Ma: The Japanese Word for the Space Between Things
The Japanese character for ma is a gate with the sun inside it. What the space between things means in Japan, from…
Tag
Japanese philosophy
Kaizen | The Japanese Philosophy of Continuous Improvement (in Weddings) and Life
Kaizen: The Small Steps That Change Everything If Nagomi is calm, then Kaizen (改善) is motion. It means “continuous improvement,” but again … translation…
Ikigai: What Japan Really Means by a Reason for Being
The famous ikigai diagram isn't Japanese. What the word really means, what Japan's own surveys say gives people ikigai, and why a…
Wa (和): Finding Harmony in the Chaos
There’s a Japanese word that feels like the thread holding it all together. Wa. It’s often translated as “harmony,” but it’s so much…
Tsundoku: The Beauty of Unread Stories
The Meaning Behind Tsundoku Japan has a word for everything. Even for that leaning tower of unread books on your nightstand. Tsundoku (積ん読)…