Q.

What does "mottainai" spirit mean?

A.

The concept of "mottainai" is a term used to describe a sense of regret regarding waste. This "mottainai" spirit has kept Japanese people from being wasteful and has pushed people to make use of things to their full potential before throwing them away.

For example, I have memories of when my Japanese grandfather would save one tissue to clean his hanko (stamp) until the entire tissue was covered in ink and ready to be thrown away. No use throwing out a perfectly good tissue when it can still be effective, right?

This concept can be put to use especially during the holiday season. When having Christmas dinner, let's be aware of the "mottainai" spirit and appreciate the food without being wasteful, and refrain from buying too many Christmas gifts to be more environmentally friendly!

What do you think about this culture?

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