The statistics don't lie: at over 84 years of age, the average Japanese citizen is a good deal older than most other nationalities. Some of them are pushing this figure even higher, because nowhere in the world you'll find more centenarians than in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The fact that even the most elderly Japanese often enjoy excellent health is due to a number of factors: Medical care works, standards of hygiene, science and research are high, and the country's typical diet provides bodies of all ages with what they need.

And finally, the Japanese lifestyle is also likely to play its part: exercise and meditation have always been firmly anchored in Nippon's culture.

So it's no wonder that in this country, too, all those who are dedicated to achieving individual well-being are increasingly looking eastwards. Japanese methods and techniques have long since made it into the catalog of the most popular wellness treatments.

Because in Japan, wellness means much more than just a mini-break in the midst of hectic everyday life: it means a holistic reorientation in the course of which body, mind and soul find their way back to each other and back on track.

Reprogramming the mind

When it comes to well-being, nutrition plays a particularly important role. And as we all know, it's not just about what you eat, but also how much of it you eat.

In Japan, a rule of thumb has become established that has its roots in Confucian wisdom and is still widespread today, particularly in Okinawa, the region where most people over the age of one hundred live. Hara hachi bu translates as eating in moderation and revolves around the principle of stopping eating in good time.

What sounds so simple often proves to be a seemingly insurmountable challenge when you try it yourself, because a fatal habit has long since crept into the world's affluent societies: We eat too much, too often and then we eat the wrong things.

In order to break out of this cycle, the mind has to be completely reprogrammed - this is best and most sustainably achieved when the old Japanese principle is combined with the latest technology and applications in the context of fasting cures, which do not focus on abstinence but on moderate enjoyment.

Especially in Austria, a name is never far away when it comes to fasting: the gastroenterologist Franz Xaver Mayr recognized as early as the beginning of the 20th century that health goes through the intestines and that these can be brought back into shape by protecting, cleansing and, above all, learning to handle them with care. Professional support is available at the country's numerous spas, and in the best case scenario, picturesque surroundings are the icing on the health cake.

Mayrlife Medical Health Resort nestles on the shores of Lake Altaussee and adds state-of-the-art wellness treatments and one of the most beautiful spots in the whole country to the fasting cure under medical supervision.

Further south, at Vivamayr Health Resort on Lake Wörthersee, nature also accompanies visitors on their way to a new sense of well-being; not far from here, guests can also take advantage of the hotel's own healing caves at Bleib Berg F.X. Mayr Retreat, you can also take advantage of the hotel's own healing cave or immerse yourself in the soothing waters of the thermal springs.

From Kenshō to Shinrin Yoku

Meanwhile, in Japan, people make a pilgrimage to an onsen for a health-promoting bath. Due to its volcanic origins, the country is littered with such hot springs from the earth's interior, and the healing power of the water has been relied upon for centuries.

At Reiters Supreme in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, an entire spa area has recently been dedicated to Japanese bathing culture: in the brand new Kensho Spa, the name says it all. Kensho comes from the Buddhist Zen tradition and refers to a kind of enlightenment or awakening experience with self-reference - in other words, you should recognize your own place in the world and perceive it as harmonious as possible.

In the Burgenland practice, this means above all the opportunity to enjoy finding your own center again between onsen, natural bathing pond and tea lounge. If you need additional support, the massage experts at Therme Geinberg are on hand, as they rely on Asian wisdom for body treatments and use the support of singing bowls or hot stones.

In Leoben's Asia Spa, meanwhile, Western and Far Eastern influences also come together in terms of architecture. Sauna fans can decide whether they prefer to sweat in the local Erzberg tunnel or in the Japanese teahouse sauna, for example, and treatments and applications alternate between healing methods with an Alpine and exotic background that have been handed down for generations.

But it doesn't always have to be ancient knowledge. Progress never sleeps when it comes to well-being. Shinrin yoku is a concept that has only been gaining a foothold in Japanese society since the early 1980s, at least under this name, as its foundations are much older: the healing effect of the forest has always been a recognized fact in many cultures and societies around the world, and forest bathing has a variety of positive effects on body and mind.

Starting with air quality and climate, through the demonstrably pleasant dominance of the color green, to the benefits of the soft forest floor for the musculoskeletal system. At Feuerberg Mountain Resort, guests are therefore not only encouraged to swim in the natural bathing lake, but also in the forests of the Gerlitz Alps. The impressions and experiences gained here can be processed at a Japanese tea ceremony or supplemented with Far Eastern philosophy in theory and practice as part of the Spirit on the Mountain theme weeks.

So nothing stands in the way of a life full of health and enjoyment - and the 100th birthday can be celebrated.