Michio Kushi

Michio Kushi, born May 17, 1926, and passing on December 28, 2014, was a Japanese educator and proponent of alternative cancer therapies. He played a significant role in bringing modern macrobiotics to the United States beginning in the early 1950s. Kushi was a prolific lecturer, traveling globally to share his insights on the macrobiotic diet at various conferences and seminars.

After World War II, Kushi studied macrobiotics under George Ohsawa in Japan. Upon arriving in the United States in 1949, he and his wife, Aveline Kushi, established several organizations, including Erewhon Natural Foods, the East West Journal, the East West Foundation, the Kushi Foundation, One Peaceful World, and the Kushi Institute. Kushi also pursued academic studies in law and international relations at the University of Tokyo and later at Columbia University in New York City. He lived in Brookline, Massachusetts, and died at the age of 88 from pancreatic cancer. His wife Aveline passed away in 2001, and their daughter in 1995.

Michio Kushi was instrumental in popularizing the macrobiotic philosophy and diet in the Western world, particularly in the United States, starting in the 1950s. He lectured extensively worldwide, sharing his views on macrobiotic principles and their application to health and daily life. Alongside his wife Aveline, Kushi co-founded numerous organizations aimed at promoting natural foods, holistic health, and a peaceful worldview, including Erewhon Natural Foods and the East West Journal. Their collective work aimed to educate the public on alternative approaches to well-being. The Kushi Institute, which they founded, served as a hub for macrobiotic education and practice.

Kushi received several accolades for his work. In 1994, he was honored with the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. In 1999, his dedication to educating others about the benefits of a macrobiotic diet was recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History established a permanent collection named the "Michio and Aveline Kushi Macrobiotics Collection" within its Archives Center, acknowledging their contributions to macrobiotics and alternative health care. Additionally, Michio and Aveline were presented with the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in 2000 for their significant impact on diet, health, world peace, and promoting conscious living.

Kushi advocated for the macrobiotic diet as a means to treat cancer, viewing conventional cancer treatments as overly aggressive. However, his claims regarding the diet's efficacy in treating cancer lacked clinical evidence. The American Cancer Society requested documentation for his assertions, but Kushi did not provide clinical data. Nutritionists Elizabeth Whelan and Frederick J. Stare criticized Kushi's assertions, stating that his theories about diet, thought, and lifestyle causing cancer were unfounded. They noted that while Kushi presented anecdotal case histories of cancer remission attributed to the macrobiotic diet, there was no comprehensive data, and some individuals documented ultimately succumbed to the disease. Furthermore, reported remissions sometimes coincided with conventional medical treatments.