lovesouthernsocial.com

The word "mottainai" describes a philosophy of life that values ​​the use of all the intrinsic value of an object and expresses regret for the waste

Image: Square in an amusement park in Japan points to integration with nature preached by mottainai. By Blind.

Whether it's when sorting garbage for selective collection or dealing with scraps of fabric, mottainai is a life principle rooted in Japanese society and has a broad meaning. The word can be simplistically translated as “don't waste it”, but there are other possible interpretations, such as “every little thing has a soul”.

The difficulty of translating mottainai is due to the fact that it is not just a word, but an idea, a concept that has been adopted as a philosophy of life throughout Japan. "Mottai” is a term of Buddhist origin and refers to the essence of things, but it also applies to everything in our physical universe, which suggests that objects do not exist in isolation but are intrinsically linked to each other. Already "no” means denial, so “mottainai” is an expression of sadness in the face of the repudiation of the bonds that link all living and non-living entities. It is also a rallying cry to re-establish these bonds and reaffirm the importance of handling all animate and inanimate objects with great care and sensibility.

The mottainai spirit, then, is one that values ​​the use of all the intrinsic value of an object and expresses regret for the waste. An example of the concept put into practice is the boron sewing technique, which used the sashiko embroidery stitch to mend fabrics, joining pieces of cloth and recovering pieces that would otherwise be wasted. With boron and sashiko, each piece was used until it ran out.

The boron technique allowed a fabric to last a long time and be used until the end of its useful life. It was common for a garment to start as a kimono, become an everyday outfit, then a pillowcase, a futon cover, a bag and finally end its life cycle as a floor cloth, completing the full use of the material. that nails the mottainai. Read more in the article: “Boron and sashiko: Japanese clothing repair techniques” or check out the video:

Mottainai is such a popular concept in Japan that there is even a game that bears its name. In Mottainai game, each player is a monk, in a temple, who performs tasks, collects materials, and sells or completes works to visitors. Cards can be used for many purposes, but the spirit of reuse is at the heart of the game - just as the philosophy of life preaches.

The issue of selective collection, taken very seriously in Japan, is also part of the mottainai spirit, since recycling is a way to avoid wasting resources already produced, allowing waste to take on new forms and have new uses. Valuing and respecting nature, also present in encouraging the use of clean energy, are part of the practice of mottainai and it is in this context that the Japanese practice the “4Rs”: reduce waste; reuse finite resources; recycle as much as possible and respect the environment in which you live.

The practices that integrate the mottainai spirit can be adopted by anyone. They are simple actions that avoid wasting any and all resources. A small gesture that is highly valued in Japan (and which is a first step to include mottainai in your life) is not to leave even a grain of rice on your plate (take small portions; if not enough, repeat, but don't throw food away) . Japan faced very difficult periods, such as wars, famines and earthquakes, and developed in a territory with scarce natural resources. The practice of mottainai was essential for the survival and growth of the country, being one of the bases of Japanese culture.

The ecological spirit and the practice of sustainability, as well as sustainable consumption, are ways of adopting mottainai as a philosophy of life. Any country would benefit from following Japan's example, but adopting mottainai need not be an institutional action. In Japanese culture itself, it was small everyday actions (the result of deprivation) that made mottainai a way of life adopted throughout the country.

Check out some tips for adopting mottainai as a philosophy of life - avoid waste, produce less waste, recycle, reuse objects and even water:

• How to reduce food waste with 21 tips
• Reuse, recycle and think twice before wasting sheets of paper
• How to implement a campaign to reduce water waste in condominiums?
• Selective collection in condominiums: how to implement
• Know how to preserve
• How to preserve lettuce and other foods
• Upcycling: what is the meaning and how to adhere to fashion
• Menstrual collector: advantages and how to use