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Sophia Burnette
Teen Board Treasurer
St. John’s School – Houston, TX
Teen Board Member 2022 – Present
We Are All Living in 2025:
Why Every Country Offers Health for the Other to Learn
Have you ever heard the saying, “Japan is living in 2050”? The phrase comes from the daily use of advanced technology and precise systems that characterize the country. Japan ranks 23rd on the global Human Development Index scale, so while its development is very impressive, a handful of countries are just as if not more developed (based on the HDI index). It is possible that the assumption that Japan is more futuristic than other countries comes from healthy, widespread lifestyle practices, romanticization derived from literal and diplomatic distance, and the ease of forgetting about the accomplishments of our own.
In the United States, the arrival of October promises the consumerism of bags of candy, pumpkin-spiced lattes, and autumnal pastries. Halloween could even be considered one of the most unhealthy nights for the nation. In Japan, Halloween is celebrated, but trick-or-treating is uncommon. Sugar consumption is a strong difference, among many others, between the US and Japan. For example, Japan’s beverage culture is healthier than the United States’: while chains in the US offer sodas in sizes up to an extra-large, sugary drinks in Japan are served in lower - almost half - portions. A healthier drink culture is not unique to just Japan; in other Asian and Africans countries, popular drinks such as India’s chai, Morocco’s mint tea, and China’s matcha actually serve health benefits such as, respectively, anti-oxidation, improved digestion, and even anti-depressant properties. During my visit to Japan, I noticed a stark difference in fast food compared to that in the US. Japanese convenience stores provided quick - but also nutritionally balanced - snacks such as sandos, onigiri, fruit cups, and sushi rolls, some of which were still warm. Although America makes diet-friendly (such as keto) food accessible in most corner stores, buyers are often forced to choose between packaged diet food with engineering that prioritizes calorie count over taste, or options that despite being a norm for America, aren’t usually that healthy. In the US, candy is everywhere: movie theaters, cash registers, and by the 31st of this month, everyone’s home.
Yet, holidays are not to be demonized. The practice of celebrating any joyous occasion, from independence on Juneteenth and the 4th of July to love on Valentine’s Day, enforces optimism and unity within a country. While Japan is unified through imagined and real social pressure and monolithism, the advantage of the US’ melting-pot society is that we are unified through celebration and engaging with those of different cultures - including their cuisines. Prior to going to Japan, I didn’t eat sushi, my favorite food, for a month. I speculated that once I got to Japan, I would be surrounded by it and would eat as much as I could. However, I never actually found a sushi restaurant nor had any (granted, I stayed only in a small city). I live in Houston, and my home is within walking distance of at least three sushi places. I could drive or order about any foreign food that I want. That is because differences are accepted and celebrated, often, which is why so many Americans engage in foreign pop culture and come to idealize Japan in the first place.
America may not provide the healthiest fast-food options, and both America and Japan may have acclaimed rates of mental health. Yet, in America, the stigma around mental health is on a definite decline, and this will inevitably lead to the rise in reported mental illness as we become more aware of diagnoses and healthcare options. In Japan, work-stress related death is a common, almost quotidian issue. Companies regularly make a profit from making people “disappear”, helping them change their identities and find a fresh start elsewhere, if this stress pushes them beyond a viable alternative. At my workplace in the states, employees treat each other cordially regardless of their education level, age, and work ethic; if someone is fired, they are notified as soon as possible, rather than simply not being given work; quitting is very easy as well. According to countless online sources, including primary ones, that is not a commonality in Japan.
I believe that the dietary options a government provides for its people is a big indicator of that government’s generosity and intellect. While the formalities and culture of Japan are romanticized here, the American high school experience and fashion is heavily glamorized in Japan. At the same time, the social norms of a country impacts the quality of life by volumes. It is easy for people to place a country on a pedestal when it is an entire ocean away, especially when our country has noticeable issues of its own. The goal should not be to just point out these issues, but to look at other countries that can inspire us to fix them and utilize the strengths that we have.
Sophia Burnette
October 2025
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