Nakano Yoshihisa on always living in the present moment

Nakano Yoshihisa, a 79-year-old entrepreneur, is a role model I am going to introduce in this blog post. I first came to know him via his book, and was deeply moved by his youthful energy to live everyday as a new journey to explore. who is Nakano Yoshihisa Growing up in post-war years without parents, Nakano was used to living alone and making all decisions by himself. His resume included developing new products/services in various department stores in both Japan and overseas....

March 28, 2024 · 8 min · 1614 words · Tiffena Kou

Wakamiya Masako, world's oldest iOS programmer, on lifelong learning and aging wisely

A rapidly aging population is a common phenomenon for most developed countries. This is especially true in Japan, where it is estimated that by 2040, a third of the population will be over 65. This impacts various public policies such as social support system and a shrinking work population. Due to this trend, the government is keen on promoting an active and healthy elderly population. In this blog post, let’s look at a local role model for aging wisely, and what advices she can offer to the younger generation....

January 18, 2024 · 10 min · 1926 words · Tiffena Kou

Regain your innate calmness with renowned Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh

Our frequent distractions amid constant changes in the outside world provoke our survival mode frequently. We easily become restless, which affects both our physical and mental health. We seem to lose touch with our innate calmness. In recent years, I find out that practicing mindfulness by turning our antenna from outward (e.g., refreshing social media, binge viewing shows, etc.) to inward (focusing on our breath, fleeting thoughts and senses) anchors me on what I can control vs the external forces that are beyond my control....

January 3, 2024 · 8 min · 1507 words · Tiffena Kou

Matsuura Yataro on training oneself for thoughtful and tasteful living

Mental distraction from information/choice overload is a common problem worldwide. Having an anchor for our taste and what we are meant to do provides a more stable path without being easily swayed by cyclical trends that are just like seasonal wind. But is good taste innate or honed by practice? In this post, we’ll look at Matsuura Yataro, who is a renowned lifestyle essayist and ex-chief editor of Kurashi no Techo (Notes on everyday living), a magazine dedicated to promoting aesthetics in living well....

December 9, 2023 · 7 min · 1324 words · Tiffena Kou