Last week, I read three articles. ↓
- 5 Famous Leaders Who Were Shorter Than Napoleon — History Facts
- A Day in the Life of a Settler in Colonial America — History Facts
- What Americans Ate for Dinner in the 1800s — History Facts
Is it true that Napoleon’s height was 168 cm (5′ 6″)? He looked like a big guy. Of course, I have never met him, but I have seen his portraits.
Who was shorter than Napoleon? One was Hirohito (Emperor Showa). He was considered tall at the time and was around 165 cm (5′ 5″). Long ago, people were shorter than modern people. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the average height was around 157 cm (5′ 2″) for men and around 145 cm (4′ 8″) for women.
Between the 1600s and 1800s, Japanese people daily ate rice, miso soup, and one side dish, such as pickles, beans, or tofu. Meat and fish were expensive, so samurai (upper people) were able to eat. Until the 1940s, meat was a luxury food. My dad used to say, “When I was a kid, I ate whale meat instead of beef.”
In the 1800s, the average American height was around 173 cm (5′ 7″) for men and around 157 cm (5′ 2″) for women. Probably, this is because many people had influence from Europe.
Food culture is an interesting subject. In China, there are different ethnic groups. In general, Northern people tend to be taller than Southern people.
To grow taller, not only genetics but also eating well and staying active are important. I don’t have my opinion about height. I’m 156 cm (5′ 1″) tall.
I want to tell you that very tall people might feel inconvenienced while staying in Japan. My former professor used to work as an English teacher in Tokyo. He said that he hit his head everywhere. Even after he returned to America, he kept the habit of looking up.
Photo by 写真AC
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