Good health 23 July 1988

Trevor Leggett was head of the Japanese Department of the BBC.

This is one of his broadcasts to Japan

Zubari for 23 July 1988

Hello listeners! How is your health? In England, we have a 400-year old saying about health:

DIET        QUIET     CHEERFULNESS

I have been looking through a book published in Japan called KENKO DANGI – Kodoha Keieisha no Shinjō.  I wanted to see how what these influential men in Japan thought would compare with the British ideas.

As to DIET, Nishiyama Rihei, Shacho of Ujidenka Gakkogyo says: “Shokuji wa hara hachibunme ni.” and Shacho Hiyoshi of Nippo says: “Ichinen ni ikkai no danjiki. “

As to QUIET: “Mazu seishin no antei”, “Isogazu yukkuri” to “Nanigoto mo, shizenryu”. “Muri sezu, yudan sezu”, “Muri shinai, shizenryu”, “Kenko”,  “kororo no heian” “Mazu jiko kanri kara”, “Kokoro yutori taiset.”

There are a few Buddhist phrases: “Heijōshin wo Kokoro-gakeru Kū nojikan wo tametsu ni.”

There are several Judo references to Shizentai:

shizentai de rizumu wo

Namigato wo shizentai de.

There are some things which would never appear in the West (except perhaps by learning from the East): “Fukushiki Kokyuho,” “Tadashii rizumu kokyu”

A number of them recommend jogging every morning, beginning with Shacho Kurokawa of Kurokawa Kensetsu who still does it though he has given up Judo.

Here is an unusual one: “Nam kyakkai no gorufu”. Perhaps some British people do this.

As to CHEERFULNESS: “Kokere no wakasa waswegu”, “Shami de Kibun tenkowo”.

The final word on Cheerfulness is the Health hint of Mr. Tadayuki Tsukasa, of Maruzen, who is also an Honorary Associate of our Japanese Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. He sums up his advice in by saying that working in the garden laid the foundation for his good health. That is a very British belief, too.  And then he agrees with the word CHEERFULNESS, when he says: “MUBYŌ tsume ni  nungura”.  Good health to all you listeners including Mr Tadayuki Tsukasa.

© Trevor Leggett