In this video, Nick Kemp explores the complexity of Japanese concepts like natsukashii—a nostalgic longing for past moments. He talks about how in Japan, a single word can convey what other languages might need a whole sentence to express. From ikigai to natsukashii, these nuanced ideas reveal a unique perspective on memory, connection, and meaning.
The intricacy of Japanese concepts
Nick: There you go, I think you just proved how complex it is, and how in some cases, I guess, if we're fortunate enough to learn and speak maybe multiple languages, we might come across similar words. And that saudade, that actually sounds very similar to the word natsukashii, that idea nostalgia and longing.
And that is a component of ikigai; that even memories can be a source of ikigai for some people. I remember when I first went to Japan, and when I started going out with friends, I would occasionally hear this word natsukashii, and as you know, Japanese often just speak in verbs or adjectives, and I was trying to work out, what does this word mean?
We don't say something like, ‘Oh, how nostalgic.’ We would have to say, ‘Oh, that candy, I love that candy, I used to eat that candy in my childhood.’ But Japanese can work it out from context. And that's the fascinating thing about, I guess, languages, and for me, Japanese.
So it is a complex concept. But it's something, I guess, quite intuitive; obviously to the Japanese, because they just grow up with it. So it's fascinating.