‘Japanese Hobby Culture’ teaches us the power of unserious joy. 無意味な幸せ
In modern Western culture, we spend copious amounts of time trying to figure out our deeper purpose and hustle our way to happiness.
We are told that somewhere among the very specifically prescribed paths society offers to us, is our golden calling. A way that we can serve society— a way that in our suffering, in our sabotage and sacrifice, there is deep meaning. Deep meaning that will allow us to live forever in the hearts and minds of our children, community and perhaps even in history.
It is this drive to create meaning in our lives from our struggle that motivates us to continue pushing on.
It is the same reason that as the economy and resources available for us dwindles, the reaction is to take on more and monetise all our hobbies. Everything we do has to create some ‘success’ for us, and that success (money) will then let us know that we did good with our lives, we created ‘meaning’.
Yet, for many of us, this ‘deep meaning’ never manifests. The things you believe in do not always progress the way you hoped. The world you imagined you could create doesn’t always come to fruition. The 'greater-good’ you imagined to triumph seems to continuously be blocked by opposing forcing hoping for otherwise. You are constantly reminded that we are tiny specks of dust on a tiny pebble travelling through the cosmos that will one day crash into the sun and burn. Then how do we expect to live with ourselves and our meaningless existences? How can we deal with the crushing weight of our insignificance?
This is the video mentioned below, for those who speak Japanese!
On the first night of my trip to Tokyo this year, there was a cartoon that played on repeat in my hotel room. It was a group of salary men who got together to drink through the numbing sadness of the meaningless of their youth. They drank beers and laughed about the companies they slaved away to grow that are no longer running, or the long hours they agreed to work during their prime with no happy memories from their youth. One of the entertainers working there told them to stop trying to find happiness in the depths (or lack thereof) of their lives— instead, they should do seemingly meaningless things and find joy in that: 「悩みをTHINKするではなく、無意味をSINGするのです！」
The character went on to ask them what ‘meaningless’ things they did that day. With the joy and bright gleam of a child playing with a stick, the men answered:
“I went to the zoo and stared at an Orangutan for 5 hours”
“I drew elaborate art in the sand and watched the ocean wash it away”
“I dug a whole in my backyard for the whole day”
When we spend all our time trying to create this deep meaning with our lives, we end up getting trapped in a cycle of perfectionism, shame and guilt. We rob ourselves from rest, joy and the fulfilment of our desires because we feel we aren’t good unless we are for the world and not for ourselves.
What we fail to remember, is that we are the world and the world is a reflection of us.
Separation is an illusion, and as long as we punish ourselves for our imperfections and our cravings of joy, the world around us will also reflect back as a cold and unforgiving place. There is nothing that we can do to solve existence except to exist— ride the way and to be present in your day to day callings.
In Tokyo, every where you look, you can see cute hobby items and people embracing them.
People will proudly proclaim their favourite characters, cartoons, colours and simplistic joys proudly no matter the age. It is not abnormal for a 60 year old woman to go to K-pop concerts or a 30 year old man to have cute stickers on his phone case. People will not judge you if you put effort into a unique style or have a room with a collection of model trains.
Instead, finding your joy in the small, simple, seemingly meaningless things rather than your work or purpose is encouraged.
Even outside of the bustling consumerism in Tokyo, you can see this in Japanese tea ceremonies, the high value placed on nature, Bonsai or sounds. Japanese people have real hobbies they allow themselves to enjoy for them and them alone. There is no pressure for your hobbies to serve the community or to be a hustle in a greater scheme for success and meaning.
Perhaps the key to happiness is not to put pressure on yourself to create meaning, but to keep centring joy and passion in the present. Then after it unfolds, you get to admire the life you’ve lived and the meaning the manifested through you.
*Culture Lesson’s Series Disclaimer: Sharing light lessons from a culture does not mean I idolise said culture, or believe these cultural aspects don’t also possess shadow lessons. I aim to highlight what we can learn and celebrate from things I observe from the world.
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