1-Sentence-Summary: The Way of Nagomi explains a unique Japanese concept that can help us find and practice a relaxed, effortless form of balance in various areas of life, from food and health to relationships, creativity, and even with ourselves.
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When I saw the young woman’s review of The Way of Nagomi by Ken Mogi, I immediately knew she had read the book with the wrong glasses on. She complained about the anecdotal nature of the book and its lack of practical tips.
Ironically, the entire point of nagomi is to show us that life is not a problem you can solve with a how-to manual and a five-step plan. The fundamental tenets of Japanese philosophy are that life is uncertain, that everything is connected, and that the small and the big must work together to create a harmonious balance.
That’s why Mogi’s The Little Book of Ikigai is a better explainer of that concept than the much more popular book by two Western authors—and why I was immediately interested in its sequel, The Way of Nagomi. But what is nagomi? We’ll define it shortly, but first, let’s note that nagomi rests on 5 pillars, per Mogi:
- Maintaining happy relationships with your loved ones, even if you disagree with them.
- Learning new things while always staying true to yourself.
- Finding a sense of peace in whatever you are doing.
- Mixing and blending unlikely components to strike a harmonious balance.
- Having a greater understanding of the Japanese philosophy of life.
In today’s summary, let’s explain what nagomi is as well as look into pillars 2 and 4 in more detail. Here are 3 lessons:
- Nagomi describes a calm balance achieved through an integration of different parts.
- In the world of food, nagomi is all about mixing and matching both the common and the unfamiliar.
- You don’t need to buck society’s rules to express yourself as an individual.
Let’s discover the way of nagomi!
Lesson 1: Nagomi is a special kind of relaxed balance, rooted in a harmony of differing parts.
Like many Japanese words, “nagomi” does not have an exact English translation. “Roughly, it means balance, comfort, and calm of the heart and mind,” Mogi writes. The balance could be one in the external world as well as an internal balance we cultivate. “Ultimately, nagomi is a state of human consciousness characterized by a sense of ease, emotional balance, well-being, and calmness,” Mogi explains.
Written in Japanese kanji (和み), the word’s first character is the one for “wa,” which means “harmony,” but it also means “sum,” indicating that nagomi is always the result of multiple, differing elements working together. This combination process could be something you actively do, like two families coming together for a BBQ, or it could be something that happens spontaneously, like a dragonfly landing on a flower making for a beautiful scene in nature.
In the end, nagomi is at play wherever you feel a sense of effortless calm and balance, created from a harmony between different people, things, or ideas. It is “considered to be the mother of important concepts such as wabi sabi, Zen, kintsugi, ichigo ichie, and ikigai,” Mogi writes. “Nagomi is at the pinnacle of Japanese culture and central to the Japanese philosophy of life.”
Let’s see what that looks like on an everyday basis, shall we?
Lesson 2: When it comes to food, nagomi is about mixing and matching both likely and unlikely ingredients.
Japanese food is loved all around the world. One reason for that is that it’s rooted in nagomi. The idea shows up in Japanese cuisine in various ways.
For one, there is the practice of “kaiseki,” which is about “the balance of ingredients in dishes,” Mogi writes. This could be with respect to seasonality, cost, colors, taste, or all of these aspects. Just think of a bento box: “The most essential principle is to prepare various items in small portions. Rice is always at the center, unifying the other items.”
This relates to another example of nagomi in food: “kounaichoumi,” which translates to “cooking in the mouth.” From a young age, kids are taught to take alternating bites of rice and sides. “It’s about mixing the flavors so they become one on your tongue, and achieving the utmost harmony possible in your eating experience,” goes Mogi.
What else is made of rice? Sake, Japan’s most famous alcoholic beverage. Therefore, at izakayas, a Japanese kind of pub, a whole range of “tsumami” is offered: foods that go well with sake.
Finally, nagomi isn’t limited to Japanese food. “‘Wayochu’ refers to the cooking styles originating in Japan (wa), the West (yo), and China (chu),” Mogi explains. “Today, almost all over Japan, you are able to find restaurants serving selections of wayochu items.”
The nagomi of food is about blending dishes, ingredients, and cultures on a basis of creativity, resourcefulness, and respect for nature and people. The next time you eat a Japanese meal, remember this, and try to feel the harmony in your food.
Lesson 3: You can express yourself creatively as an individual without clashing with the rest of society—that, too, is nagomi.
In 1945, during World War II, a then 17-year-old Osamu Tezuka walked through the destroyed streets of Osaka. A kind family gave him three rice balls, which nourished him on his 18-kilometer walk home. That day, he decided he’d be a manga artist. Years later, Tezuka would revolutionize the world of Japan’s comic-equivalent, most notably with Astro Boy.
Despite manga being an entirely new format, Tezuka never set out to “stick it to the system.” “There never was a sense of counterculture among the form’s leading artists,” Mogi writes. They “just went about their business of producing good work.”
This is generally how new ideas pop up in Japan: in a laissez-faire kind of way, “like bamboo shoots after the rain.” People are used to practicing individual freedom without trying to disrupt society altogether.
That’s because, creatively speaking, “nagomi is a delicate balance between self-assertion and self-negation,” Mogi writes. “Creativity is a process of finding an organic blend between what is uniquely oneself and the broader aspects of the wider world.” Thankfully, people like Tezuka and others have managed to find that organic blend, thus giving us amazing art to enjoy for decades to come.
You too, can practice creative nagomi. Don’t plot around how quickly you can quit your job. Start a side project. Make room for a childhood passion. Express yourself, but keep the balance—because that’s what nagomi is all about.
The Way of Nagomi Review
I had never heard of nagomi before reading this book, and I found Mogi’s plentiful examples of it in different areas of life more than enough to give me a good understanding of what it’s about. What better outcome after reading a book than being able to feel when you meet its concept elsewhere? The Way of Nagomi delivers just that—and that in and of itself will make you feel more relaxed and at peace. Highly recommended!
Who would I recommend our summary of The Way of Nagomi to?
The 23-year-old college student who’s obsessed with Western self-help literature, the 38-year-old agency worker who’s constantly stressed out by her long to-do list, and anyone who loves Japan and its culture.
Last Updated on November 28, 2024
