Tag Archives: Japan

限 (gen) “limits”

It is precisely the act of pushing against limits, stretching them, bending them, playing with them, which leads to interesting artistic expression. In other words, in order to push boundaries, there must be boundaries existing in the first place. This is especially true of Japanese calligraphy. As an artform it is incredibly restrictive. The boundariesContinueContinue reading “限 (gen) “limits””

粋 (iki) “understated elegance”

“Iki” is a Japanese aesthetic ideal. It refers to subtle elegance and sophistication. One of the aspects of iki is caring about the sensibilities of others. What you wear should make others feel comfortable, and wearing stylish clothing is a way of respecting those around you. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wear what youContinueContinue reading “粋 (iki) “understated elegance””

Secrets of Japanese business: 改善 (kai-zen) “continuous improvement”

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.” It is the Japanese business philosophy of continuously improving operations. Kaizen sees improvement in productivity as a gradual and methodical process. The kaizen concept asserts that there is no perfect end. Everything can be improved upon, and all employees must strive to evolveContinueContinue reading “Secrets of Japanese business: 改善 (kai-zen) “continuous improvement””

一期一会 (ichi-go-ichi-e) “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”

This 4-character idiom encourages us to reflect that every moment can be a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity, if we make the most of it. To learn more about how to have more ichi-go-ichi-e in your life, check out this article.

Japanese Writing Systems

The Japanese language uses three writing systems: kanji, hiragana, and katakana.  Kanji are logograms – each character has a specific meaning. It is used to write “content” words such as nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Hiragana and katakana are syllabaries – each character represents a single syllable sound rather than a meaning. Hiragana is used for showing verb inflections, for prepositions, and otherContinueContinue reading “Japanese Writing Systems”

我慢 (ga-man) “Endure!”

“Gaman” is a zen Buddhist term which loosely translates to “enduring the unbearable with patience and dignity”. In Japan, putting up with a seemingly unbearable situation is seen as a sign of maturity. In the notoriously tough Japanese workplace, employees are expected to “Gaman” as much as possible. You can read more about it here: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190319-the-art-of-perseverance-how-gaman-defined-japan