3 Enchanting Japanese Words That Will Brighten Your Day
<p>As a native Japanese speaker, I get annoyed when I come across English articles that tout Japanese buzzwords like <em>ikigai</em>. They’re not commonly used in our day-to-day conversations. Ikigai is more like a stock word thrown in job interviews or autobiographies.</p>
<p>Instead of those fancy words, I’d like to introduce my three favorite Japanese words. They’re basic words but each carries a cultural richness that defies translation into a single English word.</p>
<h1>En (縁) / Goen (ご縁)</h1>
<p>If you’re familiar with the Japanese language, you may know that people toss a five yen coin into a donation box at a shrine. They wish for good “en”—not cashback in yen—but fortunate connections with people and new opportunities.</p>
<p>En (縁) can be roughly translated to words like destiny, bond, or connection. What’s intriguing is that 縁 isn’t as casual as accepting someone’s connection request on LinkedIn. The word has a slight nuance of serendipity and a more profound notion of fate.</p>
<p>An old saying explains this perfectly:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>袖振り合うも他生の縁 (sode furiau mo tashō no en)</p>
<p>The accidental brushing of sleeves can be a predestined encounter in this life</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Sode </em>suggests<em> </em>the sleeves of the kimono, and <em>tashō </em>means our previous lives. This proverb is a reminder of how important it is to embrace each encounter with new people mindfully.</p>
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