Green Tea & Cigarettes: Health in Japan

What do you know about health as it's related to Japan? What is the secret to their long lives, and what are some common misconceptions? These are just a few of the things I've noticed.   

• I know that the Japanese people have the longest average lifespan of any nation.
• The obesity rate is very low, only 3% compared to about 30% in the United States.
• They eat less fast food than other nations, although this is changing.
• Japanese people walk more as a part of their daily lifestyles because public transit is more the norm.
• Also, the cost of food is higher here, and the average Japanese person consumes about 200 fewer calories per day than an American.
• I know that they eat a lot of fish and seafood, which are rich in omega fatty acids and a lean source of protein.
• They eat a lot soy products, including tofu, miso soup, and edamame.  
• You might think of Japan and think, "soy sauce" and you’d be right. The Japanese diet actually contains a lot of salt.  
• They drink a lot of green tea, with the mysterious power of antioxidants.
• The national health care system is extremely impressive, and the average Japanese person visits the doctor about 14 times per year.
• However, MANY people smoke, and according to the National Cancer Center, smoking kills more than 100,000 people per year and is responsible for one in ten deaths. 
• Their dental hygiene is remarkably terrible and most toothpastes do not contain any fluoride.
• Japan is also the land of alcoholic nomihoudai or "all you can drink," and excessive drinking in Japan accounts for 4.15 trillion yen per year in health costs.
• The nationwide suicide rate is quite high, perhaps due to the dominant culture of overwork and stress from societal pressure.

So, while people in Japan live longer on average than any other country, it has more to do with their healthy diets and active lifestyles and less with some mysterious Asian health secret.