Yesterday, I shared with you the seven longevity secrets of Shiga Prefecture, which is considered to be one of the Japanese blue zones. One of the secrets was reading many books. The number of books people in Shiga borrow from the library is the second-highest in Japan, next to Tokyo.
Tokyo is a big city and generally speaking, which I personally think is changing and should change, city people tend to be culturally more sophisticated, so it isn’t surprising that Tokyo people read more books than anywhere else. That means coming in second is incredible, for being a rural prefecture.
Well, I must say that the libraries in Shiga are superb. I am from Tokyo and I have been to many libraries in Tokyo, and yet, I have not seen libraries like the ones in Shiga.
This is Hino Library, and I love coming here. You can see rice fields from the windows, and it has a great selection of books. It has many magazines, too, it is almost like a cafe, sitting here and flipping through the latest issues of popular magazines.
Hino isn’t alone. This is Notogawa Library.
There are many beautiful libraries in Shiga Prefecture. That makes people want to come to the libraries.
When you think of wellness, most people think of diets or physical exercises, but I think the mental stimulus is as critical as other elements. It prevents diseases like dementia. Reading books, in general, can broaden your views, and reading current magazines can upgrade your information to stay mentally awake.
The best thing to do is to walk to the library. You get to exercise on the way and on the way back. If you make it a routine, it can be your Ikigai.
The Ikigai Diet: The Secret Japanese Diet to Health and Longevity
POD Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4991064864
Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JGB45HF