For the past month, I've been paying close attention to chewing. Chewing, that is, the act of masticating food, is something I've rarely paid attention to until now. But now, when I put something in my mouth, I count the number of chews as I chew. You often hear discussions like, "You should chew at least 30 times," or "Always aim for 50 chews," during breaks in photo shoots, but despite saying it, I'd only ever try it on the spot and never make it a daily habit.

It was then that I tried Amanemu's "Personal Wellness Immersion Program" last year. The schedule was for two nights and three days, from December 7th to 9th. Ideally, at least three nights and four days are recommended, but I couldn't secure that schedule and ended up with a shortened, rapid-fire version of two nights and three days. A few days before heading to Amanemu, I received a questionnaire via email. After answering it, it was determined that the "Detox" course was suitable for me. At that time, I had several concerns about my physical condition.

Firstly, I would wake up after about four hours of sleep. Secondly, I had chronic stiffness in my left shoulder. And thirdly, I wanted to lose about two kilograms. Since I usually lead an unhealthy lifestyle with lack of exercise and overeating and drinking, I thought this would be a good opportunity to improve my overall health in one go.

Of course, I knew that attempting this in two nights and three days, rather than the minimum three nights and four days, was setting myself up for potential disappointment. However, I've always been a fan of intensive, short-term efforts. While that sounds good, I'm essentially the type to cram and push through at the last minute. So, my challenger spirit was ignited once again.

Day 1

On the first day of the program, I had been shooting in Awaji Island until the day before, so I first traveled from Shin-Kobe to Nagoya by Shinkansen. From Nagoya, I transferred to the Kintetsu Line and headed to Ugata. A limousine from Amanemu was waiting at the station to pick me up, and I smoothly arrived at the hotel. I was soon to experience a macrobiotic lunch with reduced calories.

Honestly, I was shocked by the feeling of dissatisfaction, thinking, "Is this all?" But I quickly pulled myself together and told myself, "Yes, this is it! This is what it's all about! Long live health! Banish gout!"

I forgot to mention, I've had a predisposition to gout for many years, and my instep often aches. Even after lunch, I didn't feel much less hungry, but I believe the luxurious environment of Amanemu helped me endure the hunger. Unlike a boxer enduring hunger for weight loss, Amanemu offered a relaxing hot spring pool, meticulously maintained gardens, breathtaking sunsets, and comfortable beds. Thanks to these, I was able to forget my hunger.

The room was stocked with dried foods like kelp chips, black beans, and goji berries, which I was allowed to eat in moderation. However, I ate far beyond the recommended amount. Because they were delicious. The kelp chips, in particular, were exceptionally good, and I finished two days' worth on the first day. I was a failure from the very beginning.

On the evening of the first day, I learned "draw-in" at the gym, followed by a walk. "Draw-in" is a type of breathing exercise where you exhale deeply while pulling in your abdomen. It's said to be a diet method that tightens the waist by engaging abdominal muscles that are not normally used. It's convenient because it requires no equipment and can be done easily anywhere. All you need is "motivation."

It's said that doing this before walking or other exercises increases fat-burning effects. Indeed, when you straighten your posture, pull in your stomach, and imagine your abdomen touching your back, your waist area feels stimulated even when just sitting. I learned something valuable.

For the walk, I bent my elbows and raised my biceps backward with the force of an elbow punch. This stimulates the area between the shoulder blades, improving blood flow throughout the body and increasing fat-burning efficiency. From my own experience, transitioning from "draw-in" to "walking" made the excess fat on my body feel like it was panicking (?).

After the walk, it was time for dinner. By this point, I was already hungry. At the restaurant, I learned about the principles of macrobiotics while eating. I chewed slowly and thoroughly, as much as I could. Chewing slowly means breaking down food and ingesting it with plenty of saliva. Naturally, this aids digestion, which is good for the body, and it also signals the satiety center faster, reducing the amount of food consumed and contributing to weight loss.

I understood this but hadn't been able to implement it until now. Every morning, I eat breakfast with my family, and one day my wife said, "You're always the last to sit down at the table and the first to finish eating. Aren't you not chewing properly?!" That struck me. I had set a goal of "chewing 30 times," but my mind was so focused on the act of chewing that I ended up repeating "chewing 30 times at high speed." This doesn't produce enough saliva. It's meaningless if I don't make "chewing slowly and thoroughly" a habit.

The dinner, prepared by Amanemu's chef, was a collection of dishes that were incredible, considering the dietary restrictions. While savoring the delicious food, concepts like "Shindō Funi" (unity of body and environment), "Ichibutsu Zenshin" (eating the whole food), "In-Yo Chōwa" (yin-yang balance), and "Gogyō Sōkanzu" (five elements correlation chart) resonated with me as hints to address my own physical ailments.

The human body is made of what we eat. Therefore, we must carefully consider what we put into our mouths and ensure it contributes to our well-being. This is quite obvious, but after this lecture, I gained some insight into how different foods affect the body. I hope to continue learning and become a healthy middle-aged person, both mentally and physically.

After dinner, I was led to the Thermal Spring, a large pool of hot spring water in the central courtyard. While soaking in the perfectly heated water, I gazed at the star-filled sky. It was an incredibly luxurious moment, seemingly from another world. It was chilly when I got out of the water, but I felt warm while in it. As the warmth and coolness alternated, I eventually remained warm even after getting out of the water. The ultimate state of relaxation.

After enjoying the Thermal Spring to my heart's content, I returned to the spacious locker room, took a shower, and then tried the steam and dry saunas side-by-side. It was a paradise for sauna lovers. After sweating profusely, I returned to my room and went to bed at 10 PM. A day that was the epitome of healthy living came to an end.

Day 2

The next morning, after a light breakfast, I started with Zen meditation in the gym under the guidance of a Rinzai Zen monk. While meditating, I recalled the "draw-in" technique I learned the previous day and immediately put it into practice. I realized that Zen meditation and "draw-in" are connected.

After that, I returned to my room and read for a while. Before lunch, I received acupuncture. It was my first time experiencing acupuncture. It was a 90-minute session, but I fell asleep about 10 minutes after it started, so I have no memory of whether the needles felt good or not.

Then, I proceeded to lunch. After lunch, perhaps due to the effects of the acupuncture, I felt a bit sluggish, so I took a short nap. After about an hour's nap, I headed to the private onsen. The private onsen is like a private outdoor bath you might find at a traditional ryokan. There's a bath indoors and one outdoors, and the view overlooking the sea from the garden is superb. Here too, I enjoyed the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor baths, moving between them to warm my body to the core.

After warming my body in the indoor pool, I'd dash out into the cold air and jump into the outdoor pool. Once my body was sufficiently warmed, I'd wrap myself in a bathrobe and lie down on a poolside bed. Feeling the heat radiating from my skin, I'd quench my thirst with mineral water. Pure bliss. It was heavenly.

In the evening, before dinner, I received "Aquatic Bodywork." This involves floating on your back in the water while receiving bodywork (massage) with your head supported. The sensation of floating was so pleasant that I lost track of whether I was awake or asleep. Although the session was 90 minutes, it felt like it ended in 10 minutes, a strange sensation. A hazy period, neither dream nor reality... I suspect I slept for most of the 60 minutes I was floating in the water. For about an hour, I felt like an embryo floating in amniotic fluid, inside my mother's womb.

In any case, my first experience with "Aquatic Bodywork" ended with nothing but "This feels so good!" After a light dinner, I joined the wellness manager, two models from "Precious" magazine, and a writer for a discussion about the treatments we experienced that day. This stay, with its share of unusual hardships, was somehow made more bearable by the presence of these beautiful women. Ho ho ho.

The "Precious" team mentioned they were going to Izawa-no-miya shrine before breakfast the next morning, so I asked, "May I join you?!" I was happily invited to accompany them. We were to meet at reception at 5:30 AM, so I decided to skip the onsen pool after dinner and use the onsen bath in my room. I drank the adzuki bean water, rice milk, and mineral water from the refrigerator and went to bed. Perhaps I drank too much?

Day 3

And so, the final day arrived. I woke up at 4:30 AM, took a shower, and headed to reception. The "Precious" team and I took a taxi to Izawa-no-miya. As we got out of the taxi upon arrival, a light rain was falling, but before me stood the shrine, bathed in what seemed like a divine aura. It was magnificent! Seeing this almost divine spectacle made me feel like I had arrived in the land of the gods. Truly, "the early bird catches the worm."

I've had the chance to meet a few Showa-era movie stars in the elevator of the apartment building where my Tokyo office is located.

Her office is in the same building. The great Showa-era actress appeared to be enveloped in a thin, white, mist-like substance. The shrine before me was in exactly the same state.

Two days of low-calorie meals, an overly indulgent hot spring bath, and my first acupuncture and "Aquatic Bodywork" sessions. Perhaps these combined in a quartet to create that morning's miracle. Feeling a profound sense of mental detox, I returned from Izawa-no-miya and headed to the restaurant.

After a light and delicious breakfast, I went to the wellness manager's room to hear the results of my two-day "training" (?). For me, the program indicated signs in my small intestine, liver, kidneys, and lungs. For example, I've suffered from cedar and cypress pollen allergies for over 30 years, and I was told that regulating my small intestine is important for alleviating symptoms. To do this, it's recommended to regularly consume Japanese fermented foods like miso, soy sauce, and nukamiso.

I've been limiting alcohol recently, but I was advised that for the liver, it's good to combine it with green vegetables like komatsuna and sour foods like umeboshi (pickled plums) or plum vinegar. For the kidneys, dark-colored foods like adzuki beans, black sesame seeds, kelp, and hijiki are recommended. I was also advised to "eat goji berries at the office" for their nourishing properties.

For my lungs, which had been a concern, dry brushing was recommended. Lightly brushing the chest and upper back with a good quality body brush before bathing is also said to be effective. It's also recommended to focus on deep breathing, move your limbs widely, and consciously circulate "qi." I was also recommended a stretch ball. Nodding in understanding, I headed for lunch. Afterward, I began my journey home.

While waiting for the train at Ugata Station, I remembered coming here with a surfboard when I was 17. On the way back, exhausted, I ate an ice pop while leaning my board against something. A photo of that moment must still be somewhere in my house. The chair where I sat and ate that ice pop 35 years ago suddenly felt like yesterday. I took a picture of the chair with my iPhone and posted it on Instagram.

My outfit back then was a bold striped pullover shirt and Ocean Pacific shorts. I was wearing flip-flops. For some reason, the memory of the clothes I wore comes back vividly. Now, I wonder how long I can maintain this temporarily detoxified body as I boarded the Kintetsu train.

After returning to Tokyo, I've been making an effort to chew everything thoroughly, combine green vegetables with sour foods, consume citrus fruits after eating meat, and consciously include black sesame seeds, kelp, and hijiki in my diet. Now, I wonder in which direction my body will head. To find out, I plan to visit Amanemu again soon.

As I get older, I feel that simply living as I please can sometimes lead me astray. To correct this, and to refresh not only my body but also my mind, I want to visit Amanemu from time to time. This time, not a shortened stay, but a long one of four nights or more.