Tsuruoka in December | Tohru Takebayashi, Dean, Graduate School of Health Management
2019.12.17
Departing 20 minutes late from Haneda Airport on a Saturday, bathed in the light of the setting sun, the plane was already preparing for its descent into Shonai Airport just 40 minutes later. It was a familiar flight to Tsuruoka. Despite the typical winter announcement, "Due to bad weather in the Shonai region, this flight will return to Haneda Airport if it is unable to land," and a landing buffeted by strong crosswinds, the aircraft safely glided onto the runway at Shonai Airport on a cold, rainy night.
The midnight winter thunder subsided, and the following Sunday, under calm, overcast skies—a rarity for this time of year—was the day of the 8th "Tsuruoka Mirai Health Study Seminar." This cohort study began in 2012 with the participation of 11,002 citizens in this city of just over 120,000 people. There is a reason for holding the seminar at this time of year; we started it to increase our points of contact with the citizens who willingly cooperate in this epidemiological study, which takes time to produce results. It is during the winter, when farm work has settled down, that many people are able to attend. While the topics vary, it is a custom of the seminar to also have local health promotion players take the stage, ensuring it is not just about disseminating the latest knowledge.
This year's theme is the forefront of frailty prevention. However, no difficult terms from the medical sciences are used. Instead, the star of the show is the "Iki-iki Hyakusai Taiso" (Lively 100-Year Gymnastics), which originated in Kochi City. The routine is quite simple. Once a week, neighbors gather to perform about 40 minutes of strength-training exercises. Seated in chairs, they watch a DVD and slowly move their arms and legs with weights of 10 different levels attached to their wrists and ankles, tailored to each individual. This is followed by the "Kami-kami Hyakusai Taiso" (Chewing 100-Year Gymnastics) to improve chewing and swallowing strength, and together they spend about an hour and a half. Often, this leads directly into a tea party or lunch gathering, which is reportedly another enjoyable part of the experience.
Although it is just a simple set of exercises, there are now venues in 13,000 locations across 490 municipalities nationwide. In Tsuruoka City alone, the number of venues has expanded from 7 to 112 in just five years. Presentations by both the invited representatives from Kochi City and those from our own Tsuruoka City shared a common secret to this success: a basic rule. This rule combines the simplicity that allows anyone to join from day one, even without prior exercise experience, and the scientific aspect that most people feel the effects within three months if they continue correctly. The rule is that "the city provides only what is necessary and does not interfere otherwise," while "the residents launch and manage it themselves without relying on support." They even procure the venues and DVD players themselves. The reason the Iki-iki Hyakusai Taiso has gained so much support, spread nationwide, and taken root in various places is not only the quality of the exercises but also the strict adherence to this principle.
Amid the enthusiasm of the venue, which had over 250 participants, it was a wonderful Sunday afternoon in Tsuruoka that reminded me once again of the true essence of the term "resident-led."