So you hope to celebrate your 100th birthday? Six critical factors affect the chance your dream will come true.

Who better to ask than the residents of a town called Ogimi, in Okinawa, Japan. Ogimi has become a major attraction because one-quarter of its 3500 people are over 65, 80 are over 90 and 12 have 100th birthdays behind them.

• GALLERY: Six secrets to living past 100 years old
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• Going strong at age 80, 90 and beyond

What’s more, of Okinawa’s 1.4 million people a whopping 457 are over 100 years old.

No-one I know who’s lived for a long time eats much fried or salty food, smokes or loves alcohol

Ogimi, locally nicknamed “longevity village”, has a larger number of old people than anywhere else in Japan. Elderly Ogimi residents love regaling visitors with true tales of old-timers’ incredible exploits.

For instance, there’s the gutsy 105-year-old woman who recently saw a venomous snake slithering across her lounge room. Showing no fear, she beat it to death with a fly swatter.

And then there’s the fit-looking 96-year-old man who easily beat a highly embarrassed 33-year-old in a martial arts clash.

Downtown Ogimi. Picture: Flickr

A stroll through Ogimi reveals a modern village with several shops and paved streets. Its comfortable middle-class houses are filled, as everywhere in Japan, with electronic gadgetry: flat-screen TVs, tablet computers, the latest mobile phones.

But I have a lunch-date and hurry towards Emo No Mise restaurant in the middle of town. It’s my first time to take a 96-year-old to lunch.

At lunch, Katsu Yamakawa tucks into her meal of rice, vegetables and fish. She points reprovingly at a small mound of vegetables I’ve pushed to the side of my bowl.

“Never cheat – eat your vegetables,” the old lady admonishes me.

Suitably chastened, I listen as she unveils six sacred factors playing important roles in deciding whether or not you’ll enjoy a long, healthy life.

Katsu Yamakawa spills her secrets over lunch. Picture: Chris Pritchard

Genetics

“It’s the only key factor you can’t control,” Yamakawa acknowledges. “If genetic history is wrong – and ancestors often died at young ages – there’s absolutely nothing you can do. Expect to die young. On the other hand, if people in your family often live to ripe old ages you already have a huge advantage.”

Stress

“Stress is a big killer. Dodge it. Just go with the flow. You can’t change the way things will turn out. Accept things as they are.”

Happiness

“There are few things worse than a grumpy old person. Make a point of looking happy. Keep smiling. Friends are a big help. Get together regularly with relatives and friends. They’ll help you stay upbeat. If you can’t see them, stay in touch by telephone.”

Positivity

“Positive thinking is very important. Being old is no excuse for pessimism. Get involved in activities – such as older people’s groups for, say, walking. Be constructive and people will value your advice.”

Diet

“No-one I know who’s lived for a long time eats much fried or salty food, smokes or loves alcohol … Avoid these. In my case, I eat the same as other old people around here: lots of bean curd (tofu), seaweed and vegetables, plenty of fish and other seafood, occasional pork. We love turmeric, ginger and garlic.”

Two ingredients deemed super-foods: shikwasa (sour local citrus) and goya (better known in many countries, including Australia, as bitter melon and commonly sold by Asian grocers). Shikwasa, used in salad dressings and desserts but also eaten whole, and goya are rich in anti-oxidants and flavonoids. Goya is often sliced as a rice topping.

Exercise

“Ogimi’s elderly people often ride bicycles or walk. I spend three hours a day working in my garden. Enjoy sunshine but wear a hat. I used to work on my small shikwasa plantation but at my age walking up there is too steep.”

The residents of Ogimi in Japan know how to live. Picture: Getty

Yamakawa tells me her husband died at 80. She has a 93 year-old sister, four daughters, one son, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

“My close-knit family helps keep me young, she explains. “I adore life.”

Then she’s off – briskly pushing her shopping trolley home. Before she reaches the first corner she’s stopped by tourists, wanting the miracle of her long and happy life explained.