Japan Embraces Meat & Fat While Enjoying Great Health
When most people envision the Japanese diet, they seem to think it’s based on rice, vegetables, and a bit of fish on the side. I went to Japan a few years ago for the 2nd time and made some interesting observations. It was certainly not how plant-based advocates made it out to be.
I was having a bit of fun with this video (I shot it on my iPhone), but hopefully the message is clear. Japanese embrace meat, fat, and fish and enjoy some of the best health in the world.
A few disclaimers: of course I wasn’t trying to portray them as eating nothing but meat and fat, but it was interesting to see the difference in the culture there. I’ll also admit there are a lot of generalizations in this video and article. These things seem to hold pretty true though at a population level. Feel free to give your feedback if you disagree.
Isn’t it a Blue Zone?
Yes, Okinawa, a small southern island of Japan, is considered one of the “Blue Zones.” Dan Buettner’s biased observations have been used by many plant-based advocates to attempt to show meat-eating decreases longevity. However, much of his anecdotes have fallen apart since he published his book. Through the 1900s Okinawans were forced to subsist on mostly sweet potatoes, but they regarded pork as one of their longevity foods, and eagerly ate pigs nose to tail. They also have always relied on seafood as a major source of key nutrients and a staple in their diet.
Additionally, they very much believe in “food as medicine” and credit much of their longevity to their diet, something that I believe we should all be embracing. Yet, today, most people in western cultures view food only as calories or mouth pleasure, so it’s no wonder we’re in such a sad state as a Western world in terms of chronic disease and increasing healthcare costs.
They do many other things well regarding their lifestyle and community. Health and longevity do go well beyond diet, of course. For this article and video I’ll be focusing mostly on food… because that’s what I tend to do :)
RICE
Yes they do eat tons of rice… but (apparently) it isn’t bad for them. This could be for a number of reasons.
White rice that’s grown properly is actually a very clean and easily digested food.The husk, which is discarded from brown rice to make white rice, is where the hard-to-digest antinutrients are found, making the rough fiber irritating to some peoples’ guts. It’s a bit ironic that the mainstream opinion is that brown rice is superior. I wrote about the whole grains and fiber myth in length on the Nose to Tail blog.
It also is produced more traditionally in Japan (or has been in the past), as opposed to in the US, where so much of our crops are doused in glyphosate and other pesticides. They are probably getting a lower dose of potentially toxic substances along with their daily meal.
If someone is eating rice daily and is not overweight, then by definition they aren’t overeating and the rice is not a problem. The Japanese also walk everywhere, which is an incredible blood sugar stabilizer and contributes to optimal digestion, which plays a large role in how carbs affect our insulin resistance and metabolism long-term. Don’t be too quick to jump on the keto train and say that all carbs are bad, and realize that our surrounding lifestyle also plays a key role in long-term health.
Someone that has recently influenced my view and use of rice is Stan Efferding, who includes it in his Vertical Diet. I’ve known him for years and had a powerful discussion on my podcast where he details why rice can be a great addition to people’s diet, especially those who are growing. This means children/teens, pregnant women, and of course, those trying to put on muscle.
Their diet is mainly whole foods
Aside from the rice they also consume noodles and a lot of vegetables. Noodles are not my idea of a health food, but they seem to be doing ok with them. If they are made from rice flour they probably aren’t so bad. Portions of rice and noodles are fairly modest and not at all like the jumbo portions we see in the US. Eating seasonal vegetables also is perfectly healthy and 10 times better than most of what us fat Americans fill up on. People would not have to worry about antinutrients if they ate properly prepared vegetables in season.
The Japanese fill their plate first with fatty meats such as meat, seafood, and eggs, and after speaking with many of the locals (watch the video below and above), they absolutely love meat, prioritize it, and fill the streets with ads of the animal-based foods everywhere.
Also, to be noted, they routinely eat the animal nose-to-tail, favoring foods such as chicken and beef liver, gizzards, kidney, tripe and the like. It is a part of their diet and culture that has been around for many centuries, allowing “offal” foods to be savored and highly available.
They also love fermented foods, which I am a big fan of. It’s very typical to have fermented foods as appetizers and also alongside meats.
As a whole it seems Japan eats one of the most whole-food focused diets in the world. This is the #1 factor I believe that leads to health. Looking at the ratio of plant to animal foods pales in comparison when you realize avoiding processed foods is the most important factor.
They avoid fast food
The only study I could find is a bit old, but it used a fast food chain as a proxy and found that Japan has 0.13 fast food restaurants per 100,000 people, while the US has 7.52 and Canada 7.43. That’s orders of magnitude more than these Westernized countries! More about the relation between obesity and fast food restaurants is written here.
Also to add, an interesting poll was taken of Japanese people which reported over 50% say they eat fast or quick-service food less than 1 time per week and over 25% say they don’t eat it at all!
Even their “fast food” is mainly simple whole foods pre-made and wrapped to-go. They have many 7-11 stores where they have these pretty healthy options. I’ve been there twice, so I’m not the leading authority, but I have a pretty decent idea of their food culture. From what I observed and know about Japanese culture, normal folks don’t seem to eat a bunch of doritos and slurpees. It’s just not how they roll.
The paradigm is different
On that note, from what I gather being obese is very looked down upon. This quote from an article in The Atlantic explains it well:
In Japan, being fat remains noteworthy, something that makes you stand out in a shameful way in a conformist society. Even now, despite government statistics and anecdotal evidence that Japanese people are getting heavier, I can go days without seeing a single fat person in Tokyo.
To put it bluntly, they do not participate in the “Fat Acceptance” movement where advocates claim being overweight is not a health risk and that losing weight is oftentimes impossible. There is social pressure to remain thin, and I believe this serves them well.
They also have a tradition called “Hara hachi bu” which means “to eat until you are 80% full.” Moderation is baked into their culture. This is the exact opposite of most Westernized countries. The article also mentions the rich traditions of eating pork, fat, and other nutrient dense animal foods.
Lastly, it seems they never got the “meat and fat is evil” message over there. They have no qualms eating fat or meat, and in fact believe it’s healthy. Mark Sisson posted my video to his great site a while back and got some feedback from his audience. Here’s what Mark wrote in response:
What struck me most in the video was the total lack of hesitation in the interviewees proclaiming the healthfulness of meat. That’s something you don’t see in most Western countries. We dilly, we dally, we hem and haw. Even when we do eat meat, it’s a sinful pleasure, an extravagance that we assume our hearts and lifespans will pay for down the line.
And yes, I’m sure you could find some Japanese vegans willing to say the opposite, but you’d really have to dig—vegans are a rare breed in the country.
Even the official dietary guidelines for Japan reflect this casual relationship with meat. Rather than obsess over individual nutrients, they suggest 5-7 servings of grains, 4-6 of meat, 4-6 of vegetables, and spend the rest of the time emphasizing the importance of how we eat:
Eating as many meals as possible with friends and family.
Eating local foods.
Getting involved with farming and fishing.
Learning how to chew and savor food.
Eat at regular times (to establish circadian rhythms).
The Takeaway
Overall their diet and food culture is one of the best in the world. They eat mostly whole foods, they embrace nose to tail animal foods, they focus on nutrient density, and they engage in all the other healthy lifestyle factors we know contribute to longevity.
If I were to critique their way of eating, I’d say they should go for more protein and a bit less drinking. Perhaps they could improve their health even further if animal foods made up a larger part of their diet. Drinking culture is also big there. I think they’re going to have more problems in the future due to high alcohol consumption.
I’m actually eating more like the Japanese lately and adding organic white rice to my dinner. I use bone broth to up the nutrient density and flavor. I do this around my brief, intense workout to mitigate a blood sugar excursion. After many years of being very fat-adapted, I’m now adding in more whole food carbs to my diet with good results. I’ll be writing about this a lot more in the future.
To wrap things up, I just wanted to share this video and my experience in Japan to dispel the myth that they are a near-vegetarian society. They love meat and fat and are confused that anyone believes those foods are unhealthy. Please watch the ~5 minute video and let me know what you think!
Brian