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Award2023.12.17

The poster by Chaeeun Noh and Hiromitsu Miyata won an Excellent Research Reward at the 10th annual meeting of Japanese Association of Mindfulness.

On the second day of the annual conference of the Japanese Association of Mindfulness on December 17th, a poster presentation by ChaeEun Noh, a second-year Master's student at our lab, received the Excellent Research Award. Congratulations!


The research focused on interventions among non-clinical university students, considering symptoms of eating disorders characterized by alternating between anorexia and overeating (binge eating), frequently observed among contemporary young people engaging in extreme dieting practices. Specifically, the study involved practicing pre-meal rituals such as the "Gokan-no-ge (Five Reflections)" often recited before meals in Zen Buddhism and the practice of counting breaths for two weeks before every meal. Evidence was obtained including increased mindful eating tendencies and the decrease in binge eating.


Regarding the "Gokan-no-ge," it was a recitation I previously engaged in during a three-day zazen-fasting program, reciting it immediately before starting a food to break the fast. While this recitation had not been extensively used as material for empirical studies, the practical implementation seemed relatively straightforward as long as there was a sheet of paper with the sentences written on it. Being able to elevate this practice to address modern-day issues related to eating was a significant aspect of this study.



Noh, C-E., & Miyata, H. (2023). Effects of pre-meal reflection and breath counting practice on mindful eating and binge eating: An intervention study using Zen Buddhism's "Gokan-no-ge (Five Reflections)." Poster presented at the 10th Annual Conference of the Japanese Association of Mindfulness, P-4, December 16-17, 2023, Hongo Campus, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. (Presented on December 16, 2023) (Peer-reviewed)

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Hiromitsu Miyata
Hiromitsu Miyata

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