Declining Life Expectancy of Okinawans. Conceptualizations of Health in a Postcolonial Society

Abstract

Okinawa was famous for being a “Blue Zone,” a locale with a healthy lifestyle and high concentrations of centenarians. However, those born in generations after WWII do not demonstrate a longevity advantage over Japanese people from the mainland as those in previous generations do. Through a combination of ethnographic, database, and media analysis, this thesis reveals underlying social mechanisms which have reinforced behavioral shifts that contribute to Okinawa's decline. A key finding is the concept of the selectively curated, cultural consumer identity which emerged during the US occupation. In the case of Okinawa, the unified Ryukyuan identity which dominates the Okinawan consciousness is actually curated from traditions which have been selectively emphasized through commercial mechanisms. How does the commercial intersection of cultural branding and traditional identities inform the lives of a population?