Today I’d like to talk about 8 little Japanese habits to incorporate daily that can make your life better. They are small habits, but are so powerful and can have a big impact. All of them are habits that can be easily adapted into one’s lifestyle, so please watch this video until the end.
① Clean the toilet You might think, “What? Why?
That’s gross” Yeah, I know. But actually, in Japan, it is said that cleaning the toilet is a great habit that makes your life successful.
In fact, many achievers in Japan have a habit of cleaning the toilet regularly. For example, Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic. Takeshi Kitano, film director and comedian.
Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, They all said that cleaning toilets was really important to their success. So, why is this habit so important to them?? There are three main reasons for that. 1.
Luck (especially in terms of money) In the world of feng shui, there is a belief that cleaning the toilet will bring good luck. If you are willing to clean the toilet often, which people usually dislike, your mind will also be cleaned, purified, and this could possibly increase your fortune.
Also, in Japan, there is a toilet god named Ususama Myoo, who brings you economic success. There is an interesting study in this regard. According to a survey by Lion Corporation, the annual household income difference between a house with a clean toilet and a house with a dirty toilet is ＄7000.
(490 men and women aged 20-39) Funny, isn’t it? They also found that householders who clean their toilet constantly are generally highly sociable. Maybe that’s why they are more likely to be valued at work. 2. Humble yourself People also say that if you keep cleaning the toilet, you will become humble.
Shuzaburo Kagiyama, the founder of Yellow Hat, is one of Japan’s leading toilet cleaners. When he founded the company at the age of 28, he started cleaning the company’s toilets by himself, and since then he has continued to clean toilets for 53 years. I think he is the actual god of toilets. Anyway, he said, “I have seen thousands of people cleaning toilets, and without exception, everyone becomes humble when they clean the toilet. And your humbleness is reflected in your work relationships.
” 3.
Organize your room This is something I’ve been thinking about lately. The reason is because toilets are typically white, you think this toilet is clean, but then you will notice small stains when you look closely. In other words, you’ll become able to be aware of dirt easily. You’ll then start to be more aware of garbage and things on the floor of your room.
You’ll start organizing more,so your room will be cleaner over time. I usually clean the toilet every morning. If I clean it in the morning, it will feel nice to use a clean toilet all day, and feel fresh in the morning. At first, you may think that you don’t like it, but if you clean the toilet every day, it really feels good, you may notice the way you think about it over time.
So I really recommend it.
② Organize your shoes
“When you take off your shoes, you have to put your shoes together nice and neatly” This is a habit my mother has been nagging me about since I was little. What are the benefits of putting shoes nicely? Look at this video, In my sharehouse, if shoes are messy, it would look like this. But, if it’s organized well, it looks like this. What do you think?
You may think when you saw the organized one, you felt better. I think putting your shoes together nicely will make you feel good. That’s why I always do this and think “Alright! I did it today as well!” I also feel that keeping these small habits are also connected to self-affirmation.
Just between you and me, I sometimes put my friends’ shoes together neatly. But if you do this too much, they’ll get annoyed, so do it secretly when your friends aren’t looking.
③ Improve your posture As an ancient Japanese way of thinking, there was a way of thinking that correcting the posture of the body would also correct the way you think.
That’s why Japanese people in the old days had good posture. Or rather, I can’t help but be aware of my posture when I wear a Kimono.
When you’re wearing a kimono, the obi belt helps you stand upright, so wearing a kimono will naturally improve it. Unfortunately, many Japanese today overuse computers and smartphones and tend to slouch. That happens to me too. That’s why I try to wear a kimono as much as possible and stand up straight.
④いただきます 【Itadakimasu】
If you’ve watched Japanese anime, I’m sure you’ve heard this word at least once.
Japanese people always say it before eating. (Or they are chanting within their heart.) Translated into English, it means “Thank you for the meal”, but it actually has two deep meanings. First, I would like to thank all the people who helped with the meal. We express our gratitude to everyone who was involved in the meal, including those who prepared the food, those who served the food, and even those who grew the vegetables.
The second is gratitude for life. The Japanese believe that meat and fish, as well as vegetables and fruits, have life. So, we are grateful for each ingredient.
Then thinking like “I will change your life to my life”*** As for food, I honestly don’t mind eating anything. However, no matter what we eat, we must never forget to be thankful for all of it.
⑤ Put the chair back after using it
Do you know Shohei Otani who is a famous major leaguer? There was a great response to an act he did in a past interview. He had put his chair back neatly. Not everyone does it, but many Japanese put their chairs back when they are finished using it.
This is because Japanese people are accustomed to thinking about other people’s feelings. (Sometimes we get tired of thinking too much though) For example, if you put the chair back on the bullet train, it will be easier for the cleaning staff.
If you put the chair back in the restaurant, the store staff will be thankful. It’s really a small thing, but if you can think it’s helping someone, you’ll be happier 🙂
⑥我唯足知【Ware tada taruwo shiru】
This is my favorite Zen word. And the Japanese who I think are happy have this spirit within them without exception.
我 means I. 唯 means simply. 足 means what is enough. 知 means know. in short, “Knowing that you are content, will bring peace to your heart.
” This is what it means. In my own words, If you look at what you don’t have, you will feel dissatisfied with your life. But when you look at something you already have, you can appreciate it more. Ah,It’s hard to hear this sometimes… For example, you may feel unhappy because you have no money, can’t buy what you want, or if you don’t have a healthy body.
But at least you have eyes to watch this video and ears to hear my voice.
Also, you have smartphones and computers that can watch my videos. Maybe you are sick right now, but there is a heart beating in you and keeping you alive right now. There must be people around you who will support you. Instead of looking at what you don’t have, you can instantly feel happy by looking at what you have now. Having said that, I also sometimes look at what I don’t have, so I try to be conscious of what I have now as much as possible.
I am still working on it, so let’s grow together!
⑦ おかげさま【Okagesama】 “How are you?”
“おかげ様で, I’m good” We sometimes have this conversation in Japan. おかげ様 is a phrase unique to Japan that cannot be truly translated into English. If I had to, it would probably mean means Thanks to you or because of you However, it has a deeper meaning.
If I say おかげさま, this means not only thanks to you, the person in front of me, but also friends around me, even people you’ve never met. so, “おかげ様で, I’m fine” means something like “I’m good” because there are many people who always support me.” “Okagesama” is a magic phrase that can make you feel very humble just by using it. So please try using it. How are you?
おかげ様で, I’m good!
⑧ Going to bed early and waking up early
This is what all Japanese have been told by their parents ever since they were little. And this is a really simple habit but it affects your life tremendously. You already know that, right? In today’s busy Japanese society, there may be fewer people who do this habit.
However, Japanese have long valued this habit of going to bed early and getting up early. Because the Japanese people in the past worshiped the sun every morning. They always started a day with worshiping the sun and saying, “Thank you for always looking over us” When I first learned about it, I thought it was a wonderful habit. Just imagine, in the morning, bathing your body in the fresh light of the sun, which warms your body up gradually and makes you smile and feel happy. So I wake up at 5am every morning.
(I’m trying to get up at 4 am now, though) And I try to soaked in the fresh morning sun light and start the best day each day. Now, do you have any similar customs in your country? Of course, these are the little habits that I think makes us happy.
I think it depends on the country and the person, of course.But if you think you want to incorporate it into your life, You can start it now because they are small changes.
Lastly, I’ll give you advice when you want to make something into your habit. Start small steps and keep saying everyday “let’s just do it for only today”, then over time, it will become your habit and your future. I’m not perfect either, but I’m trying to incorporate these into my life little by little. Thank you for always watching my channel. You are the reason I can make videos on Youtube.
おかげさまで。Thank you so matcha..
Read More: Shocking! 20 Celebrities with Surprising Personal Hygiene Habits!
