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3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

theguardian.com

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Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#21

Post by zzzzzzzza »

chrisseaton wrote: post #10
eddz wrote: post #4

Traveling often has forced me to adopt this approach. I do not miss the days where I owned much more. Slimming down your possessions to a couple of suitcases worth is liberating, to say the least. Incidentally, I also live in Japan, but most apartments I have visited here are very cluttered.

Minimalism sounds admiral, but how do you stop it limiting your life? For example someone invites you on a hike but you can't fit decent hiking boots in your two suitcases. Or someone invites you to a semi-formal dinner but you can't fit a proper evening jacket in there. You can't even hire boots as they need to broken in.

You don't need hiking boots to go on a hike, do you need an evening jacket to go to a dinner? Could you just make do with one suit? I live in a fairly minimalist style. In my experience you trade one set of experiences for another. Personally I prefer the set of experiences I get, they seem more "authentic".

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#22

Post by MAGZine »

jacquesm wrote: post #7
newjersey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not minimalism if it is not a choice. It is like saying couples with no access to birth control automatically love children. No, this children are likely just accidents that people endure.

What a luxury position to take. So you really can't be a minimalist unless you're wealthy enough to own a whole bunch of stuff but don't. Poor poor people, they can't even be minimalists. > It is like saying couples with no access to birth control automatically love children. That's like saying that couples without access to birth control can't love their children because they can't make a conscious choice. But guess…

I'll take a gander at drawing the distinction.

Minimalism as an aesthetic is certainly luxurious. It implies that it was well thought out and contains only the necessary elements for a high-standard of living. It doesn't necessarily require you to be very wealthy, it just requires you to own less stuff than you could otherwise.

Living with the only pair of clothes that are on your back could indeed be minimalist, though in the case of homeless, it's less minimalism and more survivalism.

So yes, minimalism is luxury. It's a conscious decision in the face of people who don't have the time/money/energy to begin thinking decluttering.

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#23

Post by chrisseaton »

zzzzzzzza wrote: post #21
chrisseaton wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Minimalism sounds admiral, but how do you stop it limiting your life? For example someone invites you on a hike but you can't fit decent hiking boots in your two suitcases. Or someone invites you to a semi-formal dinner but you can't fit a proper evening jacket in there. You can't even hire boots as they need to broken in.

You don't need hiking boots to go on a hike, do you need an evening jacket to go to a dinner? Could you just make do with one suit? I live in a fairly minimalist style. In my experience you trade one set of experiences for another. Personally I prefer the set of experiences I get, they seem more "authentic".

You don't need boots for a stroll in the woods, but I'd hate to think 'that looks like a fun mountain to go up, but it wouldn't be responsible as I may break an ankle in these soft shoes'.

And you can turn up at people's parties dressed however you want, but they may not invite you again if you disrespect them by ignoring a reasonable dress code.

So yes I see you're trading experiences.

Where is the line between minimalism and simply being inappropriately dressed and ill-equipped.

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#25

Post by maze-le »

nsxwolf wrote: post #6
newjersey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not minimalism if it is not a choice. It is like saying couples with no access to birth control automatically love children. No, this children are likely just accidents that people endure.

I've never met a person that regretted a single one of their children no matter how many they had or how poor they were. If I ever do meet such a person I will gleefully judge them as a bad person.

Maybe you never met them, because they won't admit it openly, you know... because some people might judge them as a 'bad person'.

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#26

Post by wukerplank »

struct wrote: post #13

As much as I like the idea of living with only a few possessions, it strikes me as a constant struggle: where do you put the 50 pack of envelopes you had to buy to send one letter? Are scissors for opening packaging included in his possessions? Nail trimmers? Toiletries? A formal pair of shoes? Do you have to hire all this stuff when you need it, or just keep in a drawer out of sight? And this is what I didn't get ab…

Makes you think of the olden days, when you could buy a cup of milk, two cigarettes and a spoon of gunpowder at the local shop.

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#27

Post by [deleted] »

nsxwolf wrote: post #6
newjersey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not minimalism if it is not a choice. It is like saying couples with no access to birth control automatically love children. No, this children are likely just accidents that people endure.

I've never met a person that regretted a single one of their children no matter how many they had or how poor they were. If I ever do meet such a person I will gleefully judge them as a bad person.

[deleted]

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#28

Post by mikekchar »

hellofunk wrote: post #5

If I had a choice, I'd prefer 4 shirts and 3 pairs of trousers.

It sounds strange, but I was actually thinking, "What the heck is he doing with 4 pairs of trousers"? I suppose 2 pairs for work and 2 for relaxing if he changes at the end of the day... But then why only 3 shirts?

I wonder if this article got slashed to the minimum by the editor because I'm actually really intrigued by what things he finds essential and why. But there is nothing in the article other than to assert that this is a growing trend.

Disclosure: When I moved to Japan I gave up all my possessions (either sold or gave away) and at the age of 39 owned only what would fit in my backpack. I've slowly accumulated more, but I keep fighting to keep it as small as possible. I only need 2 pairs of trousers because I work from home ;-)

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#29

Post by _9MOTHER9HORSE »

mavhc wrote: post #18
swang wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

they probably borrow from neighbors...? i definitely run into this problem. i need that _one_ envelope. do i really want to buy 50 to shove the rest into a drawer?

Sounds like you need some kind of community shop, that sells/loans things you want in the way you want it. You don't need the clothes that society tells you you have to wear at different events, just need 50% of people not to care.

Good luck making the selling of individual envelopes commercially viable!

That said, totally agreed there's a gap for bringing the "sharing economy" to things people buy but rarely use (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, etc.)

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#30

Post by ddalex »

chrisseaton wrote: post #10
eddz wrote: post #4

Traveling often has forced me to adopt this approach. I do not miss the days where I owned much more. Slimming down your possessions to a couple of suitcases worth is liberating, to say the least. Incidentally, I also live in Japan, but most apartments I have visited here are very cluttered.

Minimalism sounds admiral, but how do you stop it limiting your life? For example someone invites you on a hike but you can't fit decent hiking boots in your two suitcases. Or someone invites you to a semi-formal dinner but you can't fit a proper evening jacket in there. You can't even hire boots as they need to broken in.

Permanent storage. High value low usage objects go in permanent storage - a lot more efficient use of space than keeping them in a cramped apartment.
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