“Japan, the world’s 3rd largest wellness economy ($303 billion), has been added to the growing number of countries featured on the Global Wellness Institute’s “Geography of Wellness” site, providing the first-ever data on all of its wellness markets and an overview of its powerful wellness assets.
Japan, a country of mountains, forests, and natural hot springs, really defines wellness with its culture of healthy, unmodified food; its customs of Onsen bathing and forest bathing; its unique J-Beauty traditions; and its practices derived from Zen Buddhism, like martial arts, monastery stays, and meditative tea ceremonies.
The research was sponsored by Country Partners Conceptasia, a Tokyo-based company serving the spa, wellness and beauty industry, along with Fukui Wellness Collaboration, an organization focused on developing wellness tourism offerings in the Fukui Prefecture region.”
In Japan, pickles, known as tsukemono, are as ubiquitous as photos of Mount Fuji!
Fermented vegetables are a useful component in a balanced diet.
Japanese Pickles
Japanese name
Description
Asazuke
Lightly picked vegetables
Takuan
Pickled daikon
Kimchi
Salted and fermented cabbage and radish
Nukazuke
Rice-bran fermented vegetables
Hakusaizuke
Pickled Chinese cabbage
Shiozuke
Salt-pickled vegetables
Umeboshi
Salt-pickled plums
Nozawanazuke
Pickled turnip leaves
Shibazuke
Pickled eggplant and cucumber
Fukujinzuke
Soy-sauce-pickled vegetables
Rakkyo
Sweet pickled Chinese onions
Takanazuke
Pickled mustard leaf
Senmaizuke
Pickled bulbous Kyoto turnip
Amazuzuke
Sweet-vinegar-pickled vegetables
Note: Japanese pickles ranked by popularity. Please see the article: “Asazuke” Tops Ranking of Japan’s Favorite Pickles, Nippon.com, 9 March 2023
Source: Nippon.com (note above), Conceptasia, March 2023
Pickles are a source of enzymes and probiotic microorganisms, because of the fermentation process. It is increasingly understood that the diversity of the gut microbiome is critical for the body’s efficient processing of food. A damaged gut microbiome is associated with weight gain and other problems. A fermented food-rich diet has been found to increase microbe diversity.
A second benefit of tsukemono comes from the essential vitamins, minerals, e.g., potassium, polyphenols and dietary fiber found in vegetables. Polyphenols have antibacterial and antioxidative effects.
The amazake specialty café “Amanoya” in Suehirocho, Tokyo, abuts an active koji muro (mold cultivation room) built in 1904.
An amazake boom has been underway in Japan, with its market size growing from ¥11.9 billion in 2009 to ¥16.7 billion in 2015 and ¥24.6 billion in 2017 (latest data). (1)
Japanese people drink amazake as a nutritional supplement to prevent heat fatigue in the summer, or as a pick-me-up with breakfast or late in the afternoon.
Amazake (also known as koji amazake) is a non-alcoholic, viscous, white-colored, sweet, traditional Japanese drink, a fermented food made from Aspergillus oryzae and related koji molds. The sweetness of koji amazake is from glucose, derived from starch broken down by the Aspergillus oryzae amylase. Fermenting food results in an improved nutrient composition. Purportedly, koji amazake contains over 300 ingredients in total.
Functionality, amazake is known to include an anti-fatigue effect, bowel movement improvement, a skin barrier function, e.g., improving dry skin, and other effects on human health. These functions result from ingesting approximately 100 mL per day, but human clinical trials have clarified that this amount has no effect on blood glucose levels and weight gain. (2)
Amazake: Functionality, Safety
References (below)
1
Anti-Fatigue Effect
3 and 4
2
Bowel Movement Improvement
5 and 6
3
Skin Barrier Function
7
4
Safety
8 and 9
Source: Ingredients, Functionality, and Safety of the Japanese Traditional Sweet Drink Amazake, (2) Conceptasia, November 2021
Koji amazake has been consumed for a long time, as it appeared in the Chronicles of Japan (Nihon shoki) compiled in 720. The rice-koji is mixed with water and placed in a tank set at 50–60 °C, where the amylase secreted by A. oryzae breaks down rice starch into glucose.
It is a unique beverage for which the main component is glucose, as compared to other sweet beverages such as fruit juice, for which the main sugars are sucrose and fructose. (2)
Ingredients, Functionality, and Safety of the Japanese Traditional Sweet Drink Amazake, by Atsushi Kurahashi, June 2021
Effect of a late evening snack of Amazake in patients with liver cirrhosis: A pilot study, by Nagao, Y.; Sata, M., 2013
Effects of amazake using rice koji intake in sports athletes on physical fatigue and subjective symptoms during exercise training, by Kashimura, O.; Uehara, Y.; Shimazaki, A., 2019
Effect of Amazake ingestion on constipation, by Sumiyoshi, K.; Nakao, M., 2017
Effects of Koji amazake and its lactic acid fermentation product by Lactobacillus sakei UONUMA on defecation status in healthy volunteers with relatively low stool frequency, by Sakurai, M.; Kubota, M.; Iguchi, A.; Shigematsu, T.; Yamaguchi, T.; Nakagawa, S.; Kurahashi, A.; Oguro, Y.; Nishiwaki, T.; Aihara, K.; et al., 2019
Effect of intake of Amazake on skin barrier functions in healthy adult women subjects—A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, by Ueda, M.; Kitagawa, M.; Koike, S.; Yamamoto, T.; Kondo, S., 2017
Effects and safety of koji amazake: An excessive intake test, by Kurahashi, A.; Yonei, Y., 2019
Safety evaluation of a long-term intake of koji amazake, by Kurahashi, A.; Nakamura, A.; Oguro, Y.; Yonei, Y., 2020
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)
2003
2007
2019
Leaf
6,138
5,290
3,780
Bottled
4,627
5,802
7,845
Total
10,765
11,092
11,625
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.
Data is a scarce resource in the Wellness industry. The Global Wellness Institute(1) provides the best, most comprehensive data, in our opinion. Other data sources provide insights.
For example, Mckinsey & Company provides occasional market insights; the table below coming from a recent paper. (2) The definitions used for the categories are in the original article; here we are interested in the variations across countries.
Table formatted to be viewed in landscape:
Wellness spending by category, (a) % of annual spending on wellness products and services
USA
Germany
U.K.
Japan
China
Brazil
Health
50.1
43.1
47.8
52.4
43.5
64.6
Appearance
20.1
22.3
24.9
29.7
23.1
12.8
Fitness
13.8
27.8
16.0
10.6
17.9
11.9
Nutrition
9.2
4.1
8.5
5.1
11.1
4.9
Mindfulness
6.3
2.2
2.5
1.6
2.9
5.3
Sleep
0.6
0.4
0.3
0.6
1.5
0.5
Note: (a) Question: Approximately how much money have you spent on each of the following in the past 12 months? Survey conducted in August 2020
Source: McKinsey & Company, Conceptasia, May 2021
Relative to the other countries, consumers in the US prioritize mindfulness, Germans prioritize fitness, Japanese prioritize appearance, Chinese prioritize nutrition and sleep, and Brazilians relatively prioritize health. In particular, the relative spend by Germans on fitness stands out.
We detailed the Japanese approach to beauty in the J-Wellness theme paper for the 2020 Global Wellness Trends.(3) To quote from that report:
Reflective of an exacting quality in all matters, J-Beauty is about long-term reliability. This includes an anti-ageing focus and a simplified beauty regime backed by science. All of this is the antithesis of “fast fashion.” In Japan, purity and deep cleansing are culturally based, with morning and evening bathing rituals having supported the original cleansing oils popularized by Shu Uemura.
Today’s daily routine is typically double cleansing followed by an essence lotion (a clear liquid that hydrates and preps), a serum (a watery liquid with beneficial, usually natural ingredients), and a moisturizer. Facial masks are a weekly activity. Since layering is at the core of J-Beauty, most of the products are of a very light texture resulting in super-hydration of the skin. The goal is effervescent skin, “bihaku,” a bright skin tone, and the elimination of sun-related skin damage. Products emphasize natural, functional, nontoxic, sustainable ingredients.
Relatively low priorities currently could be opportunities for market development.
Japan has relatively low priorities in Fitness and Mindfulness. For the latter, please see our Why meditation apps have struggled in Japan. A fitness article is in preparation.
The 2021 GWS Trends Report captures the nature of the paradigm shift caused by COVID-19 and the myriad ways in which wellness has taken hold…. Wellness has gone from being a nice to have to a must-have for all.
Trend
1 Hollywood and the Entertainment Industries Jump into Wellness
Move over purists; big media means wellness for all
2 The Future of Immune Health: Stop Boosting, Start Balancing
Say goodbye to pop-it, guzzle-it supplements and hello to evidence-backed immune health
3 Spiritual and Numinous Moments in Architecture
The move from ostentatious fads to architecture that touches our souls
4 Just Breathe!
Breath goes from woo-woo wellness to a powerful health tool
5 The Self-Care Renaissance
Where wellness and healthcare converge
6 Adding Color to Wellness
Moving from optics to substance
7 Resetting Events with Wellness
You may never sit on a banquet chair again
8 Money Out Loud
Financial wellness is finding its voice
9 2021: The Year of the Travel Reset
From manic getaways to slower, more mindful travel
Wellness today is at a watershed moment. The trends report reflects how wellness is poised to take a bigger seat at the health care table (see “The Self-Care Revolution” trend).
It predicts a future industry that will be more inclusive, accessible, and affordable (see the “Adding Color to Wellness,” “The Entertainment Industry Jumps into Wellness,” and “Just Breathe!” trends). How it will basically “get real” and more evidence-based (see “The Future of Immune Health: Stop Boosting, Start Balancing”)—and tackle tougher, more crucial human pain-points (see” “Money Out Loud: Financial Wellness Is Finding Its Voice”).
And the report also predicts how wellness will continue to rewrite vast industries, from travel, to architecture and design, to the meetings industry.
For those looking for a simple metric to monitor progress, this author would recommend the life expectancy for the country, society.
For more on this last point, please see our 8-page PDF article:
