JAPAN has introduced its Taiso exercise programme in Fiji, presenting the simple, accessible routine as a potential public health strategy to help fight noncommunicable (NCD) diseases, which have become a major regional health crisis.
Around 80 per cent of deaths in Fiji are caused by an NCD, and in recent decades noncommunicable diseases have become the biggest killer in Fiji, causing thousands of deaths every year, many of them premature, and affecting the lives of many more.
Speaking during the launch, Hiroshi Tajima, Ambassador of Japan to Fiji, said Taiso could address the physical inactivity that is the root cause of lifestyle-related illness.
“I wish to emphasise that Taiso can be used as a potential public health strategy to help fight noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension,” Tajima said.
Taiso is the Japanese word for exercise. The programme is designed to be inclusive, allowing children, adults, the elderly and people with special needs to participate through a combination of fundamentals, fitness and friendship.
The practice is also known as Radio Exercise or Radio Callisthenics. It dates back to the 1920s, when radios broadcast the exercise with the aim of maintaining and improving the health of citizens, which was believed would improve social happiness overall.
The warm-up lasts three to 10 minutes and is usually performed in the early morning but can also be carried out throughout the day at regular intervals. Its movements focus on dynamic stretching and increasing joint mobility, aiming to improve fitness and muscle strength.
Taiso can take as little as 20 seconds for an individual sequence or foundational stretch, making it a quick and easily accessible form of physical activity.
The programme helps increase flexibility and mobility, enhances balance and coordination, and reduces the risk of falls. It also helps reduce stress and improve mental well-being, particularly among adults, including the elderly.
Taiso encourages young children and students to stay active while improving focus in the classroom, contributing positively to their overall well-being and academic performance.
The launch brought together Fiji’s Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services, Penioni Ravunawa; Professor Tatsuo Araki, a Professor Emeritus at Nippon Sport Science University and a leading figure in the Japan Gymnastics Association; and representatives and officials of the Fiji National Sports Commission and the Gymnastics Federation of Fiji.
Tajima expressed appreciation to Professor Araki for working with Fijian institutions, teaching schools, students, children and people at large in introducing Taiso to Fiji and cultivating Fijian interest in its practice.
“On behalf of the growing Taiso fraternity in Fiji, I also take this opportunity to express our collective gratitude to Professor Araki for cordially working with Fijian institutions, teaching schools, students, children, and the people at large in introducing Taiso to Fiji and cultivating Fijian interest in the practice of Taiso,” Tajima said.
The programme forms part of the growing partnership between Japan and Fiji. In November last year, the Prime Ministers of Japan and Fiji formalised the Partnership, establishing a comprehensive partnership between Japan and the Republic of Fiji to elevate relations.
The joint communiqué welcomed progress in cooperation between the Japan Gymnastics Association and the Fiji National Sports Commission to promote Fijians’ health and well-being through the Taiso programme.
Tajima said Professor Araki’s visit to Fiji, including workshops and training for local instructors, had become a tangible fulfilment of the commitment made by the leaders last year.
“Even after Professor Araki parts with Fiji this time, the knowledge and skills that he has imparted upon the Taiso instructors and the Taiso enthusiasts will continue to benefit Fijian communities through them in the future.”
