寿 means 'longevity'

Sushi comes in infinite varieties (as the 寿 essay shows). Noodles can take many forms and be made from a multitude of flours (as the 麺 and 拉 essays demonstrate). Sweet potatoes differ by region (as the 芋 essay makes clear). In Japan these favorite foods inspire not only cravings but also deep passion, nostalgia, arguments over origin stories, and hairsplitting about the preparation methods particular to certain locales. People also have strong beliefs about these dishes, eating certain noodles for longevity, treating sweet potatoes as guilty pleasures, and regarding uncut sushi as lucky.

Though the Japanese live longer than anyone, they pray for even more longevity—for humans and deities alike. These four auspicious kanji are associated with longevity, which is a natural fit for 亀 and 鶴; as one proverb has it, turtles and cranes live thousands of years. Meanwhile, 寿 means "lifespan" and "longevity" in words for those concepts and appears in many terms for milestone birthdays. Finally, because the pine represents long life, thanks to its evergreen needles, images of that tree abound at weddings and on New Year's cards. Similarly, twin pines symbolize a long, happy marriage.