I definitely think mottainai is a big one. Just because it’s so accessible, it’s very digestible in terms of just not being wasteful and just being respectful of the earth and of the resources that we do have. I think it’s very easy for someone to understand, a young person to understand. It’s reduce, reuse, recycle. I think that’s an easier one.
I define enryo, self-restraint, in a particular way. I think of it as not just taking the last piece of food so that you don’t look bad, but more so you…thinking about the other person at the table with you, did they have a chance to try it, did they have a chance to taste it. So I’d like to pass that on too.
I think the idea of kansha, or gratitude, is really important because I associate that a lot with relationships with people, so just being very grateful – even if it’s your parents making…or if I’m ever to make a meal for my child and they were to say “thank you for this meal,” I think even that gratitude is something that I would like them to learn and appreciate too.
Date: August 30, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sharon Yamato
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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