Ten Japanese practices that could change how you live

Japanese culture is shaped by concepts that resist direct translation but carry lessons for everyday life. Respect underpins interactions with people, food and nature, while ikigai frames purpose as the overlap between passion, skill, community need and livelihood. Wabi sabi and kintsugi embrace imperfection and impermanence rather than hiding them, and gaman instils restraint and patience from childhood. Kaizen, the principle of continuous improvement popularised by Masaaki Imai, applies equally to business and personal life, while shouganai counsels acceptance of what cannot be changed. Together, these ideas offer a framework for discipline, humility and purpose that has drawn global interest well beyond Japan.

By Ingrid Wood

Ikigai, kintsugi, itadakimasu... tricky for many to pronounce and difficult to directly translate, but these terms explain a lot about Japanese etiquette and approach to life.

One of the most interesting cultures in the world is perhaps that of Japan. It is a nation respected for its harmonious culture and approach to life, much of which stems from the Confucian principles of humanity, loyalty and morality. And while many of the phrases and concepts that define the Japanese outlook cannot be directly translated, understanding their nuances and application in everyday life is a lesson in itself.

It starts with respect

Ever wondered why the Japanese bow? Bowing communicates respect, an integral part of Japanese culture. Respect isn’t something that you earn; it is simply something that is essential in all interactions: respect for other people, respect for food and where it comes from, respect for nature and one’s surroundings, respect for life. It’s a society first philosophy that trickles down into daily life. Respect for each other translates to serving their needs before your own. Respect for life means being open to reflect on one’s ways and improve going forwards. Respect for nature and environment results in cleanliness and orderliness. And respect for food means not over-eating and acknowledging where it comes from (the land and the farmers), hence the word itadakimasu, which is said before a meal: “I humbly receive”.

Service through ikigai

The concept of ikigai combines the terms iki, meaning alive or life, and gai, meaning benefit or worth. It’s all about purpose and what inspires you to get out of bed every day. Ikigai is based on the convergence of four areas in life: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for. Importantly, ikigai is only complete if the goal implies service to the community. Once you discover your passion, let it drive you!

The humility of acceptance

The first time I heard the term wabi sabi I thought of wasabi, the Japanese horseradish. But this has nothing to do with that fiery ingredient. Wabi sabi is the acceptance of impermanence and imperfection. It’s all about staying in the present and appreciating the simple things in life. If you consider the words separately, the meaning is even deeper. Wabi is about spiritual richness, being able to recognise the beauty in simplicity, while sabi means to recognise the passage of time – things grow and decay and therein lies the beauty. Another word that speaks to the concept of beauty being hidden beneath the surface of what we actually see is kintsugi. According to kintsugi there is beauty in imperfection. Broken objects should not be thrown away or hidden, they are to be displayed with pride. Mend them with gold filling and allow the golden ‘scars’ to tell a story.

Discipline is akin to respect

Gaman – restraint, self-control and tolerance - is instilled in children from such a young age that it becomes second nature. It leads to patience and orderliness. It is the essence of discipline, not giving in to urges but rather living a respectable life that is focused on contributing to the greater good.

The virtues of conduct

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The shikitogai virtues of conduct – wisdom, benevolence, courage and sincerity – are believed to be essential to live a good life. One cannot exist without the others, but if you are able to cultivate them, you can lead a life of integrity and compassion, which in turn leads to resilience and ultimately success.

Continuous improvement

“Kaizen means improvement. When applied to the workplace, Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone – managers and workers alike,” says Masaaki Imai, Founder of Kaizen Institute, and the man who introduced the concept over 30 years ago in his book Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success (McGraw Hill). While Kaizen mainly refers to continuous improvement in the world of business, the concept is also applied to daily life (home, personal and social): small, positive changes, cooperation and commitment are what achieve transformation.

What will be, will be

Shouganai. It is what it is, it can’t be helped. This is not defeatism, but rather an acceptance that there are some things that are not worth pushing back on. It’s about letting go of what you can’t control and moving on with acceptance, directing that energy into the things that you can change.

And then, of course, there are some words that just summarise things so well:

• Mendokusai refers to an action that is troublesome or something you just don’t want to do. If you’re asked to take out the refuse, it’s mendokusai. If you’re placed next to the awkward guest to make conversation, that is mendokusai.

• Urawaza is a secret tip passed down, those small secrets that make daily life easier. Pretty much a life hack.

• If we had to translate shinrin-yoku it would essentially mean ‘forest bathing’ and is used to describe the action of immersing yourself in nature.

• Ganbatte is like saying good luck but with the message to try your best – ‘we’re behind you’.

• If you had to directly translate i no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu, it would be like saying that a frog in a well doesn’t know anything about the sea. In other words, there are bigger things out there, don’t judge, avoid a narrow-minded perspective.

• Even monkeys fall from trees - saru mo ki kara ochiru: we all fail, no great success was ever achieved without failure. Get up and try again.

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