Ichigo Ichie – the secret to happiness

In questi tempi così frenetici in cui corriamo tutti chissà verso cosa, non succede spesso di fermarsi per godersi il momento e viverlo a pieno, con la consapevolezza che proprio quell’istante è irripetibile e non tornerà mai più. Di certo, non capita a me.

Ecco perché sono rimasta così affascinata dal concetto giapponese Ichigo Ichie, che letteralmente significa una volta nella vita, e che ci incoraggia ad assaporare ogni attimo, a non dare nulla per scontato e ad esserci davvero sempre, anche nelle cose più semplici.

Ed è proprio questo il segreto per essere più calmi e più felici secondo il video di BBC Global, che, oltre a spiegarci questa antica filosofia, ci dà anche l’opportunità di arricchire il nostro vocabolario.

Diamo, dunque, un’occhiata ad alcuni dei vocaboli presenti nel video.
Ci sono, nell’ordine, vocaboli legati ai viaggi:
trail = cammino, sentiero
post town = stazione di posta
journey = viaggio

alla casa:
upstairs = al piano di sopra
lighting = illuminazione
closet = armadio
bedding = biancheria da letto
room = stanza
bedroom = camera da letto
bathtub = bath = vasca da bagno

alla natura:
view = vista, panorama
valley = valle
mountain = montagna
waterfall = cascata

Ci sono, poi, espressioni legate proprio al concetto di Ichigo Ichie:
once in a lifetime = una volta nella vita
fleeting encounter = incontro fugace
emotional discipline = disciplina emotiva
being present = essere presenti.

Non mancano, infine, vocaboli legati alla cultura giapponese:
fusuma = porte scorrevoli giapponesi
hinoki bathtub = vasca in legno di cipresso giapponese
gohei mochi = dolce di riso con glassa al miso (miso glaze)
Odaki e Medaki waterfalls = cascata “maschile” e cascata “femminile”
takigyo = meditazione sotto la cascata.

Già che ci siamo,  se vi va, mentre guardate il video, provate a cogliere le risposte alle seguenti domande (troverete le soluzioni in fondo al post):

1. What does the concept of Ichigo Ichie mean?
2. Why was Magome an important location for travellers in the past?
3. Why is it a perfect place to talk about Ichigo Ichie?
4. Why is soap not used in a hinoki bathtub?
5. What is takigyo?
6. What is gohei mochi?
7. What happens during a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and why is it important to make a slurping sound at the very last sip?

Se può essere utile, vi lascio qui la trascrizione:
“We are here in Magome to talk about the concept of Ichigo Ichie, which means “once in a lifetime” or “one time, one meeting”.

This is a perfect place to talk about this important Japanese concept, because most people only stay here for one night. Check out this view.
Magome is the 43rd post town along the Nakasendo Trail. These post towns are where people stayed for the night before going on their way either to Kyoto or to Old Edo, now known as Tokyo.
Many people travelling through these post towns would only stay for one night, making it a place of fleeting encounters as well as memories.

We are now inside of Tawaraya, our home for the night. And as you can see, it is a traditional Japanese-style home. Let’s check upstairs.
Look at the way the natural light hits the room. You don’t need a lot of lighting.
Now over here we have the closet in the fusuma and it has all the bedding. This room here can turn right into a bedroom.
This is a hinoki bathtub. You don’t use the soap inside. A bath is truly just a place to relax.
And here you have the beautiful view of the Kiso Valley and the mountains as well.

Behind me we have the Odaki and Medaki waterfalls. They translate to “male” and “female” waterfalls. For the Buddhist religion, it is a place of endurance and focus with the practice of takigyo, which is to sit under a waterfall and endure the falling water.

You see that, along the Nakasendo Trail, every single place that you stop along the way is a unique experience. We’re here to make the original gohei mochi. Gohei mochi is made out of rice and it is turned into a pounded cake with miso glaze on top. Let’s check it out.
So, as you can see, we are making each ball by hand. That makes it very different and unique for each single one that we make. And there’s a lot of love and intention that is put into these.
So now we are putting the gohei mochi onto the grill. When the surface starts to get hard, that’s when you know that they are being cooked well. Just knowing that this bite and this taste cannot be made anywhere else, it makes it a special Ichigo Ichie moment.

The phrase Ichigo Ichie came to be well known through the art of Japanese tea ceremony. During a Japanese tea ceremony, everything from the utensils to the flowers are chosen with intention for that certain gathering.
The reason why we turn the tea bowl before taking a sip is to show appreciation for the person who made us the tea. It is very important to make a slurping sound for your very last sip.

Ichigo Ichie is not just a philosophy. It is emotional discipline. It is about being present and to value what is around us. Right now is the perfect time to really hear all the different noises on the Nakasendo Trail. This moment can only be experienced right here in time. Truly once in a lifetime. Ichigo Ichie.”

Forse non possiamo fermare il tempo, ma possiamo almeno cercare di vivere ogni attimo con maggiore attenzione e intensità. Ichigo Ichie. Che dite, ci proviamo?

Bye for now, j

Soluzioni:

1. It means “once in a lifetime” or “one time, one meeting”.
2. Magome was the 43rd post town along the Nakasendo Trail, where travellers stopped to rest for the night on their way to Kyoto or to Old Edo (now known as Tokyo).
3. Because most people travelling through these post towns would only stay for one night, it was therefore a place of fleeting encounters as well as memories.
4. Because a bath is just a place to relax.
5. Takigyo is a Buddhist practice where a person sits under a waterfall and endures the falling water.
6. Gohei mochi is a cake made with rice. It is pounded by hand, covered with a miso glaze, and cooked on a grill.
7. During a tea ceremony, everything is chosen with intention — the utensils, the flowers, and the tea bowl. It is important to turn the tea bowl before drinking and make a slurping sound at the very last sip to show appreciation for the person who prepared the tea. /vc_column_text]