From "additional thinking" to "subtractive thinking"

With global environmental issues as the biggest catalyst, society stands at a major crossroads in history. In short, we are being forced to make a major shift in our current paradigm, which has prioritized rationality and efficiency alone. As we enter the 21st century, we are being called upon to adopt a new approach, one that encourages tolerance and openness to accept different values ​​and ideas, as well as the search for common roots. At this major historical turning point, CERARICA NODA hopes to provide hints for a paradigm change appropriate for the 21st century through the blessings of nature known as " CERARICA " (the wax of life)

The "Limits to Growth" Come into Sight

Modern society, which began with the Industrial Revolution in Britain, has brought about material wealth and comfort, but at the same time has accumulated enormous, invisible debts. As early as 1972, the famous Club of Rome report, "The Limits to Growth," sounded a loud alarm about the very nature of human society. However, fundamental solutions to issues such as the environment, resources, poverty, inequality, food, and population have been continually postponed until the 21st century

Towards a century of paradigm change

In a society of overproduction and overconsumption based on petroleum energy, humanity has enjoyed enormous benefits without ever feeling grateful. Against a backdrop of ever-expanding material production and the wealth generated by the development of financial capitalism, people have always sought ever more convenient and comfortable lives, and have continued to envision a bright material future. However, as the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has shown to leaders around the world and to each and every one of us, the resulting debt has already ballooned to the point where it fundamentally threatens the survival of civilized society. Society is at a crossroads where it must fundamentally reexamine its modern-day existence

Environmental destruction and the limits of human reason

Modern "mechanistic thinking" considers nature and objects as a collection of countless elements, and holds that the entire world can be understood by exploring the relationships and laws between them. This belief stems from excessive confidence in human reason and thought, in the absence of a great, god-like being. It is true that this excessive confidence in humanity has led to the development of science and the prosperity of modern civilization. However, it has also been the cause of the destruction of the environment and human hearts to a point where there is no turning back

A worldview of "science as a whole, efficiency as a priority"

When we look at the world solely from the perspective of what is usable by humans, the nature and objects that make up our environment are merely physical entities, expressed in chemical symbols. Nature and objects are broken down into minute elements, becoming like machine parts that can be created or replaced at any time. This is the human-centered "mechanistic paradigm" that propelled modern society, prioritizing science and efficiency

The idea of ​​"addition" quantified

The logic that has dominated the world of markets and economics is that wealth can be converted into "numbers" or "quantity." The more human wealth converted into monetary value is "added," the greater the amount becomes, and as it is compared, the quantity itself takes on value before we even realize it. However, there are also values ​​that cannot be captured by the logic of "addition." Typical examples of this are "nature" and "life."

"Nature" and "Life" are inseparable

Nature, life, and the entire Earth are all ecosystems that maintain a dynamic order and harmony. There are no boundaries that separate them into elements. The parts are seamlessly connected to the whole, and the whole exists simultaneously with the functions of the parts

"Things are not just things"

Modern Western thinking, which prioritizes efficiency above all else, is not good at focusing on the intangible "relationships" that have accumulated over history and cannot be expressed in "numbers" or "quantity." Between people, people and nature, people and things. These various relationships are filled with memories and feelings of people's modest activities, gratitude for things and nature that arise precisely because of scarcity, and the ingenuity with which they live. Such profound thoughts and wisdom are folded in. It is here that we find the root of CERARICA NODA's philosophy that "living things, even though they may be things, are not mere things."

Rediscovering the idea of ​​"subtraction"

Since ancient times, Japan has been teeming with cultures that are completely different from the idea of ​​"addition." For example, this can be seen in the world of "tea ceremony," "ink painting," "karesansui," and "tanka." In order to communicate something important, excessive staging and decoration are avoided and "subtraction" is deliberately undertaken. This is where Japan's uniquely historically cultivated "cosmology (worldview)" can be found, something that cannot be achieved through the richness of "addition."

Making the most of the potential of Japanese culture

There are limits to the pleasures that mass production and mass consumption can bring. No matter how extravagantly one adorns one's life or oneself, beauty and value cannot be attained by that alone. For example, the essence of the Japanese sensibility, which is based on the themes of "shame," "shyness," "mystery," and "impermanence," can be found in expressions that pursue "subtraction" rather than "addition." It can also be said that the Japanese have inherently possessed an sensibility that allows them to appreciate intangible beauty and depth. As we enter the 21st century, this Japanese aesthetic sense has become increasingly important

The golden age of oil civilization and heavy chemical industry

Postwar Japan built its modern prosperity by following the American paradigm of "science and technology as a whole, with a priority on efficiency and speed." This was based on a common national theme, reminiscent of Sunset on Third Street, of rebuilding from the ashes of devastation at all costs and striving to achieve visible prosperity, modeled on the materialistic and affluent lifestyle of America as aspirational models. At the time, America was already in its golden age as the champion of the oil-fueled civilization. American culture at the time, such as Hollywood movies and Cadillacs, fascinated the Japanese as symbols of affluence

The defeat of the champion of oil civilization

In the 1970s, while Japan was at the peak of its rapid economic growth, the United States began to experience a major turning point. The biggest turning point was the Vietnam War in 1975. Despite dropping more bombs on tiny Vietnam than had been used on the entire world in World War II, it was an unexpected defeat. This defeat was also a major historic event that shook to its very core "American justice," that is, the confidence and legitimacy of America, which had enjoyed the prosperity of its oil-based civilization. How was Vietnam, a small Asian country, able to defeat the superpower, the United States?

The source of Vietnam's strength

According to Shingo Shibata, former professor at Hiroshima University's Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, at the root of Vietnamese culture lies the philosophy of "One for All, All for One," which became famous during the Rugby World Cup. In the sense that the whole (the nation) and the parts (the individuals) are seamlessly connected, this can also be described as the Vietnamese people as one living being. It is here that he discovered the source of the pride and strength of the Vietnamese people

"Tolerance" and "open attitude" that accept others

Furthermore, he points out that Vietnamese culture's notable characteristics are its "spirit of tolerance" and "open attitude." The biggest problem with communism is that throughout history, dictators have purged and massacred political opponents in the millions, even tens of millions. This is a fundamental weakness that could be called humanity's original sin. To overcome this difficulty, for example, even when "criticizing" someone, they acknowledge their good points while deeply studying their true nature, correcting and reconstructing their criticism to present it in a more accurate way. They do not make dogmatic assumptions or immediately escalate criticism to the point of depersonalizing or purging, but rather always respect the true nature of the other person. These unique etiquette and philosophy are the backbone of the Vietnamese people's resilience

From "fundamentalism" and "dualism" to "inclusion of diversity"

In the biological world, those that cannot adapt well to environmental changes are the first to be eliminated. Even in the human world, such as in Trump's liberal democracy of America, if people continue to fundamentally cling to their own "righteousness" while dismissing anything different as "evil," a "dualistic attitude of good and evil," the country will clearly split in two, and America's proud culture of accepting diversity will steadily dwindle. Conversely, the "tolerance" and "openness to diversity" displayed by the Vietnamese people will open up channels for productive communication and learning, and differences will in fact foster a richer, more vibrant culture as diversity

There is wealth that cannot be measured by material wealth

When I talk at length with people from various Asian countries, I realize that there is a deeper kind of wealth that is rooted in everyday life, separate from material wealth. It is a mysterious kind of wealth that you would never encounter in the speedy, brain-centered way of thinking of modern society, which tends to divide things into simple categories like "good or evil," "friend or foe," and "one or zero." Asian countries are brimming with brightness and energy born from the muddy conditions that prevent them from getting too excited or upset about economic indicators and data. Behind this lies the profound wisdom that has been cultivated over a long history of hardships in coexistence with nature, which has allowed them to understand what true wealth is and what they should value most

CERARICA and a truly prosperous 21st century

Even if they may be economically poor, the people of Asia have a rich perspective at their core, and in order to be open to diverse human ways, to nature and life, and to encounter an all-encompassing richness, some kind of guiding thread is needed. " CERARICA = Law of Life," created by the activities of life over tens and hundreds of millions of years, contains inexhaustible wisdom and value that can serve as such a guiding thread. In an age where we should aim for "coexistence" by making use of the diversity of all living things, CERARICA NODA will continue to deeply pursue the possibilities of " CERARICA = Law of Life."