Okinawa Island in Japan is known to be the “island of longevity.” The local Okinawans are believed to have a long life because of their lifestyle and their belief in a deeper sense of purpose. They eat a diet rich in vegetables and antioxidant foods and the community participates in regular low-intensity exercise and regularly bond together over a shared interest in groups called moai. The key to the community’s healthy longevity is ikigai which is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.”

By Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas or alternatively © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46277994