All throughout the world, the trend of a minimalist lifestyle is growing. Believed to have originated in either America or Japan, the definition of minimalism differs from person to person, but they all have the same general concept; the conscious decision to live and enjoy life with as little as possible.
The author of the article, “Three shirts, four pairs of trousers: meet Japan's 'hardcore' minimalists” claims that minimalism may not be a modern concept, but rather a “natural outgrowth” of Zen Buddhism and its “stripped-down worldview.” Zen Buddhism is a school of Buddhism that originated in China is strongly influenced by Taoism, a religious or philosophical tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with life. An example of Zen Buddhism is leaving empty space at a tea ceremony to allow a person’s own imagination to fill in that incomplete area. Buddhists make up 8% of the world, being the dominant religion many developing countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, as well as the second most common religion in industrial countries, for example, Japan.
However, minimalism does not only hold religious value. These days, there is a big push in both American and international societies to lower or completely eliminate a person’s carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is historically defined as “the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, or product.” Minimalist Graham Hill, who travels the
…show more content…
Sasaki sold his belongings, resulting in him keeping the money he would have spent on purchasing or refurbishing/rebuying the items in the aftermath of something such as an earthquake. Graham Hill claimed that minimalism is a cheaper lifestyle than the typical hoarding, justifying his claim with “By buying a space that was 420 square feet instead of 600 immediately I’m saving 200 grand. Smaller space is going to make for smaller utilities, save some more money