Yoshie Doi

　 “Shimatsu” is hard to understand, but when you write it in kanji as “Shimatsu”, it becomes clear that it means beginning and end. In Kyoto, “Shimatsu” does not mean tidying up, but rather means being frugal and not wasting things, and it can also be understood as frugality. The word “Mottainai” has become a universal word. It is said that there is no such expression in English.

　Disposal means the beginning and end of use. For example, in the past, when a yukata became old, it was used as a towel, then as a diaper, then as a string, and finally as a dustcloth. Disposal meant using it up without waste. Nowadays, people might remake it and wear it, or sell it on Mercari. The secret to disposal is not just to throw it away, but to use it up.

　In Kyoto, there is a culture of sweeping gates and sprinkling water. Cleaning is also done with the attitude of sweeping and purifying. In Japan, people don’t clean because something is dirty, but rather they clean to prevent it from becoming dirty. This is a culture of purification. Purifying and tidying up the space also purifies and tidies up your own mind and body.

　Professor Hidezaburo Kagiyama, once known as the god of cleaning, said that cleaning and tidying up the visible world helps to cleanse the invisible heart, and thus brings order to the mind. The “danshari” boom is about throwing away unnecessary things, letting go of attachment to material things, and living comfortably by organizing our surroundings, which have become overflowing with material possessions since the era of mass production and mass consumption.

　I too have a lot of stuff, so I am currently decluttering. I understand that organizing is a way to eliminate negative energy and let positive energy shine through.

　In the past, Nidec’s Shigenobu Nagamori used the term “6S” to emphasize the importance of sorting, setting in order, standardizing, cleanliness, cleaning, discipline, and etiquette. I have attended Nagamori’s seminars many times, and he always said, “Companies with poor performance are not organized. Therefore, there are many companies whose performance has improved simply by cleaning and setting in order.”

　Perhaps the state of your mind determines the state of the room.　 Purifying and organizing a space is like purifying and organizing your own mind and body, and when I visit famous places in Kyoto, I experience the refreshing feeling of being swept clean. I think many people feel refreshed by the invisible act of cleaning. With this in mind, I am currently decluttering my home.

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Translated by Masami Otani

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