By: Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Guest Contributor
Minimalism in Japanese culture stems from a variety of areas, perhaps the biggest one being Zen Buddhism. With its emphasis on lack of materialism and emptiness, it's no wonder minimalism has found its natural home in the land of the rising sun. Moreover, Japan's vulnerability to earthquakes makes minimalism an ideal lifestyle choice as a large number of earthquake-related deaths can be attributed to falling objects. Plus, if you own less belongings, then financial loss is minimized as well in more large-scale natural disasters.
With its essential simplicity and innate serenity, Japanese minimalism can be found not just as an interior design style, but also fashion and organization. Committing to only owning basic but high-quality pieces of clothing is another aspect of minimalism that has come to be embraced by the Japanese. By owning less, people can learn to enjoy their lives outside of their physical possessions. Essentially, one can have time to go out enjoy more time with friends and family rather than being preoccupied by the latest fashion trends or newest smartphone models.
So for the coming 2019 year, take a chapter out of the Japanese minimalist book and consider downsizing your life to only the essentials and items that truly makes you the happiest! If you're in need of a little inspiration, check out our list below:
With its essential simplicity and innate serenity, Japanese minimalism can be found not just as an interior design style, but also fashion and organization. Committing to only owning basic but high-quality pieces of clothing is another aspect of minimalism that has come to be embraced by the Japanese. By owning less, people can learn to enjoy their lives outside of their physical possessions. Essentially, one can have time to go out enjoy more time with friends and family rather than being preoccupied by the latest fashion trends or newest smartphone models.
So for the coming 2019 year, take a chapter out of the Japanese minimalist book and consider downsizing your life to only the essentials and items that truly makes you the happiest! If you're in need of a little inspiration, check out our list below:
10 Ways To Incorporate Japanese Minimalism Into Your Life:
1. Keep living spaces bright and airy.
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2. Embrace horizontal lines in order to create structure and stability.
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3. Japanese minimalist fashion often relies on earthy tones and neutral colors. And don't forget the culottes!
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4. Be consistent in your neutral color palette so as to always keep the energy flow of your home in mind.
5. Of course, eliminating clutter is one of the major cornerstones of minimalism. All items in your home should have purpose and meaning. As famed Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo always asks, "Does it spark joy?" If not, reconsider if you really want to keep it!
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6. This especially goes for the closet. Committing to only purchasing high-quality basics for your closet helps reduce clutter while also making your wardrobe last longer and choosing outfits easier. Win-win-win.
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7. Even houseware items are reduced to only the essentials. And if you are going to display them, play with spacing colors as well.
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8. Create a sense of Zen by adding natural elements like plants into your home. Light wood panelling and flooring are also both quintessential elements of Japanese interior minimalism.
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9. If you're in need of some extra space in the bedroom, Japanese futon mattresses can be easily stored in a closet when not in use!
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10. And lastly, take extra special care to make your bedroom a place of tranquility and happiness. Including accents that you only absolutely love and keeping colors light and clean will make it the ideal space in your home to relax!
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