Mottainai –Learn to Respect What You Have
Natsuko Sato (Arlington High School)
“Gochisou sama deshita!” Full and content, I started to leave the table, but Grandmother tapped my
shoulder and stopped me. Examining my bowls, she told me that I was not yet finished with my meal. I
looked at her questioningly, confused about what she meant for I had eaten everything—or at least that was
what I thought. Grandmother pointed to my rice bowl and said, “There is still some left.” Peering in, I
realized there were still some grains of rice stuck to my bowl. “Mottainai,” she said, which means, “what a
waste.” She told me that I must finish every last grain of rice, or else I will go blind from wasting such a
precious gift. I must admit, I was taken aback. Having grown up in the United States, I was used to the
other children in my class throwing away food without any hesitation once they were full. It never occurred
to me that in other cultures, even the last bits of rice could be considered something of such value.

Later on, this occurrence made me reminisce about a conversation I once had with my grandfather. I
remembered the time when he explained to me the significance of the character, “rice.” He told me that if
the three parts to the character were to be taken apart and rearranged, it would create the number eighty-
eight. It symbolizes the number of days it takes for the rice to grow to maturity: from the day when the rice
is planted to when it is ready for harvesting. Being a rice cultivator himself, my grandfather knew how
much time and effort had to be put into growing them. This memory made me truly understand why
Grandmother said “mottainai;” it would have been like throwing away the hard work that the planters put
into growing the rice for us.

The Japanese concept of “mottainai” is based on the idea that nothing should be put to waste and that
one must appreciate both physical resources and intangible objects, such as talent and time. This idea is
already starting to impact the world in many areas. A prime example of its global impact can be seen in the
Kenyan environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai. Upon visiting Japan, she
was impressed by the Japanese’s commitment to the conservation of materials and reduction of waste, and
she was inspired to make a difference in her own country. By incorporating the “mottainai” ideal, Maathai
began persuading people to shift from using thin, weak plastic bags to thicker, reusable ones in order to
reduce the amount of garbage. Another instance where the Japanese’s “mottainai” concept impacted the
world was in the 2011 Tohoku catastrophe. The nuclear disaster had resulted in the destruction of a major
electricity source in Japan, and countless homes throughout the country were left without electricity.

Planned power outages were deemed necessary, and citizens were requested to conserve electricity to
compensate for the shortage. Numerous people acted immediately and showed their willingness to
cooperate for the cause. Even in the summer, when temperatures rose to be over a hundred degrees
Fahrenheit on some days, the Japanese continued to work hard to conserve electricity to the best of their
abilities. Some went to public libraries to stay cool since they thought that turning on their air conditioner
just for themselves was “mottainai.” Others took smaller actions, such as turning the lights off when no one
was in the room. The Japanese proverb, “chiri mo tsumoreba, yama to naru,” which means when small
things come together it can make a huge difference in the end, excellently describes how the Japanese
cooperated to overcome their hardships. The small acts of conservation that the Japanese undertook to
minimize the things they viewed as “mottainai” resulted in the commendable accomplishment of
overcoming the mountainous impediment.

Currently, I am a member of my school’s science research team and our primary focus is to promote
eco-friendly activities in our community. My experience with Japan’s “mottainai” culture has helped me
realize that besides reducing, reusing, and recycling, respecting our environment and appreciating the
things we have is also essential in making our world a healthier place and to preserve its beauties. I plan to
continue advocating awareness about how everyone can make a difference to save our world by
encouraging others to look to the Japanese example of their “mottainai” mentality and be thankful for even
the smallest gifts in life.

Bibliography: “Wangari Maathai’s Other Initiatives.” The Green Belt Movement. The Green Belt
Movement International. Web. 02 Jan. 2012. .

“What We Do.” MOTTAINAI. MOTTAINAI. Web. 02 Jan. 2012. .

61