In this episode, Nick Kemp reflects on a memorable experience in Japan, where he learned to appreciate the joy of being fully present through sensory pleasure. A simple bowl of ramen in a modest shop sparked a realization: the Japanese have a unique ability to focus on the here and now.
Staying present in the moment
Nick: Something I noticed, too, when I lived in Japan, I remember, some coworkers took me out to ramen. And I didn't know what ramen was at that time. And they look so happy enjoying a bowl of hot ramen in this really old and dirty ramen-ya. And I was thinking, oh, this place isn't safe, it looks so old and dirty.
But this touches on something Ken Mogi writes about, this idea of being in the here and now with sensory pleasure. And you can, as you said, maximize the moment or the enjoyment by being very focused on present -- in the here and now.
The Japanese seem to do that. And obviously they have those customs of saying or said expressions itadakimasu before a meal, which really seems to trigger them to be focused on eating the food.
Shinichi: Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah.
Nick: So that's what I see. It's like, wow, these said expressions really trigger Japanese to, right, "I'm going to be eating, I'm grateful for this food." And then they seem to enjoy it far more than me. Like if I'm eating something.
I'm thinking I want another one while I'm eating it, I want more, rather than thinking, ‘Oh, this is really delicious, I'll take my time and savor it.’ But maybe that's just me.