#87 Fascination with Japan – 9-23-24 – Ikigai, Meticulously Detailed (pride in work), Kaizen vs Kaikaku, Integration of Nature, Oldest Living People

Where I’ve Been
Ikigai
Meticulous Details (pride in work)
Kaizen vs Kaikaku
Integration of Nature
The Tiny Island in Greece With the Oldest Life Expectancy in the World (8 min)

Where I’ve Been

Long time, no see. Life has been a bit of a whirlwind. Japan. Portugal. DC. It has been a trip. I feel an immense appreciation for being able to experience. I’ve been living in Japan the past ~6 months and am quite sad to see it go. The differences in how people act, across countries as an entire society, is fascinating to me.

The Europeans have their cafes and post dinner coffees. The Americans have their individualism and creative self expression. The Japanese have their quiet, calm, communal all-for-one mentality. It’s hard to describe a culture without fully submersing in it, but it feels like a totally different world being out here. It’s the subtle things. It’s the details.

And that’s something the Japanese are obssessed with. Every tiny detail they perfect. These are a few concepts I’ve come to appreciate from the Japanese culture.

Ikigai

Life value, meaning, purpose. By now a much more popular concept in the West, this concept consistently acts as a guiding light helping me figure out how I can contribute.

Meticulous details

Every single detail matters. It’s the small stuff that isn’t earthshattering, but collectively make life a truly more enjoyable experience

Escalator handrails moving the same speed (jesus)
Diagonal crosswalks (stoplights you can go any direction)
Mirrors on corners while driving (can see around the corner)
Vitamins at checkout counters not random bs
No tips (thank mama)

Kaizen vs Kaikaku

Kaizen translates to roughly ‘continuous improvement’
Kaikaku translates to roughly ‘radical change’

They work together as a yin and yang to create growth into the future. I’m particularly fascinated with Kaizen – Every single gd day showing up and making that incremental improvement. The Kaikaku comes naturally.

Integration of Nature and People

We are after all, part of nature. We come from it. We live in it. We influence it… and it influences us. The Japanese do a beautiful job at integrating nature into daily lives.

Rows of flowers line the terminal as you disembark the plane.
Green parks and shrines seem to litter nearly every neighborhood, to include Tokyo, Japan.
The Japanese seem to have a natural respect for nature and imbue it in to their everyday lives. It doesn’t feel disrespected and underappreciated as in America.

I strongly believe we could learn a few things from the Japanese. America does some things incredibly – Spontaneous creation and artistic expression among other things. We don’t do such a great job at optimizing what we already have. I think nature is one of those things.

Ikaria, Greece – Oldest Life Expectancy in the World

8 mins – Mentions Blue Zones, one of which was Okinawa, Japan

Some Random Pics

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Colin and I like to ramble about life. My mom tells me I’m special and I think the Officials are starting to believe her. I like reading (mostly picture books) and telling people they’re wrong. If you figure this life thing out, pls let me know, it’s a toughie.

You can hear me talk (read?) more about myself here.

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