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Ogimi: The Longevity Village

21 images Created 13 Apr 2015

Okinawa is famous for being the island where people live to be the oldest, and Ogimi Village has some of the longest living citizens in the world. This is a look at life on the island.
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  • Ninety-one-year-old Fumiyasu Yamakawa laughs during his morning exercises at the beach near his home in Naha, Okinawa. “You have vitamin C, we have Vitamin S, for smile,” he jokes. “It’s very important for a long life.”
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  • Ninety-one-year-old Fumiyasu Yamakawa stretches his back on a rock as he does morning exercises in Naha, Okinawa.
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  • Ninety-one-year-old Fumiyasu Yamakawa sits on the beach during his morning exercises near his home in Naha, Okinawa.
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  • Ayumi Naka helps her grandmother, 97-year-old Tomi Miyagi, prepare for a celebration in her honor at the town hall in Ogimi, Okinawa. In this village, an elderly resident’s biggest celebration is reserved for one’s 97th birthday, their “kajimaya.”
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  • Ayumi Naka massages the face of her grandmother, 97-year-old Tomi Miyagi, to prepare for a celebration in her honor at the town hall in Ogimi, Okinawa.
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  • Ninety-seven-year-old Tomi Miyagi, hugs with her granddaughter at a celebration in her honor at the town hall in Ogimi, Okinawa.
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  • Two old friends visit inside a store in Ogimi, also know as the Longevity Village in Okinawa, Japan.
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  • Nintey-seven-year-old Tomi Miyagi sits for her portrait at a celebration in her honor at the town hall in Ogimi, Okinawa.
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  • Hiromi Yohena aids her grandmother, Hana Shinjo, 103 years old, at her home. Even as a centenarian, Shinjo is able to live by herself and is cared for by neighbors and family.
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  • Fumi Tamaki escorts her husband, farmer Shimpuku Tamaki, 98, as he leaves home on his motorbike to check on his crops.
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  • Fumi Tamaki and her husband, 98-year-old farmer Shimpuku Tamaki, enjoy each other's company at their home in Ogimi, Japan.
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  • Kakusei Yamashiro, 84, an octopus fisherman who spends nearly eight hours every day free-diving with a spear gun, acknowledges a typical Ogimi diet of nutrient-rich foods like sweet potatoes, fish and seaweed plays a role in his good health. But he insists daily physical activity is vital, saying he might keep diving until he’s 90.
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  • A caretaker helps a patient inside a rest home. Though Ogimi is known for it's active seniors, rest homes for the elderly are still available for those who need them.
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  • Kiku Taiza, 81, fans herself while holding her great-granddaughter at the Ogimi Summer Festival. Taiza performed a dance at the event with other older women earlier in the day. Staying active and social are essential to residents of Ogimi.
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  • Residents enjoy the Ogimi Summer Festival in Ogimi, Okinawa. The island’s population boasts one of the longest life spans in the world.
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  • Nobuko Oshiro, 65 and center, leads a group of women in the end-of-summer performances that are part of an annual festival in Ogimi, Okinawa. Residents agree that maintaining strong social health is as important as maintaining good physical health.
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  • Take Yamashiro, 89, sits among friends at a festival in Ogimi, Okinawa. The island’s population boasts one of the longest life spans in the world.
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  • Residents enjoy outdoor recreation. Staying active and social are essential to residents of Ogimi, Okinawa.
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  • Masako Taira, 90, waves as the sun sets in Ogimi, Okinawa.
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  • Tomi Miyagi celebrates her 97 years with a traditional ceremony. Every August, each of the 17 tiny districts that make up Ogimi village in Okinawa host official birthday ceremonies for their renowned elderly residents. While Ogimi’s elderly are considered to have begun their “second life” or “rebirth” upon their 60th birthday, the biggest celebration is reserved for one’s 97th birthday, their “kajimaya.” Here, Miyagi wears a different colored kimono for each milestone, with the red one being the most recent.
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  • Ninety-seven-year-old Tomi Miyagi prepares for a celebration in her honor at the town hall in Ogimi, Okinawa.
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