Books & Literature

Bound to Please / How to Eat Well, Stay Sane and Enjoy Life with Help from Japan

“Wa: The Art of Balance” By Kaki Okumura

Alex Breeden / Japan News Staff Writer

13:17 JST, December 1, 2024

In Japan, people eat all manner of things fried. There’s fried chicken (karaage), fried pork (tonkatsu) and fried shrimp (ebi fry). And there’s no lack of ultra-processed foods either. (Just look at the whopper of an ingredients list on a Cup Noodles.) There are also piles of sugary treats, in both Japanese and Western varieties, and servings of vegetables can be spare. And yet, for the most part, people here are healthy.

This is one of those small mysteries that I had never bothered to unravel, but which “Wa: The Art of Balance” helps to tease out. Yes, fried food is common here, but at least it often comes with a side of raw cabbage, unlike in Germany, where schnitzel is traditionally served with a helping of potatoes and the vegetable side is sauteed. And if you buy a drink at Starbucks in Japan, you’ll most likely get a Tall, since that is the medium size offered, while in the United States you might lean toward a Grande, since that is the medium size offered there. In short, Japan offers lots of small “nudges” that keep you healthy even when you’re being unhealthy.

But if you look past its Japanese wrapping, “Wa” is a simple wellness book, part of a genre in which author Kaki Okumura has written at length on Medium. The book offers advice on exercise (“follow joy”) and bonding (“listen in”) and burnout (“a life that doesn’t allow time for rest is a life we learn to resent”). And this is done with ease and clarity, so that you feel as comfortable reading along as though you’re riding with a local who knows where you want to go and all the quiet back roads to get there.

There are also some nice pit stops, such as when Okumura gives a rundown of the traditional diet in Okinawa, which has been associated with longevity. She asks you to consider the local vegetable dish champuru. It can include “goya, tofu, egg, and bean sprouts, sometimes … carrots, cabbage, or onions.” And that’s just the start, because the “dish is often served with a side of steamed sweet potato and a bowl of miso soup, which is frequently made with seaweed, tofu, and daikon radish. Okinawans also often enjoy a portion of fruit after or between meals, such as pineapple or papaya, with some freshly brewed jasmine tea.”

Here is a rich picture of what locals are eating, and what you might eat yourself, the way people often turn to the Mediterranean for a healthier diet.

Sometimes, the advice is a little saccharine. For instance, if we “follow joy” when we exercise, as Okumura recommends, then “exercise will never have to exist as a chore to us again.” The overall advice is not bad. Of course it’s good to find exercise you enjoy. But working out can be a drag, and sometimes you need a little grit to get through it.

If you’re a health nut, there will be little new for you here. But if you’re just dipping your toes in the wellness pool, or you know the basic strokes but want some more time to practice them, then this book will be a pleasure to read. And with the attractive Japanese patterns that cover the book, and the many charming illustrations that are done by Okumura herself, the water will feel just right as you swim from page to page.