In the West, we have a tendency to talk things up. If we have done something reasonably well, we have ‘crushed it!’. If we are proficient at something, we have found our ‘zone of genius.’ If we are working hard, we are ‘hustling.’ If there is a challenge ahead, we like to taunt it with …
My Japanese father-in-law is a shokunin, a craftsman. This one-word translation doesn’t capture the essence of shokunin and the significance they have in Japanese culture. Shokunin make one-of-a-kind products that are highly appreciated for their simple yet sophisticated aesthetics; as a result, these masters are held in high regard and represent the closest that one …
‘The words we live with today become part of our lives tomorrow.’The above quote are the words of Yoshimoto Ishin (1916-1988) – a Japanese businessman, Buddhist monk, and the founder of Naikan therapy.Naikan is a structured self-reflection technique. Nai means ‘inside’ and kan means ‘looking’; therefore, Naikan translates to ‘inside looking’ or ‘introspection’. The technique …
How does one begin to self-actualise?Self-actualization starts with acceptance: acceptance of yourself, of others, and of the world you live in. This is articulated by the Japanese word arugamama, which literally translates to ‘as it is’. Arugamama means the acceptance of the true nature of things.This is the foundation of Morita therapy, a psychotherapy developed …
Omoiyari is regarded as ideal communication in Japanese society.Omoiyari is a noun formed from a compound of two verbs. Omoi- comes from the verb omou, which means ‘to think or have concern for others’, while -yari is from the verb yaru that means ‘to do’ or ‘to send’.Omou + yaru = OmoiyariOmou = to think, …
Omoiyari – ideal communication in Japanese society. Read More »
If there is one phrase in Japanese that you should memorise and use as a daily mantra, it is this: Yarigai ga aru.Yaru is a verb meaning ‘to do’, so yarigai means ‘something worth doing’. Aru means ‘is’ or ‘exists’, and ga acts as a subject marker. Thus, the phrase yarigai ga aru indicates that something holds value …
There are millions of Japanese who don’t feel ikigai. Many of these people suffer greatly from unwanted loneliness and experience a feeling of not being needed.
Dō literally translates to ‘road’, ‘path’, ‘passage’. It is never a destination or end goal. Instead, dō indicates a ‘way’ or rules for conducting oneself.
The book IKIGAI concludes with 10 ten rules of ikigai that the author’s distilled from the wisdom of long-living residents of Ogami in Okinawa.
While pleasant to imagine, romanticising ikigai as merely a tranquil lifestyle restricted to one Japanese island prevents us from discovering what ikigai truly is.
