently being dependent on which vaccine was administered, the normalization of travel from, for example, China by 2025 is looking less certain. Visitors to Japan from China totaled 9.59 million in 2019, and 1.07 million in 2020.  

References

  1. Despite COVID-19’s lingering impact, Japan sticks to 2030 tourism target, Japan Times, 28 September 2021: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/09/27/business/jnto-2030-tourism-target/