Japanese

"Mottainai"

Japanese word "mottainai" commands considerable attention of the world. According to Mainichi Newspapers, Ms. Wangari Maathai, the deputy environment minister of Kenya, who won the first Nobel Peace Prize in the environmental field, made a speech in "UN Division for the Advancement of Women" held in the United Nations Headquarters of New York in March, this year. She said that she got to know the Japanese word "mottainai" when she visited Japan by invitation of the Mainichi Newspapers in February. She suggested, "Let's develop the global campaign for resource conservation by women with the keyword, "mottainai". Ms. Maathai introduced that the Japanese government is tackling 3R movement of (1)reduction (loss in quantity of garbage) (2) reuse (3) recycling. "These concepts are expressed by single word "mottainai' in Japan " she explained with the T-shirt being written "mottainai" in Roman alphabet in her hand. Ms. Maathai had a talk with Mr.Klaus Tepfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) based in Kenya Nairobi after a homecoming from Japan, and Mr.Tapfa suggested her add "repair" to the aforementioned 3R movement to make it 4R. She also appealed at the speech; "If we realize sustainable development by 4R movement and use limited resources effectively and distributes them impartially, the dispute involving resources won't occur any more."
There is no English word, which surely expresses the concept of "mottainai." Possibly unlike Japan, there is no feeling of "mottainai" in Western countries that have abundant countries and resources. While the consciousness of resource protection has increased globally, one of Japanese conventional sense of value was reviewed unexpectedly as a result, but that sense of value seems to have been faded in the mentality of contemporary Japanese. In the "Shojin Ryori", which is the starting point of Japanese meal culture, A diner is required to search his conscience if he deserves eating the meal by realizing that he can survive with the meal. To dispose of cooking materials is equivalent to the taking of life. Therefore, it is necessary to respect the life of the materials by getting all the use out of any kind of materials. If you turn your eyes to the present situation of Japan, lunch boxes that lost freshness are discarded at convenience stores and supermarkets and the quantity of thrown meals is said to be about 600,000ton per year, which is equivalent to meals for 30billion people. The excessive commercialism has produced the mass consumer society. Although the economic growth of populous countries, such as India and China, is remarkable in recent years, if they come to enjoy same living standard as the advanced nations, it is obvious that the resources on the earth shall be dried up instantly. As far as international contribution concerned, it might be more important for Japan as well as global community to spread the traditional virtue "mottainai" by our own hand rather than aim to be a permanent member of the Security Council of United Nations.

2005.8.5