The heart of Japanese Sustainability that existed 1,000 years ago

We last talked about Circular EDOnomy, a circular economy that existed during the Edo period of Japan. It was a model that took the various facets in Japanese society and minimized waste to peak efficiency.

Since the system is simple and intuitive, can we then apply it in any modern society and implement it successfully? Unfortunately, it might prove difficult.

While there are a lot of factors in adopting a system to a society, ancient Japan already had the foundations in place to accept a circular economy. In their two days seminar, Sustainable Business Hub revealed the heart of the Japanese civilization of 1,000 years ago. We discovered the cultures and mindsets were alive then, that set the stage for a circular economy for Japan.

Yamato kotoba, being one with nature

Yamato kotoba refers to the native Japanese language used around the 6th century CE (reference: nihonshoki). Those familiar with the Japanese language will know that there are two pronunciations for kanji, “kun” and “on”. And it is within the “on” reading (emphasis is on the sound of the word) that we find the link with nature, and the link with a mindset of appreciation.

Within the “on” reading, we find that the plants are often similarly named to human body parts. For example, the sprouts, flowers, leaves, and fruits are given names of the human body: the eyes (me), the nose (hana), the teeth (ha) and ears (mi) respectively. There was such a deep connection with nature, that the Japanese personified the environment with such names. And this intertwining of is not the sole example. These acts reveal how deeply the Japanese embeds themselves with the environment.

Muzai no Shichisei, the seven priceless gifts

Japan was historically heavily influenced by Buddhism (as early as the 500s C.E. [1]). It had an elevated status socially and politically, meaning it was able to develop and spread its teachings. Among them was a philosophy of compassion, Muzai no Shichisei.

Muzai no Shichisei loosely translates as the “seven priceless gifts”. Gifts referring to what we can gift to others, and priceless because they don’t require money or material wealth to do so. They include empathizing with others, paying attention to facial expression in communication, communicating by greeting others, offering assistance to others, holding compassion in one’s heart, having the capacity to offer one’s space to others (eg offering seats to those who need them), and providing cover when others need them.

From a modern perspective, these are seven simple acts of kindness. So these gifts are really the power to bring happiness to others, even though they cost nothing to do.

While these can be performed in daily situations, Sustainable Business Hub reminds us that these seven acts are encouraged in a business setting too. We can see the influences in Japanese hospitality, where attention and empathy is displayed in the willing to serve. While some will attribute as “business”, it may be more accurate to recognize it as a cultural inheritance.

Way of the Tea, and Wabisabi

Wabisabi may sound familiar for some. It is a Japanese term encompassing appreciation for the imperfect. However, it’s its origin that reveals a sustainable mindset that will continue to grow. And the roles of tea in ancient Japan reveals this.

Though the history of tea is long, there are two key features that had key influences in Japan. First, the tea culture was often practiced by temples and shrines, as they also were sponsors for these activities. Tea appealed to the temples and shrines because the culture was just about consuming, but also growing tea. In fact, the first tea guide dedicated almost half the book to tea growing with minimal impact to its environment.

The second major influence was within Chado, also known as the Way of Tea. Sustainable Business Hub shared that Chado was a type of training for the cultural mind, and it began as a search for elegance and perfection in its practice. But it eventually transited into one of austere refinement, or what would develop into wabisabi and spread beyond tea culture. Instead of flashiness (or as flashy as it could get in traditional Japan), it evolved into a preference for simplicity.

The second influence is particularly important, because we observe a move away from excess. One may compare it to the concept of Minimalism, where “enough” is more beautiful than “more”. There is also a realization for the natural, how co-existence with nature is important, which we will see more clearly in the next section.

Tokowaka, the art of sustaining eternally

One impressive aspect we didn’t manage to talk about in the previous article about circular EDOnomy, is how many of the ancient temples and shrines are built with the impact on nature in mind.

When a site is chosen to build a sacred building, the materials found at the site itself is used for the structure. The wood is taken only from the trees cleared from the space. Rocks and sand are moved to the gardens. Traditional construction technology allowed buildings to be built with interlocking wood techniques (ie no nails needed!)

The mindset was never to “colonize the area”, but to “coexist with the surrounding”. This is miles apart from present day, where the main goal of destroying nature is often for profit and growth. On the contrary, visitors often feel the calming nature upon entering these grounds, which differs greatly from the urban sprawl in the surrounding neighborhood.

Furthermore, at Ise Shrine, there is a 1,300 year-old tradition that occurs every 20 years (the next to be in 2025). It is the Shikinen Sengu. The sacred structures are taken down every 20 years, with an exact model rebuilt beside it. This is a process of Tokowaka, a process to remodel old things and keep them young and eternal. That is a goal that sustainability echoes: to continue, to restore the old to make anew, to sustain. This is unlike businesses, whose goals would be to grow, often beyond need.

By the way, the “used” wood from the dismantled shrine is distributed to other shrines within the compound and sent to affiliate temples, upcycled for other purposes. No doubt a decision driven by mottainai, a sense to avoid waste.

The key lies in a respect for nature

What we have shared today is but a glimpse of what Sustainable Business Hub has shown us. Even so, we can see how money and growth were uninvolved. It was the desire to sustain a long period of time, with nature always in consideration.

If we had to summarize all the points above into a single idea that you should take away, then it’s how much respect the Japanese had for nature. Reverence for and co-existence with nature was the fundamental. Such mindsets would then find their way to lifestyles (minimalism and mottainai) and culture (songs and poetry).

And it is this appreciation for nature that forms the core for sustainability in a Japanese society. Formation of wabisabi to find beauty away from the need for perfection. Personification of nature to remind of co-existence. And what other business in the world can say they have continued for the past 1,300 years? In the last article, we shared that it should be a return to sustainable practices for Japan. A return to a sustainable mindset seems to be awaiting the world in the pipeline too.

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