What I thought when minimalists became popular. It’s like the tea ceremony! That’s what I thought.

(*A minimalist tea room with no useless objects)

１：Sen no Rikyu and Minimalists

Sen no Rikyu simply decorated a four and a half tatami mat tea room with tea flowers and produced a black tea bowl called Kuroraku tea bowl, which is all black.

I think this is another example of minimalism and minimalists trying to be comfortable in a small space and not decorate or have unnecessary things.

２：Wabi, Sabi and Minimalists

It is said that the culture of wabi-sabi is Japan’s unique sense of beauty.

We can love the beauty of changes over time, whether visible or invisible.

This is in line with the spirit of loving one-of-a-kind and favorite things for a long time.

It is not about mass production and mass consumption, but about loving our favorites for a long time.

３：Tea Ceremony and Minimalists

In the tea ceremony, the most important thing is to make the tea taste the best.

It is not just about the taste, but also about making the tea look beautiful and rational so that it can be visibly enjoyed.

The most important thing is to make the tea beautiful and delicious. This is the best.

Minimalism is similarly based on the idea of “for my own comfort”.

In this sense, there is a lot in common.

4：”Substitution” and  Minimalists

In the tea ceremony, there is a concept called “mitate”. In the tea ceremony, there is a concept called “mishite”, which means “to look at something as something else, not just as it should be.

For example, a container that is not originally used for tea utensils can be used as a matcha container in the tea ceremony.

I think this “multi-use” method of substitution can also be applied to minimalists, those who try not to have too many things, and minimalism.

 Tea Ceremony and Minimalism/Minimalists have something in common.

I myself have read several books on minimalism and minimalists.

I’ve also done some tidying up and other activities as much as I can, but I still find it very comfortable to have nothing extra.

I don’t have to think about anything else, and it makes things run more smoothly.

If you are interested in being a minimalist or minimalism, learning the tea ceremony may be interesting for you to discover and notice.