＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・戦国武将の健康法。利家の「能トレ」と秀吉の「茶リラックス」と家康の「粗食」
<Added 2021/7/31> In 2020, the average life expectancy of Japanese people reached a new record high.
In 2020, the average life expectancy for Japanese men was 81.64 years (81.41 years in 2019), ranking second in the world after Switzerland. For women, it was 87.74 years (87.45 years in 2019), continuing the world’s number one ranking.
There is a saying, “A human life is only 50 years” (although this doesn’t actually mean “a human life is only 50 years”), but during the time of warlords like Oda Nobunaga, the average life expectancy was apparently around 37-38 years.
Of course, many people lost their lives in battle, but it was an incredibly short lifespan compared to today.
Among these warlords, Maeda Toshiie, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu all lived to be over 60 years old.
I believe their health practices offer some valuable insights for us today, so I will introduce them here.
1. Toshiie Maeda’s “Noh Training”
Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599), who served the powerful figures of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, and wielded influence comparable to Ieyasu after Hideyoshi’s death, lived to the age of 61.
He was a giant of a man, 180cm tall, and wielded a 6.4m long spear, earning him the nickname “Matazaemon of the Spear.” In his final battle at the age of 53, he demonstrated astonishing physical strength as commander-in-chief, capturing three enemy castles.
In his private life, he fathered 11 children—two sons and nine daughters—with his wife, Matsu.
According to historian and Professor Emeritus of Shizuoka University, the reason Toshiie maintained his strong physique until his later years was because he pursued Noh theater as a hobby from a certain age until shortly before his death.
This isn’t “muscle training,” but rather “Noh training.” It’s not the currently popular “brain training.”
Noh is a traditional performing art characterized by its slow, deliberate dances and movements. Could such slow movements really be a form of training for maintaining a strong body?
I’ve also heard that Japanese dance, while appearing elegant, actually requires considerable physical strength. It shares similarities with Chinese Tai Chi. While fast, intense movements like those in Shaolin Kung Fu are effective for building muscle like bodybuilders and weightlifters, it seems that Noh, Japanese dance, and Tai Chi also contribute to maintaining physical fitness.
It might be similar to the difference between sprinting, which requires explosive power, and long-distance running, which requires endurance.
The basic posture in Noh, called “kamae,” is a half-crouching position with elbows extended to the sides, and the basic movements are… The shuffling motion known as “hakobi” (carrying) appears to be effective in maintaining physical strength.
According to Professor Sudo, a muscle specialist, the “Noh stance” is an exercise that can address the “three conditions of aging.” These three conditions are the weakening of the muscles around the shoulder blades, the back of the thighs, and the soles of the feet.
These three areas are not stretched much in daily life, leading to poor blood circulation. This causes waste products to accumulate in the muscles, resulting in a loss of flexibility and stiffness. This can lead to shoulder stiffness, lower back pain, poor balance, and falls.
According to Professor Sudo, incorporating breathing techniques into this posture further enhances its effectiveness.
The “Noh stance” involves walking with force, gripping the floor with the toes, making it a more effective lower body workout than normal walking.
2. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s “Tea Relaxation”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), who rose from a peasant background to achieve “unification of Japan,” lived to the age of 61, just like Maeda Toshiie.
He is considered Japan’s greatest success story, but behind it lay a life fraught with hardship. He served Oda Nobunaga, known as the “Demon King,” from the age of 18, showing such devotion to his lord that there’s a legend he warmed his sandals in his bosom. At the Battle of Kanegasaki when he was 35, he risked his life, serving as the rearguard to allow Nobunaga to escape.
Despite such a stressful life, the reason Hideyoshi lived to 61, according to historian and Shizuoka University Professor Emeritus Tetsuo Owada, is likely because he “refreshed and relaxed in the tea room.”
Hideyoshi was a great lover of tea, famous for the “Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony” and the “Golden Tea Room.” He himself said that “the tea ceremony is a form of solace,” finding it a good way to unwind. While the tea ceremony (chanoyu) may seem intimidating to modern people, it was originally a daily practice used as a time for self-reflection.
It is said that the tea ceremonies enjoyed by Hideyoshi were relaxed and unpretentious.
The tea room is a dimly lit space illuminated only by natural light, completely freeing oneself from reality. Therefore, unnecessary information is blocked out, making it easier to concentrate on oneself.
Furthermore, stimulating the sense of smell with incense has the effect of stabilizing the autonomic nervous system and relaxing the mind and body.
The umami component “theanine,” most abundant in matcha, is said to alter the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain, improving memory and concentration.
In addition, the antioxidant effects of catechins are said to eliminate free radicals and have an anti-aging effect.
3. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s “Simple Diet”
After the deaths of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), who achieved “unification of Japan” and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, lived to the ripe old age of 73.
The image above, “Portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara” (also known as “Frowning Portrait”), depicts Ieyasu’s frowning face after his defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara. It is said that he specifically commissioned an artist to paint him with a frown so that he would never forget this defeat.
Ieyasu often said, “Longevity is the source of survival,” and his remarkable health and longevity were supported by a simple diet of barley rice and soybean paste.
Barley is rich in vitamin B1 and calcium. Furthermore, the barley rice Ieyasu ate was a mixture of barley and partially polished rice with the germ still intact, requiring repeated chewing. This chewing stimulated the brain and digestive system, becoming a source of vitality.
Ieyasu also enjoyed eating 100% soybean paste in miso soup, and consumed moderate amounts of animal protein, such as pheasant and crane skewers.
Soybean paste is rich in arginine, an amino acid with invigorating effects. Thanks to its benefits, he fathered 16 children throughout his life, his last child being born at the age of 66.
His abundant energy and numerous direct descendants were one of the factors that contributed to the longevity of the Tokugawa shogunate.
The foundation of the Edo shogunate, which lasted for over 260 years, was built solely on his careful attention to diet and his good health until his later years.
Born as the eldest son of the Matsudaira clan, a powerful family in the Mikawa region, Ieyasu grew up with barley rice as his staple food and reportedly never changed that habit throughout his life.
As a child, I was forced to eat barley rice and canned mackerel during times of financial hardship, which I found quite unpleasant. It’s ironic that these foods are now celebrated as “health foods.”
Regarding Ieyasu’s cause of death, there are several theories, one of which suggests he ate too much tempura, a luxury item at the time. One theory claims he suffered food poisoning from eating tempura made with sea bream. There’s a proverb that says, “You can get poisoned by both pufferfish and sea bream” (meaning that even non-poisonous sea bream can cause poisoning), so this isn’t entirely impossible.
If this is true, it’s ironic considering he was known for his simple diet.