Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism

by Fumio Sasaki

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. —RABBI HYMAN SCHACHTEL

Reducing the number of possessions that you have is not a goal unto itself. I think minimalism is a method for individuals to find the things that are genuinely important to them. It’s a prologue for crafting your own unique story.

I’ve also heard that we humans are like pieces of hardware that haven’t changed for fifty thousand years. Think about all the changes just since the Edo period four centuries ago, and then consider that we’re coping with all that with a brain that’s fifty thousand years old!

Without an upgrade like that, we’re stuck filling up our old hardware with too much information and too many things. Our limited hard disk space is overloaded with unnecessary information. Our precious memory is consumed with how others see us, and it’s used mostly for chasing things and managing them. We turn to all sorts of entertainment for temporary relief. And eventually, even that becomes too overwhelming and we start to reach for the easiest and most mindless distractions like smartphone games, gossip, and alcohol.

I used to be a slow computer where you’d see the loading icon spinning on the screen for what seemed like an eternity. I was up to my ears in data, and even if I wanted to try something new, there was so much that had to be done simultaneously that I would probably crash immediately. That’s possibly why I was only able to handle menial tasks back then.

Considering the rise of information overload, the advance of technology, and the increasing occurrence of deadly natural disasters, I can’t help wondering if the rise of minimalism in recent years may have been inevitable. Minimalism had to be born, not out of a mere spur-of-the-moment idea or yearning for a new lifestyle, but from an earnest desire and fervent need to rethink our lives.

When we look at things this way, we realize that many of our wishes have actually been granted. So why don’t we feel satisfied? Why do we become unhappy? We get used to things We all know the answer to that question. We eventually get used to the new state where our wishes have been fulfilled. We start taking those things for granted, and there comes a time when we start getting tired of what we have.

The glory of acquisition starts to dim with use, eventually changing to boredom as the item no longer elicits even a bit of excitement. This is the pattern of everything in our lives. No matter how much we wish for something, over time it becomes a normal part of our lives, and then a tired old item that bores us, even though we did actually get our wish. And we end up being unhappy. In other words, we can continue being happy if we can maintain that sense of joy that we experienced when we initially fulfilled our wish. If we could just be satisfied with what we have, then we wouldn’t have to keep buying more and better things.

Our possessions are supposed to be our tools.

I think you might find it worthwhile to try to distance yourself from all those things, at least once in your life. Get ready to say goodbye to all those things that have been holding you back.

There are more things to gain from eliminating excess than you might imagine: time, space, freedom, and energy, for example. I’ll get into more detail in chapter 4 but let me just tell you now that the list of the things you gain is really limitless. You can’t help but fixate on something that you’re about to throw away because it’s right in front of you. And the potential gains from this action aren’t visible, so it’s hard to be aware of them. But trust me, there is actually more to gain than there is to lose.

Take a minute to really focus on each item you can’t part with and ask yourself why. Is it because it was expensive? Is it because you feel guilty about throwing it away? Are you ashamed that you were never able to make good use of it? Do you feel bad for the person who gave it to you? Does it feel like you’re throwing away a fond memory that is attached to it? Is your vanity preventing you from parting with something? Or is it just easier to leave it where it is?

With our fifty-thousand-year-old brain hardware, we don’t have the room to waste time or energy on those little cards, or really on any extra possessions. It’s wiser to clean up our system and delete all the unnecessary data so we’re free to function efficiently and happily.

There isn’t a single item you’ll regret throwing away.

Differentiate between things you want and things you need.

Get rid of our storage containers? I can sense your skepticism from here. Our possessions are going to be scattered all over the place if we don’t have a proper place to store them. They’ll wind up sitting around in piles. Fortunately, most of us can’t bear such a sight and we’ll feel compelled to do something about it, like start throwing things away. When our possessions no longer have a comfortable home, they’ll be just like those pesky insects without a nest—they’ll eventually start to disappear.

Let go of the idea of “someday.”

Someday. That’s what we tell ourselves. But we know by now that that time is probably never going to come. May I make a gentle suggestion? Let go of “someday.” Things we don’t need now will probably never be needed.

Say goodbye to who you used to be. When discarding anything, it’s important to consider whether it is something that you need right now. In the same way that trying to prepare for someday in the future is futile, so is clinging to what used to be in the past. The textbooks you used in school, the books that opened up your eyes to the world when you were a child, that favorite outfit that once made you shine—memories are wonderful, but you won’t have room to develop if your attachment to the past is too strong. It’s better to cut some of those ties so you can focus on what’s important today. Holding on to things from the past is the same as clinging to an image of yourself in the past. If you’re the least bit interested in changing anything about yourself, I suggest you be brave and start letting things go. Leave only the items that you need moving forward from this very moment.

We should let go of the concept of getting our money’s worth, and cut our losses sooner rather than later. It’s easier on your wallet in the long run, not to mention easier for maintaining peace of mind.

Paying attention to what sparks joy is a way to focus, not on the past or the future but on the present. It’s simple enough, and requires minimal amounts of time. As the bar can be surprisingly high for something to spark your joy, possessions that we haven’t been able to throw away for no particular reason will also make their way into the trash bag.

Discard any possessions that you can’t discuss with passion.

An item chosen with passion represents perfection to us. Things we just happen to pick up, however, are easy candidates for disposal or replacement. We’re bound to be less satisfied with all those other things we’ve unconsciously accumulated. I think our lives are better when our belongings stir our passions. As long as we stick to owning things that we really love, we aren’t likely to want more.

A key way to gauge your passion for something you own is to ask yourself, “If I were to somehow lose this, would I want to buy it again at full price?”

Maybe you’re keeping it because it’s “good enough.” But that’s not good enough; say goodbye to those ho-hum things. It’s the things you’d be willing to buy again that give you true satisfaction.

What if you started from scratch? In a thought-provoking documentary film called My Stuff, the protagonist takes all of his belongings, puts them in storage, and allows himself to retrieve only one item each day. On the first day, he really does have nothing on him; he runs to his storage unit wearing nothing but a newspaper to hide his private parts. He retrieves a coat on the first day and sleeps on the hard floor. The film was an experiment to see what’s really important. Though we might not want to go to the same extreme, we can imagine doing the experiment ourselves. Ask yourself which of your items would truly be necessary if you were to start with zero belongings. What if everything you owned was stolen? What if you had to move next week? Which items would you take with you? There are probably a lot of things we have sitting around in our homes for no particular reason. Think about starting from scratch, and it will become clear which items are essential.

If you’re thinking about reducing the number of things you own, then I recommend discarding something as soon as you start wondering whether or not to do so. There’s a phrase I like that goes, “If it’s not a ‘hell, yes!’ it’s a ‘no.’ ” When we ask ourselves, “Should I get rid of this?” we can turn that around: “If it’s not a ‘hell, no!’ it’s a ‘yes.’ ” It’ll help us discard everything except the things we absolutely can’t part with. And we’ll be able to manage just fine.

Even if you haven’t arrived at a concrete decision to discard something, chances are you’ve probably thought about it briefly when you glance at the item. If those casual glances have occurred five times, it means you’re ready to part with that item.

To apply this to minimalists, the line would probably go, “Don’t think. Discard!”

But there are people who lose everything in a fire, so it can’t be that big a deal to throw a few things away. The more we think about it, the more our brains will keep coming up with excuses why we can’t part with our belongings. When that happens? Trust your instincts.

Minimalism is not a rite of penance, nor is it a competitive sport. It is simply a means to an end.

For a minimalist, the objective isn’t to reduce, it’s to eliminate distractions so they can focus on the things that are truly important. Minimalism is just the beginning. It’s a tool. Once you’ve gone ahead and minimized, it’s time to find out what those important things are. Minimalism is like the prologue of a book; the stories to follow can only be created by the individual. As I’ve said, minimalism is so effective and its methods so worthwhile that people can get confused and think it’s their true objective. But remember, the important thing is what you’re going to do after. Once you’ve said goodbye to all those extra things, it’s time to create your own unique story.

Minimalism is built around the idea that there’s nothing that you’re lacking.

Minimalism naturally narrows down your choices so you can arrive at quick decisions.

Stop typing away at your computer and give yourself a moment to take a deep breath. Happiness is actually all around us. We just need time to find it.

It’s a shame to waste away what is allocated equally to all of us—only twenty-four hours a day—on material belongings. Instead, devote that time to the pursuit of everyday happiness.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Dust and grime are reflections of our past selves It’s often said that cleaning your house is like polishing yourself. I think that this is a golden rule. It isn’t just dust and dirt that accumulate in our homes. It’s also the shadows of our past selves that let that dust and dirt continue to build. Cleaning the grime is certainly unpleasant, but more than that, it’s the need to face our own past deeds that makes it so tough. But when we have fewer material possessions and cleaning becomes an easy habit, the shadows we now face will be of our daily accomplishments.

Having parted with most of my belongings, one thing that I can honestly say now is that there isn’t really a need to accomplish something or build an ambitious future. We can begin to be content with ourselves and feel plenty of happiness by simply going about our daily lives, appreciating the present moment. When I finish my simple cleaning tasks in my new apartment and take a stroll around the neighborhood, I realize there isn’t anything more that I need or want. I go to the park and watch the ducks in the pond as they fluff their feathers. I see how relaxed they look—when all they’re doing is fluffing their feathers. They aren’t filled with tension trying to become something else. They aren’t frantically attempting to build their careers, and they aren’t sucking up to the other ducks. All they seem to be doing is enjoying the water, fluffing their feathers, and living their lives. When it comes right down to it, isn’t that all we really need in our lives, too? Having parted with the bulk of my belongings, I feel true contentment with my day-to-day life. The very act of living brings me joy.

There are things you love so much that they start to feel like they’re a part of you. They assemble themselves into a persona that you then have to maintain. Parting with those things means you’re freeing yourself from that particular consciousness.

It’s like a monster that becomes hungrier and hungrier as it eats. Wetiko is a Native American word, literally translated as “man-eater,” which refers to a mental disorder in which you want more than you need. This disorder destroys people’s lives. Left to its own devices, our hunger for things can grow out of control and become a monster. In the past, I was overwhelmed by greed. I was always looking for more. But now I have everything I need. There’s nothing in particular I really want. It may come as a surprise, but it’s really a fantastic feeling.

there will always be people who are better than we are. If we start comparing ourselves with those people, agonizing over how we think we’re nothing compared with them, we’ll be completely paralyzed. But when you say goodbye to all your unnecessary things, you also say goodbye to the process of comparing yourself with other people. After all, you no longer have any of those material objects that are used to compare your status with others’. And once you are a minimalist who only has what you need, your focus will inevitably shift from others to yourself. Freed from comparing, you’ll start to discover who you truly are.

By letting go of the old, I’ve been able to get hold of the new.

When we let go of our possessions, our ability to concentrate improves. Why might this be? Things don’t just sit there. They send us silent messages. And the more the item has been neglected, the stronger its message will be.

In almost everything he did, Jobs started not by prioritizing what he would do but rather by focusing first on what not to do. In that sense, he really was the perfect minimalist. He dedicated himself to getting rid of things.

If we overload our brains, we’ll freeze up just like old computers.

The amount of information available today continues to grow at an explosive rate. If you own a smartphone, then you’ve probably checked your e-mail before even realizing it, and then found yourself clicking on various links or maybe playing games, for hours on end. Rather than broadening the reach of your antenna, the more important thing to do is to fold it up and decrease the amount of information that you absorb. One key way to fold up your antenna is to just reduce the opportunities you have to access information.

Many minimalists meditate and practice Zen or yoga, which is quite natural when you think about it. When you decrease the number of material possessions that you have, you become less distracted by your surroundings and your awareness naturally shifts inward.

Since I became a minimalist, I think the haze that had always enveloped my muddled senses has been slowly clearing up. I was like an unfocused college student. I would read and watch all sorts of things, as long as they had already received high acclaim. I was studying great people and great works, but I wasn’t really making my own choices; I was just consuming information haphazardly. All that, I think, has started to change. Having minimized my material possessions, I’ve also started to minimize the information I take in. I no longer follow useless news, gossip, or random stand-up comedy. I don’t try to fill my conversations with things that other people have made or done. Instead of focusing on the voices of others, I focus on and believe in the voice that’s coming from me. What I often feel now is that I’m “returning” to myself.

I’ve heard about a Native American teaching that says when something needs to be decided, they look seven generations ahead, which seems to make much more sense.