Covid, how the Japanese dealt with the pandemic
We publish an extract from the book "Ikigai in love, love in the time of oneself" (Solferino), written by Thomas Leoncini, writer and journalist, and Ken Mogi, one of the leading Asian neuroscientists
The coronavirus epidemic for the Japanese came as a shock. At first there was a moment of denial and disbelief. After all, we have experienced several false alarms in the past two decades, with a dangerous disease looming on the horizon that threatened to escalate into a global pandemic. Sars (2002-2004), swine flu (2009-2010) and MERS (2012) have come and gone. These diseases, while certainly dangerous and devastating in some regions of the world, have failed to turn into a pandemic, much to the relief of the population, myself included.
So when the first news of a coronavirus outbreak came from Wuhan in China, there was no reason to believe it wouldn't be the same this time around. We should have been careful, of course, not to get sick but most likely it would not have turned into a pandemic. Now we all know how wrong these predictions were. This particular epidemic turned out to be one of those events that happen once every century; the worst epidemic since the Spanish flu of 1918-1921. The damage to health and socio-economic damage was catastrophic.
The human brain tries to adapt to unexpected events of this kind by repairing old habits and instincts. In Japan, people began to take precautions and moderate their behavior even before the government asked to do so. It is very typical of Japanese society where the behavior of citizens is self-regulating without the need for stringent orders from above. It is a harmonious process of self-managed organization, in which people try to do their best even without being forced upon them.
In the process of seeking alternative lifestyles in the period of self-isolation and obligation to stay indoors, the Japanese have resorted to their sense of ikigai. An interesting path to pursue, even if in the context of a national and global crisis.
There have been managers (men and women) who have begun to commit to cooking, claiming it is the thing they have always wanted to do. Others started drawing or painting, often with their children who were bored playing only the Nintendo Switch. Still others have organized parties on Zoom and conversed over the internet thanks to teleconferencing programs and drinking sake.
Such a lifestyle change has happened in all countries of the world. People, since they no longer had to travel hours to get to the office, started doing what they always wanted to do.
What is perhaps typical of Japan has been the ease with which people have moved from pursuing a public life to enjoying the joys of a more private life. As if being at home and spending time on their own was what they always wanted, ever since they were children. This is rather strange, as the Japanese are known to be hard workers, coming home very late at night.
Perhaps there were already deep-rooted cultural tendencies that favored this change. In Japan there has always been the tradition of withdrawing from the public context to research one's ikigai. Getting away from the constant ups and downs of politics, economics and cultural activities has always been one of the ideals to be pursued in life.
There is also a word that defines this attitude: inkyo, which literally means "hidden life", in which a person lives virtually hidden from the outside world. Although the word inkyo traditionally has a masculine connotation, in the contemporary context it can also be attributed to a woman. One can become an inkyo, withdraw from all social activities and indulge in one's ikigai.
It is quite interesting to note that with the coronavirus epidemic, the more introverted side of the Japanese people emerged, a characteristic typical of many Japanese cultural icons. For example, the otaku culture associated with manga and anime is the juvenile version of the inkyo. There are also premature and extreme forms of inky. In Japan it is estimated that more than one million people live in a state of hikikomori (closure), that is, they are voluntarily excluded from school, work and other social activities and remain locked in their room, often for many years. The expression "80-50" refers to one of the problems represented by hikikomori: there are in fact people who started hikikomori when they were young and who are now fifty years old and have parents in their eighties. With the death of parents who have taken care of imprisoned children, probably within a few years, who will look after them?
With the coronavirus epidemic, this more introverted aspect of Japanese culture came to light, sometimes with positive results. People have begun to seek their ikigai in the private setting, away from the need to excel in the competitive multinational dominated job market. It was a rebalancing action, an antidote to the poison of globalization, at least for the moment.
In Europe it is interesting to note that the Renaissance kicked off in Florence in the 14th century, shortly after the end of a plague epidemic of global proportions which peaked between 1347 and 1351. Probably the increase in mortality. it forced people to cultivate more of themselves, their cultural interests and dedicate themselves to introspection, finally, free from traditional norms and preconceptions. The return of faith to life in the Renaissance period after the Black Plague is one of the most beautiful and moving narratives in the history of humanity. The fact that people are now turning their attention to a more intimate ikigai, more private joys of dealing with the pandemic may indicate the beginning of a new era, not only in Japan, but also in Italy and elsewhere.
In difficult times like this, people tend to get rid of unnecessary details and focus on the essential things that arise in everyone's existence. Perhaps a new renaissance of love and life is about to arrive, prompted by advances in artificial intelligence technologies and space exploration.
Love is the cornerstone of our existence and the coronavirus pandemic is making us reflect on the essence of love on a deeper level.
Ultimately we love each other because we are mortal. If life were eternal, our love for one another would not be so passionate; an era of global difficulty is also an opportunity to see the power of love.
The need to isolate ourselves has made us aware that, as human beings, we need each other, in flesh and spirit.
In this time of difficulty and change for the world, let us hope that we will be able to find our way to the essential tree of life on which the fruit of love grows. Maybe the road to that tree is paved with ikigai.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/covid-come-i-giapponesi-hanno-affrontato-la-pandemia/ on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 06:32:13 +0000.