Author: Satoru Hirose

 

Don’t fake it. Just take it.
偽ろうとはせずに、ただ受け入れよう。

 

I lived and worked in the United States for seven years. I think it’s long enough to talk about something.

Not a few Japanese people living in the U.S., or came back from the U.S., tend to dislike Japanese people and Japanese culture. They often say “Oh it’s so Japanese, I don’t like it” when they see something strange about Japanese behavior, culture or tradition.

I also thought and behaved that way. For 4 to 5 years after I came back to Japan. But it only made me realize that I am TOO so Japanese. It was just the matter of how I see myself and the world around me.

When and after living abroad, we sometimes face some kind of identity crisis. We become unsure of who we are. Then some of us unconsciously start to believe that we are like the people living in the country we live. So that we can make ourselves a bit comfortable and feel like we are ‘home’.

But that’s a delusion. We can’t fake our true identity for a long time. Unless we are a well-trained agent like Jason Bourne.

Accept who we really are. There’s nothing to shame or blame. We do not have to label ourselves or others as something either. Let us enjoy being one of 7.4 billion people on this planet.

 

 

Get out of your phone.
携帯電話から抜け出そう。

 

Walking outside is one of the great ways to get my creative juices flowing.

I do such a ‘creative walking’ two to three times a day. For about 10 to 15 minutes. I do not carry my iPhone with me while walking.

What if someone calls me while I’m walking? I will call back later. What if someone texts me to let me know something urgent happens? I will take care of it after I finish walking. And most of the time, neither of them will happen during the creative walking.

We are not a slave of our phone. Nor a slave of someone who tries to contact us through our phone. At any time, we can set us free from our phone – by turning it off or leaving it at home.

Having no phone gives you a new perspective. Look at the things around you. Feel the wind on your body. Or hear the rain pouring. Ask the most important question to yourself and think about it.

Enjoy being offline.