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In Japan, Healthy Eating Habits Start at School — An Interview With Dietitian Fumiko Ichimura
Fumiko Ichimura is a nationally registered dietitian in Japan. She uses her knowledge about balanced meals in a primary school, where she makes the menus so that children grow healthy and learn to enjoy eating. I asked her about the effects of Japanese food on health, the changes in Japan’s eating habits, and teaching kids about nutrition.
The Traditional Japanese Diet and Recent Changes
Why did you decide to become a nutritionist?
Food is important because we need it to live, and it influences our health. By learning about nutrition, I thought that I could make my daily habits healthier and my family’s. At first, my main concern was the people close to me.
What qualification do you need to be a nutritionist in Japan?
You need a nutritionist license. You can study for it at a university, a junior college, or a vocational school. I have studied regular courses at a university for four years. My university’s classes also allowed me to become a nationally registered dietitian, for which you need to sit a national exam. In my university, people can also apply for a nutrition teacher license if they want to, which is what I did.
[Author’s note: A nutritionist works with healthy people only, but a dietitian is allowed to work with sick individuals as well.]
The traditional Japanese diet has a positive image in the rest of the world. People tend to think it is well balanced, good for their health, and allows people to stay thin and live longer. From your point of view, is this true?
Yes. I think one of the reasons the Japanese live longer is because the traditional diet is healthy. However, the salt intake is relatively high, so one needs to be careful about it. Also, I think this diet fits the Japanese morphology, but effects may vary on people from a different genetic heritage. The traditional Japanese diet may positively impact people worldwide, but the results will vary depending on your constitution, especially because of the high salt content.
What are the traditional Japanese foods that contain a lot of salt?
