Japan
Leading cause: Cancer · 77% plant-based · 84.3 yr life expectancy · UHC 86/100
What People Eat
One of the lowest heart disease rates in the world. Traditional Japanese diet is ~80% plant-based; longevity is well-documented.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Cancer · 125 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Japan posts one of the world's lowest heart-disease rates (29/100k), so cancer (125/100k) and respiratory disease lead its mortality, the profile of an extremely long-lived population. A roughly 80% plant-based traditional diet of rice, vegetables, soy, and fish underpins the longevity, though stomach cancer (linked to high salt) remains a watch-point.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Reduce dietary salt, the main driver of Japan's elevated stomach-cancer and stroke risk.
- Guard the traditional washoku diet against rising Western fast-food and processed-food intake in younger generations.
- Maintain the high vegetable, soy, and fish intake that anchors the low cardiovascular burden.
Explore the evidence: Cancer
NIPPON DATA Study · Okayama et al., 2005 · 9,000 participants
→ 84.3yr life expectancy · One of world's lowest CVD rates