Secret To a Long Healthy Life: Don't Worry

Happy 100th birthday
By Jennifer Elves, Taber Times, Canada
Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Shinyuki Kunimoto is generally a man of small words but when his grandchildren seek words of wisdom from him, he is never short of words.When Kunimoto, who celebrated his 100th birthday in Taber on the weekend, was asked by his granddaughter Kimberly what he would tell his grandchildren so they would have good lives like him, he said, "don't worry about anything."Kimberly says he has always had an easy-going nature.His ability to look at the bright side and not let anything get him down also came out when his grandson Brenden asked him at his birthday celebration in Taber on Saturday, what it felt like to be 100. Kunimoto told his grandson he doesn't feel any different than he did at 90."He said just not thinking about dying helps a lot because if you think about it you're just going to get depressed, so (he said) just to think positively and take one day at a time," says Kimberly.When asked what the secret is to living a long-healthy life, he says he always slept well, walked every day and had passions such as reading, gardening and fishing."He sleeps well, he always has. I always think, 'gee, I wish I could sleep like him.' He goes to bed around 8:30 p.m. and sleeps right through until the morning," says his wife Hisaye.His daughter Eileen adds he has also always been a healthy eater, partly because he wanted to be healthy and because he enjoys foods like vegetables, rice and fish. Kunimoto gardened all the way up until last year and when he was younger, his family members could find him out in the garden every day. When he reflects on his hobbies and looks over at a trophy in his living room he received for fishing, his eyes light up and he makes a point of reminding his wife, daughter and granddaughter how he was named the senior men's champion at the annual fishing derby in 1990 at 82 years old. He also used to have a baseball-cap collection, which he says was "just for fun."Today, he spends a lot of time relaxing and watching T.V. He says having good things to eat, watching T.V. and doing various things keeps him happy and satisfied.Kunimoto, who is originally from Japan, moved to Vancouver at 21, as the economy in Japan was not good. When in Canada, he sent some money back home to help his parents out. He spent most of his working days as a carpenter. He also worked on the oil rigs and did some construction in his earlier days. He built the house him and his wife have been living in for roughly 46 years, and helped to build W.R. Myers high school. From Vancouver, he moved to Princeton B.C., and stayed there for a few years before moving to Picture Butte, which is where he got married through an arranged marriage to Hisaye.The couple has been married for 62 years and has six children, two of whom live in Taber. Eileen and Bruce reside in Taber, their children Jodene and Ross live in Calgary, Dennis lives in Edmonton and Bob resides in Ottawa. He was 38 when they had their first child."He had us late in his life and yet he raised us with patience, kindness, compassion and with integrity," said Eileen, adding he always worked hard and played later.