Heizaburo and Reiko Kawaguchi, 84 and 81, from Kobe, believe that simple meals and large servings of complex ideas from Japanese manga, anime and classical literature pave the way to a long and happy life. Trained as a fukuryu (underwater kamikaze diver), and later head of a 300-year-old family business until 1997, when the government lifted restrictions that had limited the sale of salt to just a few dozen privileged families around the nation, Heizaburo now has plenty of time to devote to books and his wife. Married for 59 years, with two children, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren, the couple hope to spend a lot more time together.

Reiko: Parents know their children well, so they know how to pick the best partner for them. Ours is an arranged marriage. Our parents spent a long time checking the other's background to make sure we would make a successful pair. Thanks to them, we are.

Reiko: The end of the war accelerated the modernization of Japanese culture. For example, before we were married, we were allowed to meet three times in the presence of our families, not just once as couples before, and we could exchange our own fans to express our desire to get married, which had been the parents' right to do so before the war.