Kaori, a reader from Tokyo, left a very thought-provoking comment on last week’s Real Life Minimalist post. I know that many of you don’t subscribe to the RSS Comments feed; therefore, I thought I’d share it in today’s post in case you missed it:
hi. I’m writing from Tokyo, Japan where as a city we’re having to rethink our priorities in terms of stuff, power and fuel. As you may know, this country is in the midst of the greatest national crisis (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear plant meltdown) since WWII and as I write, tens of thousands of people are stuck in evac shelters with no cash, no home, no job and a dark, uncertain future. Those of us in Tokyo send money and supplies and go out on weekends to volunteer. It’s nowhere near enough, however and it seems like we go from day to day clinging to a bizaare hope that tomorrow or sooner, things are bound to get better.
What’s crushing for myself and many others in Tokyo is that we had let ourselves be lulled into an unforgivable state of complacency. We had convinced ourselves that to work 14 hour days and shop like crazy was the norm and prerequisite, for living in one of the wealthiest, glitziest and convenient cities on the planet. The reality is that there are 10 – count ‘em -10 nuclear power plants in the northeastern region of Japan, mainly to feed and fuel this one, particular city. Nationwide, there are 53 nuclear power units, any one of which could be seriously damaged and leaking radiation in the event of another major quake.
How did we let this happen? The Japanese are natural minimalists; living on less and the desire not to own stuff is embedded in our DNA – borne of a long history of constant civil strife and the knowledge that in a country with zero natural fuel sources, the best option was to live with nature instead of against it. Yet, in the pursuit of wealth and convenience and the need to become a global contender, Japan ditched a lot of hard-won wisdom for short-term gratification. Tokyo has a lot to answer for, but at this point in time we don’t even know where to start. Individually, people are trying to save on power. Individually, many are abstaining from spending and excess. But we’re told that to do so will wreak havoc on an already wilting economy. Ironically, the more we work to try to survive, the more we use fuel which gives the electric company and the government more of an excuse to keep those nuke plants operative which tips the scale that much further to trigger another catastrophe.
Personally, I want off the grid. For me, the first step to real minimalism is to let go of worries over what other people think and to liberate myself from the dictations of the status quo. I’m hoping that the majority of the city will come around to the same conclusion – causing us all to turn off the main switch, open all the windows and see what happens.
I also received a poignant email from Mitsuko, who was affected directly by the disaster:
I am a minimalist in japan. On March 11th, we had huge earthquake in our country. Many many people died, lost their houses, their things, and lost their loved family. Now, we had still rolling blackout, so we can’t use enough electrics. And we have strong fear about broken nuclear plant.
Now, among Japanese, there are many change of the way of thinking. Though we had worked hard, and had bought a lot of stuff, these stuff actually useless when we met such a disaster.
We had latest TV, DVD, New huge houses, but now, everything had gone.
Of course, many people are overwhelmed by this situation now.
They can’t stand up to take care of themselves now.
But, many Japanese people found that their prosperity are depend on those people life who live near the nuclear plant.
We try not to use extra electronics, eat less, and buy less.
My house has broken because of this earthquake, and our family had to move new house. We lost many chinas, furniture, my favorite plants. But I can start over, because I am a minimalist.
I hope it will be a chance that many japanese will reborn as minimalists.
First of all, my heart goes out to Kaori, Mitsuko, and the Japanese people—they’ve experienced unimaginable losses, and continue to struggle with the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. Let’s remember that they still need our help.
I think we all have something to learn from their words. In our pursuit of wealth, of stuff, of status symbols, what have we lost sight of? How many hours have we given up with our families by working overtime? How much of nature’s resources have we squandered away on trendy clothes, new tech gadgets, or tchotchkes to decorate our homes? How much time and resources have we wasted consuming goods and entertainment, instead of enjoying nature or participating in our communities?
I only hope that such an event brings us all a new mindfulness—of our lifestyles, our actions, our principles, our priorities.
I truly believe that minimalism can lead us down the right path. Each time we decide against a frivolous purchase, make do with something we already have, or engage in other acts of consumer disobedience, we give a little gift to the planet. Each little action may seem inconsequential, but our efforts ripple out to effect positive change in the world.
Minimalist living isn’t a trend or blog-flavor-du-jour; it’s a conversation we need to keep going. Because the less we “need” (and the more we talk about it), the better our chance of changing the current paradigm: from one of rampant consumerism and resource depletion, to one of conservation and sustainable growth. Let’s stop the mindless work-and-spend cycle, and start to appreciate the beautiful, symbiotic relationship we have with each other and our planet.
Let’s put buying on the backburner, and focus on being instead; or, in Kaori’s words, “turn off the main switch, open all the windows and see what happens.”
Thank you, Kaori and Mitsuko, for your wonderful messages.
This is a great post. Like most people in the world, I felt sick when I heard about the tragedy of the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear plant meltdown. So many lives lost and so many more disrupted. Mitsuko and Kaori stories bring home the fact that we have let our lives become dominated by money and stuff. It is our need to have more, “the great life” that has really cost us much more than money. We have lost control of our most precious asset, TIME.
As the people of Japan can attest to, it is so easy to loose our stuff (our house, furniture, etc). Let hope that the price paid by so many in Japan will bring about some good. that it will get us to rethink how we live. Minimalism, whatever form that means to you, is a good place to start. The slogan on my blog is: “Simplify life, make the connection; spend less – live more”.
Let honour the people of Japan who lost their lives, by taking back ours.
I don’t know what to say, except these stories affected me deeply as I read them, and my heart also goes out to the Japanese. It also inspires me to think of people whose determination to make a positive difference has come out of such a tragic disaster. People can be truly, truly amazing, can’t they?
thank you so much for posting this, Francine.
i deeply appreciate it, and love your comment
about the need to keep this conversation going.
with much love and gratitude from Tokyo,
Kaori
This is a very thought provoking post. Why do we work endless hours to earn the money to feed the latest electronic gadgets and technology to ourselves and our children? Why do we feed on consumption and create more and more waste? Why do we take and take instead of giving and giving?
All our possessions, our homes and our belongings could vanish in an instant. So too could our family and our friends. Let’s get our priorities right- people matter, relationships matter and the time that we share with those we love matters
My heart breaks for the people of Japan and now, the tornado devestated areas of the South. I was in Japan twice in my life and never met more gracious people. The South is my home and my heart aches for everyone affected. Having sat through countless tornado sirens these past 2 weeks, it has really hit home with me. I don’t live in fear of losing everything, I live in fear of not living. Things are things, people and relationships are more important. As of this week, I have packed up 4 garbage bags of stuff I didn’t think I could part with to send on a truck to Alabama. This week, I also started to live again. : )
I so needed this message today. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful for little things and to be less concerned with everything else!
I’m so glad you reposted Kaori’s words! I am a subscriber but somehow I missed them the first time. He speaks eloquently and I’m with him- Let’s open the windows and see what happens!!!!
thank you francine, i would have missed Kaori’s story and i’m glad to read mitsuko’s too. Two amazingly calm and brave girls. after weeping i see with fresh eyes. i am soon to be 66 yrs old and i’ve been a minimalist even since childhood. i was probably the only teenager who only wanted a few clothes and some books to make me happy. i devoured books on japan and their traditional homes and way of looking at things. through the years they never ceased to sustain me, in the days before bloggers like you and leo at zen habits. then the years of watching, sadly, as the seemingly “westernization” of japan developed and grew. i know things change constantly. but i agree with kaori; simplicity, minimalism, reverence for nature, and i might add, an innate elegance, have always been the spirit of japan. perhaps that pheonix can rise from these ashes. …. and …. because i dearly love dolphins, maybe this year the harvest of them in that famous cove, will not happen! my thoughts of love and light to all of you.
Wow. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thank you for this post, living on the BC west coast, we are waiting for “the big one” here too. Japan has put it so clearly into focus for me that this can all be taken away. Japan is not some obscure place too far removed from my own life, it’s a place of similar wealth, similar terrain as my own home! I know that sounds selfish, and it is. But the disaster is heart breaking from every angle, and I only hope we can all learn from it and help where we can.
Being vs. buying.
Nuff said!
Amen to that, mate.
Thank you for sharing these thought provoking and heartbreaking thoughts from Japan. What really matters in life but life itself, all else can turn to dust in a moment. How many hours of life’s work is a ‘thing’ worth?
Dear Francine,
Thank you writing about my email.
Although my English is limited, I had been always wanting to say thank people who live in the other country.
Thank you for praying for us.
And Kaori, I am glad to read your post. I also live in Tokyo. Even in Tokyo, since my land was originaly the farm which used to plant lotus, my house was totaly destructed. Fortunately, nobody was in there when it was crushed.
I totally agree with Kaori’s post. I will also turn off the main switch, open all the windows and see what happens.
I regret that I didn’t think where our wealth comes from before such a disaster. I thought that I personaly lived the way on minimalism.
But certainly, there is excess in Tokyo. I must rethink my way of thinking by myself.
And I always think about our children. There are responsible for their future to us. The way of thinking as a minimalist, it could be a best gift to them from us.
Thank you again.
Thank you for posting these stories. As other world events currently dominate the news it is easy to forget the suffering of the Japanese people whose lives are still so affected. As Japan is such a progressive and wealthy nation many people think that everything is okay now just because we don’t hear about it so much anymore.
Kaori’s comment that there are 53 power plants in Japan really emphasises how vulnerable the country is to further threat of this kind. I truly hope that they are spared any further disaster.
Wow! I hope more people are able to come to this conclusion without such a disaster to start the process.
As an American I can relate to the mode of thinking that more is better. Even on my quest to becoming more Minimalist in my lifestyle, I still find times that I want to take comfort in a trip to the mall. I don’t and it’s hard to admit that even, but it’s true and it’s there. I guess recognizing it for what it is, is a step.
These comments will stick with me though, hopefully when I am making a purchase they will help me to really evaluate if it is selfish or necessary.
I am profoundly sorry for the heartbreaking losses the Japanese people have experienced, and continue to experience as the daily reality of their lives. My heart goes out to them as they begin to piece back together their lives and their country. Importantly, I want to express how truly remarkable I feel the Japanese citizens have been under a situation of national suffering. I am touched by the concern people have for their fellow citizens as well as their determination and positive outlook on rebuilding their futures. Nothing but good things will come from a deep sense of love to their country, and its people. I pray for the best for them and those they love. It is my hope they know that they are not only inspirational in their minimalist values, but also in their deep sense of humanity.
Thank you for sharing, Kaori and Mitsuko. My heart goes out to you and your friends and family in Japan. And thank you for reposting their comments, Francine. Important stuff. =)
What a touching post – thank you!
My heart and thoughts go out to the people of Japan as they rebuild their lives after this disaster. It was nice to hear the optimism in the letters from your contributors and that they are hoping to rebuild their lives in a more sustainable way.
Speaking as someone who lives a couple of miles from a nuclear power station (now out of commission, I’m glad to say), I hope that all countries will learn the lesson of not going down the route of nuclear power generation.
Its too easy to be caught in the trap of shopping for entertainment – if you’ve worked so hard, maybe you lack the imagination and energy to do much else with the tiny amount of time leftover?
I lost my entire home and contents in a tornado – it doesn’t hurt today, I still wish I had my baby’s photographs, but ten years later, I’m trying to persuade my family to stop buying stuff we don’t need as the garage is full of everything except for cars! I do buy myself treats that are not strictly necessary, but when I do, I no longer fall for “two for the price of one” type deals; I try to buy local & prefer handmade. If you buy less, you can afford more in the way of quality and beauty – and you’ll support your local economy.
I feel deeply for the people of Japan, especially those in the path of the tsunami. Their tragic plight is made worse by not being able to return and rebuild because of the damaged nuclear power plants. I visited Japan twice, and hate to think of how those dignified and hospitable people must be suffering.
Thank you so much for posting this. I’m originally from the UK but have been living in Japan for a while now, currently in Tokyo. Tokyo was relatively unaffected, as Kaori mentions, people have been trying to cut down on electricity use.
The earthquake served as a big wake up call to me, as it reminded me that I could potentially lose everything, including my own life, at any moment. I packed a backpack after the quake just in case another big quake struck and I was forced to leave Tokyo. This made me think that I actually need very few things to life and that I was in fact prepared to let things go. It really helped me to focus on minimalism and my own requirements for a happy life.
As Kaori writes, there is also pressure to spend to help the economy, but it’s the pressure on consuming that helps to lead to the need for vast amounts of energy, which leads to other problems! Letting go of other people’s opinions seems to be almost as difficult as letting go of stuff!
Sadly it often seems to be the case in life where we have to receive a big shock, and usually tragic, to wake us up from our situation.
I hope Mitsuko and many others manage to rebuild their lives. I also hope that people can use this as an opportunity to focus on what’s really important in their life.
Thank you again.
I wish everyone in the world would read this post! Thank you for sharing Kaori and Mitsuko’s words with us.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve read this post a couple of times now, each time bringing tears as I realize I just have absolutely no idea what this country is going thru. I’m pretty safe (so far) up her in the Pacific Northwest, although someday that big shake might hit. But I personally have no experience to compare with what they have experienced or are enduring.
Thanks for those who wrote from Tokyo, and Francine for passing it on.
Heather commented: “As of this week, I have packed up 4 garbage bags of stuff I didn’t think I could part with to send on a truck to Alabama. This week, I also started to live again. : )”
Oh, how what we thought was so important loses its grip in light of these life/world experiences.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts and stories…what you have to say is so important and I hope many will take your words to heart. We can all learn something valuable here. The people of Japan are in my thoughts and prayers…
Great post! And thanks for the phrase “consumer disobedience,” I love it.
I read your old posts and think how small the world really is. These were sad posts from Japan a few years ago. Here in Illinois, we recently had tornadoes which destroyed towns. We need to become minsumers and make a much smaller impact on the planet. We try to use less and we’re trying leave a smaller footprint.
I love that your posts come from all over the world. Minimalism can truly change the future. By having less, and needing less we make a smaller footprint. Yesterday I was reading about rainforest destruction. We have a long way to go.
I very seldom get anything new. My neighbors give me magazines and catalogs. My kids give me clothing. I shop at thrift stores and rummage sales. I used to tell younger people not to buy things like junk cereal or pop. I have stopped doing that. The information is out there.