Michio Kushi
Japanese educator who brought macrobiotics to America.
Michio Kushi (May 17, 1926 – December 28, 2014) was a Japanese educator and advocate of alternative cancer treatments who brought modern macrobiotics to the United States starting in the early 1950s. He traveled widely, giving lectures and seminars on the macrobiotic diet.
After World War II, Kushi studied in Japan under macrobiotic educator George Ohsawa. He moved to America in 1949, and together with his wife, Aveline Kushi, founded Erewhon Natural Foods, the East West Journal, the East West Foundation, the Kushi Foundation, One Peaceful World, and the Kushi Institute. The couple wrote more than 70 books. Kushi studied law and international relations at the University of Tokyo and later continued his education at Columbia University in New York City. Aveline died in 2001, and their daughter died in 1995. Kushi lived in Brookline, Massachusetts, and died of pancreatic cancer on December 28, 2014, at age 88.
In 1994, he received the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. In 1999, he was mentioned in the Congressional record for his work educating the public about the macrobiotic diet. That same year, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History opened a permanent collection in his name, the “Michio and Aveline Kushi Macrobiotics Collection,” housed in the Archives Center. The Kushi Institute, which the couple founded, was located in Becket, Massachusetts, through 2016, after originally operating in a converted factory building in Brookline Village, Massachusetts. On October 14, 2000, he and Aveline received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for their contributions to diet, health, and world peace.
Kushi argued that conventional cancer treatments are “violent and artificial” and promoted his macrobiotic diet as a cancer treatment. No clinical evidence supports the diet’s effectiveness against cancer. The American Cancer Society requested documentation of his claims, but his reply contained no clinical data. Nutritionists Elizabeth Whelan and Frederick J. Stare criticized his assertion that cancer is primarily caused by improper diet, thinking, and lifestyle, calling it unfounded. They noted that while Kushi’s books include case histories of patients whose cancer supposedly disappeared after following the diet, no statistics exist on the outcomes for all patients, and at least some died from their disease shortly afterward. Some reported remissions occurred in patients who were also receiving conventional medical treatment.
- born
- May 17, 1926
- died
- December 28, 2014
- field
- Macrobiotics, alternative cancer treatment
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Introducing modern macrobiotics to the United States; advocating macrobiotic die
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
After World War II, Kushi studied in Japan with macrobiotic educator George Ohsawa. After going to America in 1949, Michio Kushi and Aveline Kushi, his wife, founded Erewhon Natural Foods, the East West Journal, the East West Foundation, the Kushi Foundation, One Peaceful World, and the Kushi Institute. They wrote over 70 books. Kushi studied law and international relations at the University of Tokyo, and after going to America, he continued his studies at Columbia University in New York City. Aveline preceded him in death (2001), as did their daughter (1995). Michio Kushi lived in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died of pancreatic cancer on December 28, 2014, at the age of 88.
Reader's Guide
Michio Kushi argued that conventional cancer treatments are 'violent and artificial' and promoted his macrobiotic diet to treat cancer. There is no clinical evidence that the macrobiotic diet is effective to treat cancer. The American Cancer Society asked Kushi for documentation of his cancer claims. The reply contained no clinical data. Two American nutritionists who criticized Kushi's claim, Elizabeth Whelan and Frederick J. Stare, noted that Kushi's claim that cancer is largely due to his own versions of improper diet, thinking, and lifestyle is entirely without foundation. They stated that in his books, Kushi recounted numerous case histories of persons whose cancer allegedly disappeared after following a macrobiotic diet, but there are no available statistics on the outcome for all of these patients, and it is documented that at least some of them succumbed to their disease within a relatively short period. Reported testimonials of remission often uncovered the fact that the patients were also receiving conventional medical treatment at the same time. Despite this, Kushi received the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers in 1994, was mentioned in the Congressional record in 1999, and was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award on October 14, 2000. In 1999, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History opened a permanent collection in his name, the 'Michio and Aveline Kushi Macrobiotics Collection,' located in the Archives Center.
Did You Know?
- Kushi studied law and international relations at the University of Tokyo and later continued his studies at Columbia University in New York City.
- He and his wife Aveline founded Erewhon Natural Foods, the East West Journal, the East West Foundation, the Kushi Foundation, One Peaceful World, and the Kushi Institute.
- Kushi died of pancreatic cancer on December 28, 2014, at age 88.
- The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History opened a permanent collection in his name in 1999, titled the 'Michio and Aveline Kushi Macrobiotics Collection.'
- Nutritionists Elizabeth Whelan and Frederick J. Stare criticized Kushi's cancer claims as 'entirely without foundation.'
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Michio Kushi?
He was a Japanese-born educator and figure in the alternative-health movement, best remembered for carrying the macrobiotic dietary philosophy into the Western world beginning in the early 1950s. His lectures and organizational work made him one of the most recognizable names in that space.
What is Michio Kushi known for?
Kushi is most recognized for introducing the modern macrobiotic diet to American audiences and for founding organizations dedicated to promoting that lifestyle. He also became a prominent public advocate for using macrobiotic eating as a complementary strategy in cancer care.
When and where did Michio Kushi die?
He passed away on December 28, 2014, at the age of 88. His death marked the end of a nearly seven-decade public career in alternative-health education.
Why is Michio Kushi important in the history of alternative medicine?
His worldwide lecturing and the institutions he built in the 1950s onward helped transform macrobiotics from a relatively obscure Japanese dietary practice into a widely recognized Western wellness movement. He is frequently cited as the key bridge figure who made the philosophy accessible to English-speaking audiences.
What was Michio Kushi's stance on cancer treatment?
He publicly promoted the macrobiotic diet as an alternative or supplementary approach for people dealing with cancer, a position that made him both influential within the alternative-health community and controversial in mainstream medical circles.
More in Pioneers Of Alternative Medicine And Pseudoscience 1-18
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