Nemawashi (Consensus Building)

A uniquely Japanese organizational decision-making system where proposals (ringisho) are circulated through relevant departments, collecting approval stamps from each stakeholder. It promotes bottom-up consensus building, enabling information sharing and distributed responsibility across the organization. Digitization of this process is advancing in modern times.

The fundamental Japanese principle symbolized by Prince Shotoku's Seventeen-Article Constitution's 'harmony is to be valued above all.' The social principle of avoiding conflict and valuing harmony underpins Japanese decision-making processes including nemawashi, reading the air, and consensus-building. 'Wa' also serves as a prefix meaning Japan itself, as in washoku and washitsu.

A Japanese management philosophy meaning continuous improvement. Popularized worldwide through the Toyota Production System, it is applied not only in manufacturing but across diverse fields including healthcare, education, and personal development.

An ethical system that evolved as the moral code of the samurai class, centered on seven virtues: righteousness, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty. It became widely known internationally through Inazo Nitobe's seminal work.

A Japanese concept meaning purpose or joy of living. It is found at the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It has gained global attention through its association with longevity research.

A Japanese aesthetic sensibility that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. It forms the foundation of Japanese culture across tea ceremony, gardens, architecture, and ceramics, expressing a spirituality that embraces the transience of nature.

A uniquely Japanese aesthetic sensibility expressing the bittersweet awareness of the transience of things. Originating in Heian literature and symbolized by the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, it emphasizes empathy and sensitivity toward the ephemeral. It was systematized by the scholar Motoori Norinaga.

A concept embodying the Japanese spirit of facing challenges and persisting with one's best effort. The encouragement 'ganbare' is used in every aspect of daily life, reflecting the Japanese value of honoring effort itself. It became known worldwide as a rallying cry during earthquake disaster recovery.