The minimalism of life in Japan

Japanese culture is in itself very attentive to the care and well-being of the body and the home, including cleanliness, beauty understood as harmony of the whole , and personal hygiene and the environments in which one lives. 

The minimal style it feeds on already facilitates the fulfillment of certain jobs and operations aimed at eliminating dirt, dust and various accumulations. If, attracted by this way of life, we read Mari Kondo’s “The magical power of tidying up” , we tasted the tea ceremony with Kakuzo Okakura , knew the magical power of konjac vegetable sponges  and experimented with alternative recipes of Japanese cuisine.

Nonetheless we juggled between the art of Kakebo reckoning, the Kokedama moss balls and the poor compositions of the kusamono.

We just have to let ourselves go to ancient Japanese rituals of deep purification and immerse ourselves in more or less sacred waters. 

Japanese rites of purification 

According to Japanese culture, water is not only good for the external body, but also makes the internal one clear, magically purifying the human spirit as well: Kegare are precisely the negative elements that we carry with us – all impurities, dirt, the wrong acts performed – which can be eliminated through various purifying rituals, rituals not always easy to understand for us and very diversified, which contemplate the use of different natural elements, such as Misogi ablutions with water, for example.

Here is the video of Japanese faithful braving the cold to participate in a misogi purification ritual. 

The Yuami , which is also spoken of in poetry, is literally a complete purifying bath ; also known as Ofuro , bathing in Japan becomes a real social and collective habit, a moment of sharing with family or friends, a “skinship” that brings everyone together and participates in a single moment of contact in the tub .

This is certainly not a ride in an expensive and crowded bubble tub like the spas we are used to. The Japanese baths, especially those in the onsen – thermal waters and hot volcanic springs surrounded by nature and with outdoor pools – are very popular because they offer deep relaxation to the body and spirit and their long-term health effects are perceived. than aesthetic for the skin. 

These are spring waters that reach very high temperatures , considered particularly sacred precisely because they perform the task of freeing from all impurities; photographer Mark Edward Harris illustrated the beauty and quiet of these places in a sublime way with a book-reportage. 

This English tourist site of the spiritual and pilgrimage center in Kumano  well illustrates the steps of how to take a Japanese bath. 

Shinto purification rituals

But it is not only water that purifies according to Japanese culture, but also the air : a purification rite is also what the Shintou priests perform by waving a stick with clippings at the end of people or in certain “contaminated” places. paper.

The Harai or Harae , as the Shinto.com website explains , is another purification ritual of religion which involves the elimination of “contaminated” objects.

Other forms of purification include the element of fire , passion. For example, a very important purification rite involves abstinence from sexual practices , from certain foods or drinks for more or less prolonged periods. 

Reference books: