Japanese health trends

OUTLINE The average person in Japan lives longer than those anywhere else in the world – 84.9 years in 2024 (compared to 82.3 in the UK and 79.7 in the US). The country also has some of the lowest rates of depression and anxiety. Now the rest of the world is catching on. ‘Japanese wellness’ has a massive 3.7 million views on Tiktok.

WATERLINE

The buzziest practice is toji, which means ‘hot-water cure’. Since the sixth century, people have bathed in Japan’s hot-water springs or onsen, where samurai warriors would go to heal their wounds. One of the most visited, Shima Onsen in Gunma, central Japan, translates as ‘40,000 hot springs’ as it was believed to cure that number of illnesses. Today’s scientists wouldn’t go quite so far, but agree bathing in water that contains sulphur, sodium and iron reduces blood pressure, relieves stress and soothes aches.

LUXE LINE

OK, so hot springs don’t abound in the UK, but The Hvn (the-hvn.com) in London’s Knightsbridge aims to replicate the feeling of onsen bathing with the UK’S first hydro bed. Imagine lying on a lilo, only instead of air it’s full of hot water (38C), so it feels like your body is slowly sinking into it. A 60-minute session costs £175, and once you get over the feeling the bed could pop, the sensation is bliss.

TREE LINE

There’s also a take on Japanese forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) offered at The Hvn. Rooms feature woodland aromatics and circadian lighting inspired by the sun’s path. There’s also forest-recorded birdsong – relaxing or annoying, depending on your inclination.

CRYSTALLINE

For a cheaper option, run a boiling-hot bath and add Earl of East’s Onsen Bath Salts (right, £26, earlofeast.com). The

blend of eucalyptus, peppermint and mandarin is inspired by the fragrant Japanese springs to ‘cleanse both body and mind’.

HAIRLINE

For a more topical treatment, try one of the Japanese ‘head spas’ popping up across the UK. Head massages focus on the scalp’s pressure points and use Japanese aromatherapeutic oils. Videos of the treatment have 272 million views on Tiktok where users rave about it reducing tension held in the scalp. You’re meant to have it once a month: Lush Spa offers its version at eight locations across the UK (£45 for 25 minutes, lush.com).

LIFELINE

Simpler still, change your coffee order to a matcha. The tea powder has been ubiquitous in Japan for centuries among Buddhist monks for relaxation and samurai warriors for energy. The low-caffeine tea is packed with antioxidants that lower your risk of heart disease and contains L-theanine, an amino acid that increases levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, boosting relaxation and reducing stress.

WAISTLINE

Japan’s obesity rate is

3.6 per cent, the lowest in the world, thanks to practices including hara hachi bun me, which means ‘eat until you’re 80 per cent full’. A quick search for ‘Japanese diet’ on Tiktok will bring you thousands of recipes for dishes packed with superfoods such as kimchi and yuzu.

BOTTOM LINE

There are plenty of Japanese wellness ideas you can do for free. Shinrin-yoku involves meditating in nature, which we can all do during a daily walk. Then there’s kaizen, which means making continuous small but meaningful change: challenge yourself to do a minute of an activity a day – such as exercise or reading – and add a bit more whenever you feel ready. The philosophy goes that starting is the hardest part and every step after that gets a little easier.

TOPLINE WILL RETURN IN OUR FASHION ISSUE ON 18 FEBRUARY

THE HYDRO BED AT LONDON’S HVN RETREAT

SPRING FEVER: SHIMA ONSEN IN CENTRAL JAPAN