Japanese Philosophies: Discover the main ones and see how to adopt in your life

Japanese culture is extremely rich, comprising a philosophy millenary, responsible for the quality of life, wisdom and innovation, and from which the western world has a lot to learn.

A people's actions and worldviews are dictated by a series of factors and principles, and the Japanese stand out from the rest of the globe by many unique characteristics. The discipline, commitment and intelligence are reflections of these factors.

Furthermore, it is the culture of Japan that allows its constant technological advances, results of  a society that really values education and the constant search for knowledge.

And a large part of the technical resources to which we have access and which facilitate our daily lives are developed there, with innovative solutions throughout the production process.

There is focus and diligence to find better options, especially in the industrial sector, that is, they are concerned with the quality and efficiency of all factors, from basic parts, such as a inductive sensor, as well as machinery, equipment, right up to the final product.

By the way, Japanese products usually bring several features and creative solutions for the most varied situations of everyday life, and many products only exist there.

Understand a little about the history of these people

In a quick historical context, the Japanese culture was constituted by several ethnic contributions, as it was the target of several waves of migration that occurred internally in the Asian continent.

For a long time, the country remained isolated and resistant to foreign culture, especially the European one, which was imposed throughout the world in the expansionist movement of the great navigations, and later the North American one.

Even after the end of World War II, when barriers were lowered and products and influences from countries on other continents were accepted, customs and traditions remained. Now, they arouse curiosity, interest and admiration around the world.

At this point, they already bring us a great lesson in relation to the way they live surrounded by technology and, even so, they place a huge value on ancient traditions, mainly related to health and maintenance of vitality.

Among its gigantic constructions of mega-organizations, skyscrapers of reflective glasses and the daily rush, the ancient temples and lush gardens are maintained with total zeal.

We can attribute this to a specific point that is very typical of these people: respect and interest in ancestry, so that the elderly, their histories, experiences and authority are highly valued by the younger ones.

Illustrating this statement, a practice is the kintsugi, a tradition of repairing broken ceramic objects and utensils using a glue made from powdered gold.

The philosophy behind this refers to the valuation of failures, the history of use of an object. So, with each repair, it becomes more valuable.

Many of Japan's typical practices are built in the same way as the kintsugi, where their traditions of dealing with the external world are important lessons in understanding and developing our internal positioning.

In this case, when using a valuable material such as gold to repair the dishes in their homes, the Japanese learn to embrace their faults, understanding that what values something or someone the most is their history.

Likewise, the longevity of the Japanese is closely linked to their customs, eating habits and lifestyle, which includes meditative practices and philosophies such as Kintsugi, that make them interpret many situations from other points of view.

And it is exactly this perception of the world that we will talk about in this article: we will bring here some intrinsic philosophies of Japanese culture, the basis of its principles, moral and ethical values, behavior and lifestyle.

Meaning of kawaii - culture of cuteness in Japan

Discover Japanese philosophies for a fuller life

There is a wide range of Japanese philosophies, which encompass many terms and concepts without a literal translation into our language.

As we mentioned, a basic premise that permeates culture in general is learning, that is, awareness of the fact that we are in a constant process and that there is always something more to be learned, a philosophy known as Kaizen.

That is, when studying a topic like studio soundproofing, are always aware that there is still more knowledge and discoveries to be made, and that their own practical experiences are great teachers. That understood, let's go to our list:

1 - eiyoushoku, body care

The intestine is a human organ that has more than 500 million neurons, being called by modern science the “second brain”.

But the fact is that the Japanese have had this view for a few thousand years, so the philosophy eiyoushoku it is related to awareness about the nutrition of the body, and the importance of healthy eating.

It is no coincidence that Japan has the lowest obesity rate in the world, with a highly nutritious diet that guarantees good health and longevity.

Thus, the installation of the large industrial tanks for the processed food industry and fast foods, it is relatively recent in the country, especially when compared to the rest of the world.

As we mentioned, due to a series of political issues, the country has remained resistant to US influence.

Japanese cuisine is marked by fresh food and a great emphasis on vegetables. Many products considered natural remedies are the basis of your kitchen, for example:

  • Green tea;
  • Ginger;
  • Saffron;
  • Seaweed.

This philosophy is also related to the practice of physical and meditative activities on a regular basis, as keeping the body and mind active is understood.

2 - Kiosukete, be your own priority

Kiosukete if it refers to self-love, valuing oneself and one's needs, trusting the 'I' and one's instincts, without a selfish precept, but through the understanding that it is necessary to be well in order to do good.

It is closely linked to the previous concept of self-care, focusing and prioritizing what is good for your life, time to rest and the need to cut out negative people, another important philosophy, Yuimaru.

3 - Yuimaru, take care of who stays in your life

In analogy to a good sand filter used to purify water, this philosophy talks about filtering relationships, in order to maintain a connection with positive people, who bring happiness to the individual, and to care for those relationships.

It's about really getting to know your friends and allowing them to get to know you too, without fear of being vulnerable in your inner circle. Look for those who are good for you, keep in touch despite the distance, after all the technology exists for that.

4 - Osettai, about being a contribution

This Philosophy is related to the kindness and availability to be useful to the environment and to the people with whom one lives.

It speaks of knowledge sharing and the need to be a contribution to the community. It assumes that we always have something to share, regardless of your position or position.

That technical knowledge about sinks of warmth that you can share with your colleague, a "good morning", a beautiful smile, or even recognize the other in their potencies by making sincere compliments, all of this is part of the concept of Osettai.

5 - Ganbatte and Kaizen, always do the best

These two philosophies are intimately complementary, as Ganbatte talks about the importance of striving to do the best within your reach, Kaizen it is about the humility of recognizing that it is always possible to improve, as we have already mentioned.

For example, when working with customizing heritage tag, you must strive to do your tasks in the best way possible, which involves time, dedication, patience and concentration.

There is still a need for constant improvement, and the search for new techniques, material or machinery options, for example. This applies to all activities in an individual's life, from the simplest to the most complex.

6 - Kansha, the cultivation of gratitude

Gratitude, recognition and personal value are very important points for the Japanese, and unrelated to expensive gifts. Showing sincere satisfaction, a word, a note or a smile can be worth much more, and they know it.

Kansha if it refers to cultivating the feeling of gratitude, with great sincerity, both in relation to others and to yourself and the universe. It's about doing what you believe in, helping others and allowing yourself to be helped.

Discover Japanese cultural values
NeuPaddy / Pixabay

Final considerations

There are still many other concepts and philosophies that bring rich and transformative learning, especially in the current days of social pressure, individualism, instantaneity and passing cycles.

These are extremely complex philosophical questions, but with a very simple use in anyone's way of life and routine.

If you are a visionary entrepreneur, when reading this text, you realized that, in addition to being extremely useful for your daily life, in interpersonal relationships, with family and friends, oriental philosophies can also be used in business reality.

In fact, in a more practical example, the manager of a surveying company, by taking this knowledge and philosophies to the reality of your business, you will certainly see rapid changes, both in your health and quality of life, as well as in your business.

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