Mono no Aware: The Japanese Word for Being Moved by Things That Pass
Why do maples spend energy turning red just before their leaves fall? Mono no aware, the Japanese word for being moved by…
Tag
Japanese philosophy
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…
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)…