Thinking of throwing away your favourite mug because it has a chip in it? Mottainai! Discarding an old newspaper instead of reusing the pages as wrapping? Mottainai! Leaving food on your plate after a meal? Mottainai!
Mottainai is the Japanese ideal of making the most of one’s belongings, so nothing goes to waste. Often translated as “What a waste!”, mottainai encompasses the concept that things which are broken or have already been used - such as that old chipped mug - can still be useful, perhaps as a small flower pot. Old newspapers can be reused as wrapping paper for presents; or, as we do in my family, those old pages are very handy for wrapping fragile Christmas baubles from one year to the next!
In Japan, the very word, mottainai, evokes feelings of regret toward that which is wasted; that whatever value these objects had is now being wasted for not being used to its utmost.
It is mottainai not to learn from the past
Believed to be Buddhist and Shinto in origin, the word mottainai dates back to at least the 13th century and has existed in Japan in many shapes over the centuries. The word itself in Japanese [勿体ない] is comprised of “mottai” [勿体], which originally meant the shape or form something takes, but which has evolved to mean something’s true nature, it’s “essence”; and “nai” [ない], a negation.
Originally, the meaning of mottainai was associated with feelings of regret and disappointment, and later could be attributed to religious connotations of undeserving or impious. Nowadays, these meanings are hardly known. From the second half of the 20th century, mottainai has come to almost be exclusively understood as the complex and regretful feelings associated with wasteful behaviour.
After the Second World War, Japan was a nation rebuilding. Mottainai became a necessity in households who had to make the most of their resources. It was taught in families, not as a religious concept, but as a part of life and an ideal to live by. However, as Japan grew more affluent as a nation, mottainai became less of a necessity. Not forgotten, but less intrinsic to people’s lives.
It is mottainai not to export this idea to the world
Yet with the rise of consumerism and the endless waste and pollution created by our current lifestyle, mottainai is once again needed.
Around the turn of the millennium, Japan saw a resurgence of mottainai thinking. From government ministries and corporations to magazines, newspapers, and even children’s literature, wastefulness was once again a buzzword in Japan.
One example of this is Shinju Mariko’s children’s books: Mottainai Baasan (which roughly translates to “No-Waste Grandma”), named after the main character of the tale. A strict and sturdy figure, Mottainai Baasan is disappointed with her grandson’s wasteful behaviour and sets about teaching him how to make the most of all which he would find useless. From not letting the water run while brushing his teeth to using tangerine peels to make baths aromatic, nothing escapes her scrutiny.
The book was first published in 2004 and was so popular it sold 160,000 copies in its first year, leading it to become the first of many and inspiring a song and a card game which further increased the renown of mottainai.
But it was not only in Japan that mottainai was gaining traction. Far from the Japanese isles, the Kenyan social activist and Professor Wangari Maathai was working to export this concept internationally as a method to reduce waste and protect the environment.
The late Professor worked for decades championing a campaign to reduce waste and build a more eco-friendly environment. Her work founding the African Greenbelt Movement, as well as contributions to democracy and women’s empowerment in her home country, led to her becoming the first African woman to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
At a session of the United Nations, Professor Maathai spoke of mottainai as a term encompassing the 4Rs of “reduce, reuse, recycle and repair”. It also encourages people to add an R for respect. Respect for nature and respect for the objects around us.
It is mottainai to do nothing
But are we doing enough? Japan currently stands only behind the US in terms of plastic packaging waste per capita, and disposes of around 30bn plastic bags each year. The government has begun taking steps to reduce packaging in products and the use of single-use plastics, but many argue not enough is being done.
Governments around the world need to step up, but so do we as individuals. Small changes can lead to more progress being made and changing our mentality to reduce our own waste will help us all in the long run.
What is mottainai to you?