INTERVIEW | How to Boost Happiness Through the Joy of Cooking and Sharing Meals

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Sharing meals and the enjoyment of cooking significantly boosts happiness levels, according to a United States-based survey company. Their findings caught the attention of the United Nations' World Happiness Report and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The relationship between well-being — a state where both body and mind are in harmony — and food is attracting growing interest. In fact, the UN's 2025 World Happiness Report, scheduled for release in March, will feature a new chapter titled "Food and Well-being." Ajinomoto's Chika Morishima was a panelist in an OECD workshop exploring how food contributes to well-being.

Morishima is the company's Executive Officer and Vice President in charge of Sustainability and Communications. She also explored these themes in an interview with JAPAN Forward and Japan 2 Earth. Excerpts follow.

'Well-being Cannot Be Fully Explained by GDP Alone'

Can you share the topics discussed at the workshop on well-being and food held in Rome in November?

Ajinomoto collaborated with Gallup, a US-based survey company that conducts polls in around 150 countries and regions worldwide. We included questions in their survey about the enjoyment of cooking and the frequency of shared meals.

In Rome, we discussed the survey results, which confirmed that these activities positively impact happiness and well-being. This formed a strong basis for deeper discussions.

Is the importance of shared meals and enjoyment of cooking becoming recognized globally?

Absolutely. Sharing meals improves individual well-being and also enhances community and social well-being. It helps foster a sense of support, trust, and connection while addressing challenges like loneliness and eating alone. The OECD has also highlighted these aspects.

An OECD representative even remarked, "Well-being cannot be fully explained by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone. Non-economic indicators are crucial." They identified "social connections" as a key area of focus and expressed interest in collaborating to develop case studies. It's a prospect I found very encouraging.

*Morishima during the interview. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura)*

The Challenge of Measuring Subjective Well-being

Why did you decide to partner with Gallup?

Achieving well-being through food is a materiality, our actual mission at Ajinomoto. While it's commonly understood that sharing delicious meals with others brings happiness, there has been limited evidence to support this idea, especially when compared to the well-documented links between food, nutrition, and health.

We partnered with Gallup to conduct a large-scale survey to address this gap. The survey findings are a significant step toward validating how food contributes to subjective well-being.

Can these findings also translate into economic value for the company?

We plan to use the evidence showing that enjoying cooking and sharing meals enhances well-being in our product development and marketing strategies. Our approach aims to connect with consumers and society while also creating economic value. The OECD also acknowledged that these findings could contribute to societal well-being on a broader scale.

Deliciousness Leads to Happiness

The results showed that those who enjoyed cooking had higher happiness levels, correct?

Yes, the study found that people who enjoyed cooking were 1.2 times more likely to feel a sense of well-being than those who didn't.

I'm reminded of Takashi Maeno, a leading happiness researcher and professor at Keio University graduate school. He once explained that "people who create beautiful things, such as paintings, music, or theater, experience greater happiness than those who simply appreciate them. As the kanji for 'delicious' (美味しい) combines the characters for 'beautiful' and 'taste,' cooking could similarly lead to happiness."

This insight reinforced my belief that actively creating beauty — whether in food or art — can genuinely enhance happiness.

*Source: The Ajinomoto Group/Gallup 2022*

A New Chapter on Food in the 'World Happiness Report'

Nordic countries have traditionally ranked at the top of the happiness rankings released in March to coincide with the UN's International Day of Happiness. Japan, however, has been in the high 40s in recent years and dropped to 51st in 2024. Do you think this will change?

Happiness is inherently subjective, making it challenging to measure. In Japan and other East Asian cultures, there is a strong emphasis on valuing balance and harmony, not just being the best.

Different regions prioritize different values, and globally happiness is measured in varied ways. With the addition of a new chapter on food in the 2025 World Happiness Report, it's unclear how Japan's ranking might change. That said, Japan has made remarkable contributions in the field of food and well-being.

How can Japan contribute to the theme of food and well-being?

After World War II, Japan faced widespread poverty and malnutrition. A school lunch program was introduced to combat this, with nutritionists planning meals to improve diets. This initiative played a key role in Japan becoming the world's longest-lived country. By focusing on meal-based nutritional balance and making it easy to visualize, Japan has much to offer in this area.

Despite its small size, Japan has deeply rooted regional food cultures that utilize locally suited ingredients. This also enhances well-being. Additionally, Japan has a globally high level of nutrition literacy. For instance, in elementary schools, children learn about balanced nutrition through the three food group colors — red, yellow, and green. I believe these strengths position Japan to take a leading role in promoting well-being through food on a global scale.

*Morishima enthusiastically discusses Japan's role in promoting well-being in an interview. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura)*

Toward Establishing Post-SDG Indicators

What challenges do you see ahead?

There are three key challenges.

First, 2030 is the SDG's target but we're also collaborating with other companies to make "well-being" a central theme for the post-SDGs agenda. This is important for improving employee engagement. More significantly, however, it could lead to well-being becoming a unifying concept for the 17 SDG goals. The main challenge is to find an effective way to measure subjective well-being. This is why Gallup's research plays such a critical role.

The second challenge is harnessing Japan's potential for global leadership. Japan has a high level of nutrition literacy, a rich washoku culture, and a unique ability to adapt and blend foreign culinary traditions into its own. Consequently, Japan has an even greater potential to impact these areas globally.

Third, and perhaps the most difficult, is Japan’s relatively low awareness of ethical consumption compared to other countries. For instance, while Japan leads the world in reusable shopping bag usage, that doesn't translate into buying environmentally friendly products. If consumer behavior doesn't align more closely with broader sustainable practices, we can't achieve the SDGs. To overcome this, we need to rethink how we define prosperity and focus on what makes us feel happy.

The Gyoza Happiness Boost

At the Tokyo Olympics, gyoza was served in the athletes' village and won high praise from international athletes. Was gyoza also a topic at the OECD workshop?

Yes, the moderator mentioned gyoza during the icebreaker before the discussions. It was used as an example of the joy of cooking and sharing meals.

Gyoza, which has evolved uniquely in Japan, is simple to prepare without water or oil, making it ideal for group dining. Our company's frozen gyoza is sold worldwide. I find it both amusing and heartwarming that this humble dish can bring people together globally while they celebrate the joy of cooking (laughs).

*From Ajinomoto Frozen Foods (official website)*

About Chika Morishima

Morishima was born in 1963 in Shiga Prefecture. After graduating from Ochanomizu University in 1986, she joined Ajinomoto, where she worked on developing processed food products including seasonings. Subsequently in 2015, she was appointed as an executive officer. She assumed her current role in the company in April 2023.

This report is published in cooperation with Ajinomoto, a logo partner of the JAPAN Forward website Japan 2 Earth focused on initiatives to achieve the SDGs. The interview was also published on Japan 2 Earth.