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Ways of living · A path of ten words

Ten quiet Japanese ways

Ten Japanese words for starting again without drama: clear out, improve a little, find a reason, tend the body, eat lighter, endure, leave space, begin imperfect, move, reflect. Walk down the path one stop at a time.

The list and its order come from a thread on X by G. Ritzer (@myth_coder), 27 October 2026.

  1. Stop 1 of 10

    大掃除, ōsōji

    big · sweep · remove

    One deep, deliberate clean

    Go through every cupboard, drawer and app, and let go of what belongs to an older version of you. A lighter home is an easier place to start over.

  2. Stop 2 of 10

    改善, kaizen

    change · good

    Tiny steps, every day

    Skip the grand plan. Pick a change too small to fail, a page read or a glass of water, and do it again tomorrow; habits that small keep going when willpower runs out.

  3. Stop 3 of 10

    生き甲斐, ikigai

    living · worth

    A quiet reason to get up

    The overlap of what you love, what you do well and what others need. Having a why gets you out of bed on the days you would rather not.

  4. Stop 4 of 10

    養生, yōjō

    nourish · life

    Tend the body daily

    A few slow minutes each morning looking after your skin and body, before anyone else gets your time. It is less about looks than about telling yourself you matter.

    The thread names no Japanese word for this one; 養生, looking after your health, is my addition.

  5. Stop 5 of 10

    腹八分, hara hachi bu

    belly · eight · tenths

    Stop at eighty percent full

    Put the fork down while you could still eat a little more. Meals that leave you light leave you awake for the rest of the day.

  6. Stop 6 of 10

    我慢, gaman

    self · pride

    Keep going, quietly

    Some weeks nothing seems to move. Getting through them without complaint, after the novelty has worn off, is most of what a fresh start takes.

  7. Stop 7 of 10

    間, ma

    the space between

    Leave room

    Keep some floor bare and some hours unbooked, on purpose. The pauses are not waste: they are where your own thoughts get a word in.

  8. Stop 8 of 10

    侘び寂び, wabi-sabi

    quiet simplicity · the beauty of age

    Begin imperfect

    Nothing will be ready, least of all you. Start with the cracks showing; a flawed beginning beats years spent waiting for a clean one.

  9. Stop 9 of 10

    ラジオ体操, rajio taisō

    radio · exercises

    Move gently, every day

    Easy movement you could still be doing at eighty, rather than a punishing programme you will drop. A little every day adds up to more than a lot now and then.

  10. Stop 10 of 10

    反省, hansei

    turn back · examine

    Look back kindly

    Before bed, two minutes: what worked today and one thing to change tomorrow. The point is learning, not blame, and then you can let the day go and sleep.

List and order from a thread by G. Ritzer (@myth_coder).