Eight Japanese ideas for everyday life
Image generated by Google Gemini
Minnesota is in the news today, though not for reasons one would wish for. I have no personal connection with the place, but a few years ago I wrote about something called the Minnesota Zipper Merge—not as a traffic rule, but as a behavioural insight.
You can read it here: Minnesota-zipper-merge
It is a simple concept, given a clear name, that quietly changed how people drive. By labelling a desired action, it made people more conscious of their behaviour. Naming it made it actionable. That stayed with me, because it revealed how powerful language can be in shaping the way we respond.
Japan has long influenced the West in a similar way, particularly in manufacturing. Words like Lean, Just-In-Time, and Kaizen are no longer foreign terms; they are embedded in how industries think and function. But beyond factories and offices, the Japanese language carries ideas that shape everyday life—ideas that don’t offer instructions or shortcuts, but ways of seeing.
Over the coming days, I plan to sit with eight such Japanese concepts. They are not hacks or prescriptions. They are phrases—and with them, a way of responding, adjusting, and living a little differently.
Here are the eight I’ll be returning to:
Shikata ga nai — accepting what cannot be helped
Gaman — quiet endurance with dignity
Wabi-Sabi — beauty in imperfection and impermanence
Kaizen — small, continuous improvement
Shinrin-Yoku — mindful immersion in nature
Mottainai — respect for resources, time, and effort
Oubaitori — growing without comparison
Ikigai — a reason for being, held at the centre
I’ll begin today with the one that feels most appropriate—especially in light of recent events and our instinctive reactions to them.
Shikata ga nai (仕方がない)
“It can’t be helped.”
Everyone encounters moments of helplessness—when things simply aren’t within our control.
The train is delayed.
The rain won’t stop.
Life throws something unexpected.
Instead of tightening into frustration, shikata ga nai invites a pause—a breath.
It isn’t resignation.
It isn’t indifference.
It is grace: the strength to accept what lies beyond our control, and to move forward calmly anyway.
Like watching the rain, rather than fighting it.
Naming something doesn’t solve everything. But sometimes, it gives us a place to stand—emotionally and mentally—when solutions aren’t immediately available.
The next time you find yourself stuck—angry, helpless, or resisting what refuses to change—remember this: it isn’t a misfortune specially assigned to you. It is simply life, arriving as it does for every one of us, from time to time.
In those moments, shikata ga nai is not surrender. It is recognition.
A steady acceptance of what cannot be helped, and the quiet decision to move forward with dignity anyway.
Over the next days, I’ll sit with the remaining ideas—slowly, without rushing—letting words become ways of living.
