When you feel tired or want to relax, what foods should you choose? Here’s useful information based on research.

First, let’s look at mood changes caused by non-alcoholic beverages. Many people drink alcoholic beverages such as beer when they want to change their mood, but it has been found that drinking a non-alcoholic beer has the same effect on the autonomic nervous system as drinking a small amount of beer with alcohol content. The autonomic nervous system operates independently of intention and is strongly linked to mood states. Research has shown that alcohol-free beer provides a sense of pleasure and relaxation without the worry of alcohol consumption. More specifically, among non-alcoholic beverages, sparkling wine is more likely to increase parasympathetic nervous system activity in women than non-alcoholic beer, and is therefore more likely to produce a sense of relaxation.

Another focus worth noting is the efficacy of dashi (bonito broth). In particular, research has shown that bonito dashi has the power to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce subjective fatigue levels. The key seems to be the smell of dried bonito flakes. Dashi packets and powdered dashi have little aroma, so when making miso soup it is a good idea to use dried bonito flakes packets to add aroma. I have the feeling that dashi should be drunk casually, more like a beverage than a meal. In Okinawa and Kyushu, there is a food culture called kachyu-yu which is made by pouring hot water over dried bonito flakes and miso paste. I think it’s an excellent comfort food that is easy, relaxing, and less stressful to your internal organs. It’s not necessary to stick to dashi, but it’s nice to have comfort food around us that we can eat without strain, so I think it important to preserve Japanese food based on dashi as part of our food culture.

It is vital to find your own comfort food not only for non-alcoholic beverages and dashi but also for your physical and mental well-being. The key to this is to utilize the five senses, including those other than taste. One is the sense of smell, such as the smell of dashi broth. Another is the food’s tactile quality. I am conscious of this in my own daily diet. I find that by arranging my meals in a particular way, I can enjoy a variety of textures in one meal and my satisfaction level increases significantly. In addition, research on visual response has shown that the color of the tableware influences the person’s taste. Although it depends on the food, the intensity of flavors such as saltiness and umami (savory) are increased by serving simmered dishes and miso soup on red or black tableware rather than on white. We believe that this can be used to make eating more enjoyable for people who are on a restricted diet. Even healthy people can introduce this into their diet. For example, transferring prepared food they’ve bought to their own plates changes the taste. Lastly, there’s the sense of hearing. In recent years, we’ve learned that the taste of beer changes depending on the music to which you’re listening when drinking it. All five senses are truly involved in the food experience. This kind of information is already used in marketing, but it should also be useful for your personal diet. Please use it to find out which comfort food is for you.

In Europe, there are direct environmental payment schemes, wherein the state pays a fair price for the multifaceted functions of agriculture. In some countries these payments are enough to make a living. Japan has also introduced a direct environmental payment system, but it is not the same as in Europe. While strengthening these policies is an approach that will be essential in the future, there are also things that we can all be aware of in our daily lives.

The easiest is to seek agricultural products which are created through the use of farming methods which maintain the multifunctional nature of agriculture, such as “fish cradle rice paddies,” the “stork-nurturing agriculture method,” and “gengoro rice.” Some municipalities sell labeled produce which contributes to the sustainable development of local agriculture, so please check it out the next time you go shopping. Other than official labels, individual farmers may also promote more advanced farming methods. For example, the log shiitake mushrooms and pesticide-free vegetables grown at Minakuchi Farm in Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, are produced in an effort to maintain the multifunctional nature of agriculture, including environmentally-friendly agriculture that circulates satoyama (rural landscape) resources and experiences.

A further mechanism gaining attention among interested consumers is the CSA system, whereby buyers enter into a contract with a local grower to receive produce on a regular basis through advance payments. By paying a fixed amount in advance, the consumer bears part of the risk of a bad harvest. This enables producers to stabilize their income and ensure sustainable food production. Advantages for consumers include being able to buy vegetables from reliable farmers, providing children with opportunities to learn through the agricultural experiences included in the service, revitalizing local communities, and creating a comfortable living environment. In the US, CSA is better known than in Japan. The country boasts a comprehensive platform called “Just Food.” However, in Japan CSA is not yet widespread and there are no major platforms in place. If you’re interested, try searching using words such as “[name of the area where you live] + CSA.”

Another good way is to try growing your own crops. Becoming a primary industry player may sound like a high hurdle, but it’s enough to try growing mini-tomatoes in a planter. Naturally, this will increase your interest in agriculture and make you feel closer to the local farmers. Above all, it’s a pleasant feeling to have farming as part of your daily life. In fact, I grow vegetables and rice at home, and I feel that living in such a way that there’s at least one dish of my own produce on the table every day definitely enhances the well-being of myself and my family. I hope that each and every one of us, as people who are supported by agriculture, will give more thought to it.

It’s difficult to say directly to people “buy this at the supermarket,” but one guideline is to be aware that you should always be looking at different options. Dr. Shimada’s environmentally-friendly production mentioned above is one such example.

There are many options on the shelves even for a single loaf of bread. But I think few people would hesitate to ask themselves, “which one I should choose?” I don’t think there are many people who are unsure of which one to choose every time. They usually buy what they have already decided upon, or what is cheap at that time. So, next time you’re in the supermarket, check out the whole wheat bread. Most of the time, when whole wheat is processed from the grain (raw material) into flour, around 40% of it is lost (bran or embryo) depending on the milling method. Whole wheat flour usually includes this part, reducing wastage. On the other hand, there’s also an image that whole wheat bread is bland and not tasty. Whole wheat flour doesn’t puff up easily. However, technology to improve the way the bran part is mixed and sifted makes it possible to produce soft bread even with whole wheat flour. If you were reluctant to eat it because it didn’t taste good last time, I would encourage you to try again.

Buying organic vegetables also helps to protect the environment. Organic farming is a form of agriculture that doesn’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. In Japan, the Organic JAS Mark is used as one of the certifications for organic food, so you may have seen it before. You may already have an image of what’s good for you, but why is it also good for the environment? It has to do with greenhouse gas emitted from chemical fertilizers. For example, nitrogen fertilizers used when growing spinach. They make the green colour darker and the leaves softer, but emit nitrous oxide (N₂O) and 300 times more CO₂ (a greenhouse gas emission). I am now measuring this gas every day for research purposes, and it is clear that the amount of this gas increases when chemical fertilizers are used. If you’re at a grocery store and see a row of spinach that is darker green and a row of spinach that is lighter green, it’s natural to pick up the darker spinach. Having this knowledge may change the way you shop in the future.

Consumers might want grocery stores to provide eco-friendly product information. In fact, sellers are in the process of trying to solve this issue. – For example, companies with which I’m involved in research activities have started to put labels on fresh produce to show their reduced carbon footprint and have launched a mail-order website service specializing in organic agriculture and fishery products.

You will see many of these efforts in your life in the future. I also want you to feel a sense of ownership regarding this issue. It is true that the situation surrounding food is an urgent one. But I feel hopeful about the situation since people from different stakeholder groups are searching for what they can do and making strong efforts. I hope that you will become a member of this big project and contribute to saving the future of food.