The trend of throwing away everything and living simply

Minimalist lifestyle -MinimalismIt is not a standard lifestyle in Japan. However, it has become very popular in recent years.

Bad influence objects: Throw them all away!

The Japanese have long known the minimalist lifestyle as “danshari,” which means “to reject,” “to throw away,” and “to avoid.”

“With the “danshari” lifestyle, you need to clearly identify which items have a negative influence on you and throw them away,” said Ms. Yamashita (63), who came up with the idea of ​​this lifestyle a few years ago. According to Ms. Yamashita, throwing away unnecessary items also helps people’s souls become more peaceful.

Some Japanese bedrooms are so simple that they don’t even have beds. Most things are neatly placed in drawers. Everything is put back in its place right after use, making it easier to find what you need when you need it. In some homes, the living room has only a table and a chair. People decorate their homes with simple but beautiful objects. Minimalists often hang things on hooks for the most convenient access.

Many Japanese people of Ms. Yamashita’s generation, born after World War II, are hoarders and don’t like to throw anything away in case they need it. According to Ms. Yamashita, this is the reason why Japanese people today are not very happy.

Minimalism originated in America. Although the definition of minimalism in America may be different, the main purpose is still to get rid of unnecessary things and reconsider what is truly meaningful in order to achieve something new.

This lifestyle is also in stark contrast to a recent trend called “hygge” – the Danish secret to happiness. In the “hygge” style, people create a warm space with rugs, candles and many other objects that bring a feeling of comfort and ease.

A minimalist apartment in Fujisawa, south of Tokyo, Japan. Photo: REUTERS

The apartments are almost empty.

Ms. Yamashita’s book on the “danshari” lifestyle quickly became a bestseller in Japan, and the concept of “danshari” has now become a verb meaning cleaning. When Japanese people want to clean their house, they will say: “My house is so messy, I need to danshari.”

A typical example of this lifestyle is Mr. Naoki Numahata (42 years old), who owns a small apartment in Tokyo that is almost empty. His apartment has only a small table, a bench for two people, no kitchen counter, in the kitchen cupboard there are only three pairs of chopsticks, two sets of children's tableware, a loaf of bread and a jar of honey for breakfast.

According to Mr. Numahata, in Western countries, an empty room would be filled with objects to make it look more complete. In Japan, empty space allows people to use their imagination to fill it. This is a way of valuing the more important things in life and eliminating the less important things.

Japanese cleaning expert Marie Kondo, who created KonMari, a quick and easy way to fold clothes, is also a big fan of this minimalist lifestyle. Her 22 square meter apartment has only a table and a mattress.

Fill your stuff with… imagination

“I became a minimalist so that I could enjoy the things I really love in life,” says Marie Kondo. According to Kondo, you should only leave things around that you really love because people “only love a few things at a time.”

This is also the concept of “tokimeky”, which means “to create joy” in Japanese. When cleaning up and throwing away unnecessary items, ask yourself “does this item bring me joy?”.

Fumio Sasaki is another Japanese who has decided to pursue a minimalist lifestyle. His friends often compare his room to an interrogation room. In his wardrobe, he has only three shirts, four pairs of trousers, and four pairs of socks. Sasaki used to collect books, CDs, and DVDs. But after two years of collecting, he felt bored with this trend. “I always had to think about what I didn’t have or what I was missing,” he said. He then disposed of the collection by selling it and giving it to friends.

According to Mr. Sasaki, not having to spend a lot of time cleaning and organizing things helps him focus on more important things in life like meeting friends and traveling, making his life much more dynamic.

Minimalism to escape earthquakes

According toReuters, there are currently thousands of people living a minimalist lifestyle and many people are interested in this lifestyle.

Many people believe that minimalist living is a very practical way of life in Japan - a country that regularly experiences earthquakes and tsunamis. In Japan, having too many belongings in the house can be more dangerous when an earthquake occurs. Some studies show that many earthquake casualties are caused by falling objects.

In 2011, the 9.0 Richter scale earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of 20,000 people. “30%-50% of earthquake accidents are caused by falling objects. In a minimalist room, you don’t have to worry about that,” said Sasaki. And more importantly, living a minimalist life will help you save money because you no longer have to buy a lot of things that pile up in the house.

Japan's famous Muji brand has planned to open a chain of minimalist-style hotels in Shenzhen, Beijing and Tokyo in early 2019. This will be the first of its kind to be developed in Japan.

According to PLO