Over head view of young children eating their school lunch at preschool in Japan

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Food is a source of contradiction in American life. While it brings pleasure, entertainment and convenience, it is increasingly a cause of guilt. We worry about eating too much, particularly unhealthy food. We often use food as a remedy for stress.

The consequences are visible in obesity statistics. According to 2022 data from the Global Obesity Observatory, the United States ranked #19 globally in adult obesity, with a rate of 42.74%, while childhood obesity stood at 20.54%. Japan, by contrast, ranked #191 in adult obesity at 5.57%, with childhood obesity at just 4.32%.

The gap is striking.

Conventional explanations often focus on structural differences. For example, Japan’s vegetable-rich, low-fat diet and smaller portion size are major contributors. Also, well-developed, reliable public transportation systems naturally incorporate physical activity into daily life.

But the more fundamental reason for the low obesity rate is Japanese people’s relationship with food itself.

In Japan, food is traditionally viewed not as a subject of consumption, but something you should receive with gratitude.

If you sit next to a Japanese person at a table, he or she will say “Itadakimasu” before starting to eat. It is an expression of appreciating gifts of nature and the hard work of those who prepared the meal. After eating, they say “Gochisosama”, offering thanks once again.

With gratitude, you pay attention to food and taste it mindfully. It might take a little longer to eat, but your brain detects a series of signals from digestive hormones secreted by the gastrointestinal tract that you have taken in sufficient food. As a result, you can avoid the urge to eat excessively.

This mindset is not incidental. It is institutionalized from childhood.

Eating Is Naturally Healthy

Japan’s educational system strongly emphasizes Shokuiku (food education), a national approach designed to teach children not only what to eat, but how to think about eating. Through daily school lunch programs beginning from age 6, students participate in serving meals, understanding balanced nutrition, learning not to waste food and cleaning dishes afterward.

In other words, healthy eating is a part of the wider social practice—not a restrictive lifestyle to avoid gaining weight.

To actually see how the Shokuiku education operates, you can watch inspiring films like School Lunch in Japan: It’s Not Just About Eating! by Atsuko Quirk and the Oscar-nominated The Making of a Japanese by Ema Ryan Yamazaki.

Then, what principles form the foundation of Japanese food education? They come from the country’s spiritual traditions.

One is the belief system of Shintoism, where you are surrounded by millions of gods in daily life. Japanese people are taught from childhood that even a single grain of rice has a divine presence inside. So you treat food respectfully and never waste it.

Another principle comes from Buddhism. (By the way, Buddhism and Shintoism peacefully coexist in Japan).

Reverend Dr. Masaki Matsubara, the eighteenth-generation Zen priest of Butsumoji Zen Temple in Chiba, explains. “In Buddhism, food forms the foundation of spiritual practice. Preparing meals is not considered a trivial task, but a valuable opportunity for mental and spiritual cultivation.”

For example, Gokan no Ge, or the Five Reflections, are recited by Zen monks before each meal. Their teachings include that food should be received with gratitude, because it is made at the expense of precious natural resources and that food is valuable medicine to maintain one’s health.

It is unrealistic that modern consumers will incorporate these traditional Japanese principles into their daily lives right away. However, gratitude is universal and anyone can practice it.

Reverend Matsubara, who often offers meditation classes in New York, says, “Whether eating or meditating, focusing on what you are doing is the key to a mindful life. Think of the food in your hand—how it got here, what it took to be ready to be eaten by you. Then you will gain a different perspective on life.”