■A resolution of the WHO-101 session of the Executive Board in 1998 requests the Director General to consider an amendment to the constitution defining health as "A dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." And for many patients their spiritual or personal beliefs influence their mood and can be a source of coping, thus having important effects on their health.

■In Japan, the 70 percent of the workers are anxious and stressed due to their hard working life and worries about their life in old age. With the arrival of modern times has come technological advance, high level education and an increase in information resulting in a highly complex adult society. This society is also tough on our children. Children are expected to achieve high grades and therefore attend cram schools leading to chronic fatigue and other diseases usually found in the middle aged. As expected both adult's and children's diseases are closely related to their way of life. Our modern society, with its many problems has upset our natural rhythm of life. In order to rectify this problem, repair society and heal those troubled souls we need to find sanctuary in a natural environment where people can build good relationship with one another. We established AECEA (Asian Environmental & Cultural Exchange Association) in Hida. It is an adventurous and challenging non-governmental organization which we hope will work effectively as part of a network to improve the standard of our lives.