December 21, 2024 • 52 mins
Monika Sadkiewicz's journey from Poland to Japan might seem like a story of unexpected twists, but it's a testament to the transformative power of embracing new cultures. In this episode, we sit down with Monika, the dynamic community manager at Planet Labs, as she recounts her life-altering move to Japan as a teenager. With no initial interest in Japanese culture, Monia's path took an intriguing turn as she found her calling in teaching and eventually connected with Planet Labs through a serendipitous meeting with their founder, Tamaki Nishimura. Listen as Monika shares how these experiences shaped her role in promoting cultural preservation through innovative vacation rentals.
Japan's tourism landscape is a fascinating blend of modernity and tradition, yet there's often a disconnect between government initiatives and the authentic experiences sought by foreign visitors. Monika sheds light on this topic, sharing her insights into fostering genuine connections through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structure at Planet Labs. This approach not only empowers investors to become co-owners but also aligns with the Japanese concept of 'ibasho'—creating spaces where individuals can truly be themselves. Monika's passion for community engagement and sustainable living shines through as she discusses projects like the renovation of a historic temple and the Bamboo Forest House in Hayama.
The conversation explores Monika's deep appreciation for Japanese culture, touching on the harmonious principles of wa and the unmatched hospitality of omotenashi. As Monika discusses her personal journey to understanding ikigai, we explore the balance between individualism and collective harmony, offering a fresh perspective on how these cultural values differ from those in Europe and Slavic regions. Finally, Monika shares the excitement of expanding Planet Labs' community projects, with a focus on building meaningful relationships and embracing the unique dynamics of new communities. Join us as we immerse ourselves in the spirit of collaboration and cultural preservation driving Monika's endeavors.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But is that the goal?
Is it a goal to make it anybetter?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yes, it is Exactly.
I want this to be a safe spacefor everybody, where they can
have not only the psychologicalownership of the property, but
also sense of purpose andbelonging to something greater
and this collective aspect of ittoo.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Find your Ikigai at ikigaitribecom.
My guest today on episode 94 ofthe Ikigai podcast is Monica
Stadkovic, the community managerof Planet Labs, and on episode
93, the previous episode, Ispoke with Tamaki Nishimura,
founder and CEO of Planet Labs,an organization that specializes
(00:59):
in transforming iconicproperties across Japan into
unique vacation rentals, withthis focus on cultural
preservation and fosteringpartnerships with local
communities, which is a reallyexciting project.
And, monica, you were meant tojoin us on that episode but you
were sick, so it's good to nowsee you that you're better.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, my apologies.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
That's fine.
Thank you, Nick.
So welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Let's start with a bit of background, because you
do have an interesting life andbackground.
Please share.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, first of all, thank you very much for this
opportunity, nick, and thank youfor understanding and allowing
me to be here.
I'm really excited.
And yeah, I guess you can sayso.
I'm not a typical person whowas fascinated by Japanese
culture or language per se andended up being here by choice.
So I was born and raised inPoland, but my mom has been
(01:55):
connected with Japan since 90sand later on.
She was fortunate enough toremarry with the Japanese when I
was around seven.
She was fortunate enough toremarry with the Japanese when I
was around seven, so I spent myvacation in Japan and then,
soon enough, when I was ateenager, at the rebellious 16,
I relocated to Japan with nointerest in Japan and not really
(02:18):
any, to be honest.
No language capacity.
I couldn't say hello, my nameis Monica and count from one to
10.
There's no language capacity.
I could say hello, my name isMonica and count from one to 10.
And I needed to learn how tonavigate the third culture
identity.
But I wasn't a typical thirdculture child, so it was also
challenging because it wasn'tlike I was in elementary school
(02:40):
and our house was very mixed, sooutside we would speak Japanese
, at home we would speak Polishonly and we relocated with my
grandma too.
So, yeah, I don't want to gointo too much details, but I
kind of learned about Japan in areversed manner, meaning that
first I was rebellious and Imissed everything about my
(03:00):
homeland, so I kind of hatedeverything here.
So I needed to learn how tofall in love with Japan and how
to, um, I think first I startedto respect the culture and I
started to realize, um, thepositive sides of it and then
slowly I started to fall in love, some around, some sometime in
my twenties, when I actuallystarted to work here and I used
(03:24):
to teach English.
I love kids.
My stepsister is Japanese, soit was very interesting to see
how Japan affected me and howPoland and Japan affected her
growing, and that kind ofinspired me to become a teacher.
But then the COVID hit and thatwas about a decade of me being
a teacher and I kind of wantedto try new things and expand my,
(03:46):
let's say, impact further, andthat's how I ended up with
Planet Dao.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I see.
So yeah, I mean that's quite aunique experience to move to a
country where you can't speakthe language, you don't
understand the culture, you'renot really understandably
interested in the culture,you've lost your home, your
friends, everything you've knownyes, yeah, and then adjust to
(04:12):
it and then be part of a blendedfamily too.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then go through your childhood and then your
teenage years would be.
That's challenging enoughwithout all that complication.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
But it sounds like now you've found your place in
Japan, especially with the workthat you now do.
Yes, so, how did you getinvolved with Planet Labs?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I always say by luck, which is true, luck, which is
true.
Well, um, in 2017, I had apleasure to work for the inbound
tourism agency owned by gayaksat that time, and that's exactly
where I met tamaki.
So I was a customer servicerepresentative and, um, it was
(05:00):
very early in my 20s.
So, to to be very honest, Ithink I wasn't ready, especially
when it comes to my Japanesecapacity, because I had to
utilize both languages and youknow, keigo, the honorific
language, can be sometimes verychallenging, and I was still
kind of polishing my English tooat that time.
(05:20):
So it was a little bitchallenging, but I really
enjoyed it.
I realized that I enjoyconnecting with people.
I really liked the fact that Icould be very deep into the
crafts and I call it essentialtourism, which is not just going
to Harajuku taking pictures ortaking selfie with Hachiko in
(05:42):
Shibuya Crossing or that kind ofthing, but actually going to
make soba from scratch and talkto the soba master, and it
doesn't matter if you havesomebody there to translate it
for you or not, but kind ofimmersing yourself into the
experience and getting to knowthe essence of Japan.
I really enjoyed that, butbecause of the language, it was
(06:03):
very Especially the writtenJapanese.
It was very especially thewritten Japanese.
It was really hard for me.
So we part ways.
I went back to teaching fulltime and, yeah, seven I think
yeah seven years later or soTamaki reached out to me and,
funny enough, there's a story.
I don't think I told you guysyet, but there is a story behind
(06:24):
that.
Because after COVID I decidedthat I want to shift with my
career and I didn't really havea set plan B, but I just knew
that I cannot.
I was burned out after COVIDand the overtime hours working
in an international, at theinternational school, and I
signed my resignation andliterally within less than a
(06:46):
week, about four days or so,tamaki just randomly reached out
to me and we didn't.
We stayed in touch but we didn'treally exchange comments or
messages or you know.
We just followed each other orSNS.
And she said oh, I started thisproject and I have, you know, I
would like to propose aposition, are you available for
a meeting?
And I laughed.
I was like to propose aposition, are you available for
a meeting?
(07:06):
And I laughed.
I was like what a timing.
And of course I would love tohear.
And Planet Dow became exactly acombination of multiple factors
that I wanted to utilize, but Ijust never found a right place
to do so, so the timing wasperfect too.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
The universe maybe was conspiring to help you.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I think, so I like to laugh about it.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And it is such an inspiring project.
Thank you very much.
Part of today's podcast is tosupport what you're doing a
specific property that we'lltouch on later.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I appreciate that.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh no, not at all, and this is what I read or heard
about from Alex Kerr, author ofLost Japan.
He has this story about howlocal governments make all these
strange golden modern buildingsor things that look like
(08:04):
mosques, or these strangebuildings, thinking that will
attract tourism.
And it's as if they have noidea Foreigners are interested
in historic value andtraditional culture.
There's certainly obviously alot of tourists who like to go
to Tokyo and do all the touristythings, but there are many
(08:26):
tourists or many peopleinterested in Japan who want to
uncover the culture and godeeper.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Exactly.
I think one doesn't exclude theother.
You know, like I feel likecombination is best.
Or you either immerse yourselfor you do combination of the
touristy things together withtrying to understand and learn
about the culture so you canspeak on behalf of it and really
have, let's say, transforming,because Japan has this big
(08:54):
impact.
Of course, depending whereyou're from.
If you're from Asia, it will bedifferent, but for people like
me, from Europe, and I woulddare to say from people from
America as well, when you visitis very different to what we are
used to and by immersion I feellike you can really transform
the way you see the society andhow it works and you can get a
(09:14):
lot of inspiration fromembracing and being a part of
Japan, rather than just, youknow, going to places as bullet
points or checklist tourism thatI mentioned I totally agree,
yeah, so going going deeper and,I think, also connecting with
people.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
And you, you seem to have more opportunity, I think,
of connecting deeply when you goto these rural, rural areas.
Um, in the city it's as we knowthis there's just so much
tourism now and it's so busy,but that can certainly happen
too in in the cities.
(09:53):
So let's touch on your rolewith planet labs.
What do you do there?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
so, as you mentioned before, the community manager.
So I focus on communityengagement and the management of
all the people that we have asa part of our community.
So, basically, not onlybuilding but maintaining and the
inclusive factor of it.
Because we are very unique, wedo utilize the dowel structure,
(10:22):
which is a decentralized,autonomous organization
structure, meaning that we wantto involve our investors, which
I don't like calling investors.
I see everybody as owners orco-owners.
So we really want to developtrust and start initiatives such
as quests, and not only wherewe can actually dive together
(10:43):
into finding solutions andproviding the best service
possible.
So facilitating the transparentcommunication is one of my main
goals, not only between the teambut obviously between the
investors, but also the creativeside of it, such as writing
sub-stack articles or writingsome posts on LinkedIn or other
(11:05):
media platforms and reaching outto amazing individuals like you
who you know createopportunities for us to speak
further.
So, yeah, a little bit of thecontent creation and promotion.
And, yeah, I always say that Ilike to see myself also as the
creative problem solver.
Always say that I like to seemyself also as the creative
(11:28):
problem solver.
So, you know, I like to speakon behalf of the sustainable
living and the local engagementand the tourism aspect of it too
.
But my main focus is creatingthe community, creating and
maintaining the community, and Ialso try my best to.
Of course, everything is at thebaby stage, because we just
started the renovation is, youknow, we're going towards that
(11:49):
direction, but as a communitywe're still developing trust, I
think.
But I really hope that in thefuture, not only the decision
making and the safe space for,you know, having discussions as
a collective and utilizingeverybody's potential as an
individual because we have widevariety of individuals within
our community and I do reallyhope that in the future this
(12:12):
will lead to not only some kindof form of networking and
support on the individual level,but also, hopefully, some
friendships Like this is thelittle goal of mine that you
know, I know that you know Ialready somebody, um, yeah, our
other, uh, co-owner, but, um, Ihope that two people who didn't
know about each other at all,you know, will become friends,
(12:35):
and if they're across the worldor if they're on the same, the
same country, you know, doesn'tmatter.
But I'm patiently waiting andhoping for that moment when I
can hear that two people becamebest friends, you know thanks to
being a part of panandao Ithink it's possible and it
sounds like you're forming ane-bashall, which is one of my
(13:00):
favorite words and it's it'sactually a sub-theory of ikigai.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
It's like the social aspect of ikigai and there are
all these papers on ibasho, soit's become a psychological
concept.
It's also such a cool wordbecause it really just
translates to be you know yourplace to be or where you can fit
in.
So, yeah, it sounds like you'regiving the investors that
opportunity to contribute.
They have a voice and some caneven have a role and take
(13:28):
ownership of quests.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You're doing all this through emails, whatsapp,
monthly meetings, newsletters,weekly updates, linkedin, so
you're very busy.
But is that the goal?
Is it a goal to make it anybetter?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yes, it is Exactly.
I want this to be a safe spacefor everybody, where they can
have not only the psychologicalownership of the property but
also sense of purpose andbelonging to something greater,
and this collective aspect of ittoo.
Because as an individual too, Ifelt like at some point in my
(14:06):
life there were so many ideasand so many things that I wanted
to change or trigger a change,but I felt kind of like there
was no such a place for me to doso.
Like how can I utilize the factthat my stepfather runs a real
estate on top of you know mygrandma passing away right
before COVID, making me realizeabout the elderly in Japan,
(14:30):
making me think about itthroughout the COVID, and then
realizing that, oh, I focus somuch on the younger generation
but I want to support, you know,the elderly in Japan, and that
got me into a whole loop of youknow like not enough babies in
Japan and the aging society andall that.
But I just felt as an individualthat even though I have ideas,
(14:51):
like how can I create a change?
What can I do, you know, and Ihope that within our community
too, people I mean the, theco-owners will have a space
where their voice matters andthey won't feel like they're
little.
They can verbalize that, theycan utilize their expertise and
(15:11):
use the ideas to trigger achange.
With such a complex aspect andI feel like Planet DAO is
solving multiple issues withinJapan and providing a solution
on many layers within Japan andproviding a solution on like
many layers so I hope thatpeople can feel that it's a safe
space within the community forthem to verbalize and dream big.
(15:32):
That's what I want.
I want everybody to dream bigand be able to achieve something
together and on the individuallevel as well.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
There does seem to be a strong sense of unity coming
together, from what I see of theresponse just within WhatsApp.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You have some very active members who are very much
passionate about what you'redoing and get involved, so that
must be very fulfilling.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
It is.
I'm really happy to see that.
But I'm also very carefulbecause, obviously, like, we
want everybody to contribute,but I don't want to push anyone
out of their comfort zone or,like, push them to do something
when they're already striving tohave their own company or
working, you know, full time etcetera.
But I want to make sure thateverybody is welcomed whenever.
(16:24):
Whenever they have time, weshare the meetings and even if
you didn't participate in thebeginning, you can still be
involved in the solution-seekingsession.
And even if you're late, wedebrief every.
You know every individual and Ido feel fulfillment and also,
recently, just the fact thatsome people show up throughout
(16:46):
the month multiple times andthen you see the same faces and
they start to recognize eachother and I think, slowly we're
getting on the stage when peoplestart to recognize names, like,
oh, this person participated inthat meeting.
You know, so slowly we'regetting there.
You know so slowly we'regetting there and, yeah, I
(17:08):
really hope that one day it itwill be a really lively um
community where people reallyhave vivid discussions and um
feel safe to say their opinionsyeah, that's something very
special and I'm I'm confidentthat'll happen, so that's
something to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Thank you, yeah, and I guess that could lead to you
know, collaboration and allthese other opportunities.
I feel like there's definitelya bright future in what you're
doing, and I guess you validatedwhat you're doing with the
first property you saved.
(17:43):
So do you want to talk aboutthat property and how it felt to
get the funding and haveinvestors saying, yep, we'll
support you, we trust whatyou're doing, we believe in what
you're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Of course, it felt amazing.
It felt amazing.
It felt wonderful.
You know, from the verybeginning there was something
special about the Ryugonjitemple, and it's not just the
fact that it's our kickoff startfirst property.
No, it's not just the fact thatit's a first one.
I'm still trying to discover ifit's on a personal level, but I
(18:21):
don't think, after multiplevisits to the site, I feel like
it's not only on a personallevel.
There's something bigger andgreater about this property,
specifically in the localcommunity too.
So, to answer your question,from the very beginning I deeply
believed that it will happen.
I never doubted that this won'thappen.
I just kept on doing my job andreaching out to more people,
(18:44):
and at some point I didn't evenI try on purpose to avoid the
numbers and just keep on going,and I really hope that this will
be a success.
But to answer your question, Ithink I visited the Rekonji for
the first time in December and Ijoined the project in November
(19:05):
and I was still very fresh.
I was still trying tounderstand how is this going to
happen, what exactly are wedoing, what kind of community?
And back then I focused on thelocal community specifically.
So at that stage I also think Iwas going through a career
change.
So that's why I mentioned theindividual level, because I
thought maybe that's why it hadsuch a big impact on me the fact
(19:26):
that they ask about the food,not where I'm from, the fact
that they're so close togetherand the sense of serenity and
peace and unison.
You know, irokawa used to haveover 3,000 members.
Now it's really hard to findhow many of the actual residents
are registered, but it's around300 or 320.
(19:48):
And it's a very, I would dareto say, small community.
And actually Irokawa as avillage it's a word out of use.
It was merged with other area,but the local community still
uses the same name, they stillsay they're from Irokawa and
nothing has changed in theiridentity.
And I wanted to reallyunderstand why do they want to
(20:10):
save that specific property?
Why is it so important thatthey're able as a community?
Because you know there's a lotof skepticism for a project like
ours to just come, becausethere are many companies that
kind of invade the villages andthey just buy the property or
buy the land, you know, and theytransform the land without
(20:31):
really involving the localcommunity at all.
So I wanted to reallyunderstand that.
But the moment I visitedRyugonji, first of all, it's 170
years old and the bones arevery good.
It's kept very neatly, veryclean, so it was way better than
I thought.
When I looked at theinformation, you know, in the
documents, it wasn't what Iexpected at all, but then the
(20:55):
view, the view, the fact thatyou can see the whole village
and there is some sense of power.
You know I love hiking, andbeing on a hilltop like that
reminded me of this feeling ofwhen you hike through all the
stairs that are historic, youknow all the way up, and then
suddenly you feel such a senseof peace and it's so quiet and
(21:18):
your ears can rest, your eyescan rest with the green
surrounding the area.
There's something magical aboutit and very powerful, and I was
really happy to hear that weactually achieved the goal and
that we will be able totransform it and breathe the
fresh life into the bones of theproperty.
(21:40):
I hope that answers yourquestion.
I'm not sure I got toonostalgic.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
It's not just a property you're saving, you're
supporting a community, and isvery unique.
I think it's very unique in itsdesign too.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
There's some people who believe that there is some
correlation with that being usedas a shelter for, you know,
some royals.
There's no evidence, but thereis some historical evidence that
people you know had to separateand some of them actually did
end up seeking asylum or, youknow, running away towards that
area.
And that's why I said like youcan actually see the entire
(22:23):
village and you can see a littlebit of the sea and the sky is
just at night especially.
It's really, really charmingand it's very powerful, yet
peaceful and humbling, but alsoempowering at the same time.
So it's filled with thesecontrasts that really make you
feel something on the personallevel.
Perfect for retreats.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Yeah, the property itself sounds like any bash hole
.
And I mean, on the subject ofretreats, this does sound like
it ties back to the work you didwith Tamaki back in 2017 with
Inbound Tourism, so I guess thatis part of the plan.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yes, so we're going to utilize the funds, with the
collective consensus of theco-owners, to renovate the
property and then transform thatinto Airbnb, into rental
property.
So I hope we'll have a greaterimpact on a wide range of
individuals and hopefullyfamilies, and I hope there can
(23:24):
be some kind of retreats heldthat can utilize the potential
and the power of the place,because I feel like that's the
reason why it's so resilientuntil now, why it still stands,
why it's still there and why thelocal community sees so much
potential and importance intosaving it, so it serves for
future generations and, in theend, so it's quite special to
(23:46):
take people to a unique locationthat's not overrun with
tourists maybe you know remote,so it's a little bit harder to
get to but it has this uniquepersonality personality and then
it has this unique communitywith all these different
personalities.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yes, it also gives the community a chance to offer
something, and they feel goodabout that, so they can offer
these experiences.
I think we spoke about zazen orsober making.
Yes, whatever it is, and itgives them, it maintains their
role.
So you're helping to maintainthese roles, maybe even giving a
(24:27):
new role to people in thecommunity that they just would
struggle to maintain or wouldn'thave without what you're doing.
So it's, it's, yeah, it'sbigger than just saving a
property exactly which is reallyinspiring.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, thank you.
Have you heard the idea of theblue zones?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Yes, I have.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
The longevity right.
So this is my personal take onit, but that was the first
thought I had when I visitedthat Obviously a lot of people,
when it comes to Japan, theythink about Okinawa being the
blue zone.
It comes to Japan, they thinkabout Okinawa being the blue
(25:09):
zone, but I think Okinawa is themost commonly spoken of
longevity hub in Japan, let'ssay.
But there are other areas thatprovide longevity and have these
traditions that actually makepeople have the happy living,
happy, long, healthy living.
I felt like Irokoa is one ofthese places because I was
amazed to see, you know, peoplein their 70s to just climb these
(25:30):
stairs when me and Tamaki were,like you know, trying to go
through partially the excitement.
But I was like, wow, you know,they have no problem to climb up
.
And also that area is veryfamous for organic farming.
So that's one of the thingsthat I think.
And also the spring water.
They utilize the spring water.
(25:51):
So I still try to discover moredepth into why people live their
longer happier, why so manyU-turners and I-turners come
back to the place, even thoughthey were exposed to living
somewhere else, like Tokyo orKyoto.
Yet they still come back.
Or people visited once and thenthey fell in love and they
decided to buy a property thereand settle with their family.
(26:14):
There is something, there'sdefinitely something about it
and personally I really enjoyedthe fact that whenever we have a
meal, when we serve and getready together, I can hear the
story that this spinach is fromNani Nani-san over there and
these eggs are from this NaniNani-san that you spoke to
yesterday, and I just love it.
It makes food so much morenutritious.
(26:37):
Obviously it's nutritiousbecause it's organic and it's
all well-made and all that andit's fresh.
But I feel on the emotionallevel you know, food is love, so
I feel like it's just packedwith all that value and hands-on
commitment of the localcommunity that when you eat it
it's just the best.
It always feels like the bestmeal, the most fresh, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I guess that's something rare, so that would be
special.
When do you see the templebeing ready for people to to
rent?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
so we hope that in spring 2026 it will be ready.
Yeah, we hope it will be readyon time.
So right now we're in theprocess of finding the
construction companies and thearchitects to present, to have
some kind of consensus and getthem to make proposals so we can
(27:36):
present that and translateeverything for our co-owners so
we can collectively make adecision with which one we're
going to proceed with.
So we can collectively make adecision with which one we're
going to proceed with, and I'mreally excited to see the final
product and how it's going tolook.
It has so much potential andalso, I feel like there are many
ideas coming from our communitythat can be utilized, that will
(27:56):
give a personal, individual,special touch to the place.
Yeah, but we want to keep itauthentic, as authentic as
possible, and do it in a, let'ssay, symbiosis with the Japanese
culture and values.
At the moment, there is noconversation about turning that
into any I like to saykira-kira-pika-pika luxurious
(28:18):
comfort zone.
So we want to keep it authenticand the main problems right now
is the fact that there is noplumbing, and definitely that's
one of the main things we needto do and just make sure that
there's a special designatedroom.
The main room is kept very well, but the other rooms around it,
(28:39):
surrounding it need to berenovated in order for people to
stay there.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that happening yeah,
the people can go to yourwebsite and look at some of the
plans and ideas you have.
Yes, so we might touch on thesecond property and then maybe
we'll end on more of a personalnote about you know, yorikigai
and what you love about Japan,but the second property you have
(29:04):
is the Bamboo Forest House inHayama, kanagawa.
So do you want to talk aboutthat property?
Because that is, you're seekingfunding now, so our listeners
could, yeah, take part,ownership and invest in the
property, and that's somethingthey could do right now, till
(29:26):
the end of January 31st, and theideas you have for this bamboo
forest house is pretty exciting.
Of, course.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Thank you, nick.
So of course I would like toinvite everybody to be a part of
our community, if you'reinterested in such an initiative
and if you want to be part ofit.
We are in the middle of thefundraising for the second
property, so there's time untilJanuary 31st to apply.
We have 49 days remaining andit's being updated on our
(29:56):
website.
But Forest House is anotherspecial property.
I like to say that we, as aproject, consider a lot of
complicated cases that are veryhard for individuals to attain,
and I think Bamboo Forest Houseis one of perfect examples of
that, because so, first of all,it's 7,119 meters square of land
(30:19):
.
It's massive.
But within the property thereis not only the air raid shelter
from World War II and the IKEAitself, which is the abandoned I
like to say half abandoned,half neglected property that
obviously needs a renovation.
There is also a little shed andon top of that there is a
(30:39):
remaining agricultural part ofthe land where there used to be
the tanatas, the rice fields,the stair-like rice bodies, and
on top of that it's filled witha bamboo forest that needs a
constant maintenance.
So it's not only the forestthat you know locally needs a
lot of effort, but also theagricultural land on top of the
(31:02):
IKEA and some historic heritagesite included.
That's been untouched for years.
And one of the special aspectsof Hayama Bamboo House is that
Hayama is the surface hub.
Yeah, it's right near theKamakura and it's filled with
beaches and you know the chill,happy beach life, let's say.
(31:27):
And it's very famous for theSDGs, like they really take
sustainability seriously there,the residents.
But it's very interestingbecause the house itself it
feels like it's so secluded thatit's another property that just
gives you a sense of peace.
Whenever you enter there, justbecause the land is so massive,
(31:50):
once you're there, all you canhear is just your own thoughts
and the insects around and maybepeople that you're surrounded
by.
And I feel like for the this isjust my personal take on it, but
I really do feel like thiscould be a creator's help,
because very often we all need aspot to kind of I don't want to
say lock ourselves, becausethat's not a healthy word but
like we need a safe space that'squiet and peaceful.
(32:14):
Yet when we have everythingprovided, to kind of contemplate
on ourselves, or sometimesmaybe people want to, I don't
know start writing their book orwrite a business plan and they
just want to really dive into bythemselves, or I don't know,
start writing their book orwrite a business plan and they
just want to really dive into bythemselves, or I don't know,
find their ikigai and sit downwith their own thoughts, you
know, and really deeplycontemplate on that and have
this creative aspect of it thecontemplation, the meditation
(32:37):
and also the relaxation.
I think that's a perfectproperty and we do plan intent
into having a little path thatwill let you experience the
entire forest on top of air,open air bath and some sauna on
the property.
So I think that sounds good.
I want to visit.
What is that?
I want to?
Yeah, go immerse myself forfive days or maybe a week I've
(33:02):
seen your post renovation visionoh yeah, photos look amazing.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
it does seem like it's a place where you could
just go for like you taught it,like for this space and the
space to have peace of mind, andyou could go there and
essentially do nothing as well.
Yes, go there and contemplateon your next phase of your life,
(33:29):
or just get away from theartificial world and have some
time to breathe, so I might begoing there in a few years.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, let's go together and separately too.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Let's see what happens.
Let share, yeah, yeah, a veryinspiring.
So yeah, we will link to theproperty we and we'll put photos
on the show notes of theproperty, because this is, uh,
something that's special andit's quite affordable also to be
involved.
You're, you know, you'reseeking hundreds of dollars,
(34:10):
thousands of dollars.
So if you have a few hundreddollars or a few thousand
dollars, you can become aninvestor and contribute to this.
You know wonderful vision andand yeah, your own part of it.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So it's a place you can, you know, visit as well,
and I kind of love the idea thatthese properties also expose
people to places in japan theyprobably normally wouldn't go to
yes, exactly, there's a lot ofover tourism these days and I
(34:45):
don't want to dive into that toomuch, but I do think certain
regions that are very popularare not ready to handle all
these tourists, and the level ofEnglish from, you know, english
teachers perspective is justdisappointing, and I feel like
there is a big need for projectsto target the areas that are
(35:08):
not as famous yet accessible.
Of course, you know Rio Grandeis right next to Kumano Kodo
Pilgrimage Road.
Hayama is also recognized, youknow surface and it's famous for
a lot of marine sports etcetera, and it's very recognized
.
But I think these places arerecognized by people who live
here a little bit more Like.
(35:30):
Hayama is a place I used to goto because she was too busy or a
little bit too dirty and toomany parties going there.
So, personally, before weactually decided on that
property, I used to go thereevery year to just take a walk
by the coast and it felt morepeaceful and not as packed and
you can see a lot of families.
Of course it depends when yougo, but yeah, so it really is
(35:52):
offering a different experience.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
And you can, as I said, you can be part of that
and invest and make it happenout of the creation of this
vision.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
So we've talked about all of you know this ambitious
project that you're a part of.
But let's get a bit personaland maybe we touch on your Iki
Gai and what you love aboutJapan and Japanese culture.
So, as we've mentioned, youhave lived in Japan for half
your life.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yes, it's a long time .
I still don't believe it.
When I realized it was a halfearlier this year, I was like,
really that kind of feels like amilestone.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Yeah, it is a milestone.
So what do you love about Japanand Japanese culture?
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Oh, there are many aspects, but I think I can try
to pinpoint maybe three main.
As for my ikigai, I always wantto become the bridge between
the Japanese and the foreign,just because I'm always in the
sweet middle and I learned howto live that way.
So I understand the Japanese,but I never will be Japanese, no
(37:08):
matter if I live here for twothirds of my life.
It won't happen.
And I was born and raised inthe heart of Europe.
So I have that aspect of me,but I kind of ended up somewhere
in the middle.
So I have understanding of both, I have respect of both and
love for both.
So I try to utilize all mystrengths into becoming the
(37:30):
bridge for people to safely gothrough and have understanding
and respect.
And I always say that you knowJapan has so much to offer.
And I do speak about thenegative sides of Japan too,
because I feel like, after allthis you know experience that I
had I have a right to do so, butI only speak on behalf of
(37:50):
things that actually try to makea change, so noticing the
things but instead of hating or,like you know, I do say that
occasionally you know I have alove-hate relationship with
Japan.
It depends sometimes, but therespect factor, I think it's
what bridges the cultures andthe generations and the world
itself.
So I think one thing that Ilike is the collective unison of
(38:15):
the society, which is very notvery, but it's different from
what I've grown with.
So, you know, the collectiveunison in Japan is, I think,
rooted in the concept of wa,which is the harmony and the
giri, the social obligation ofdoing things.
So there is a strong emphasison the individuals as a
(38:35):
collective being the part of thesociety with the mutual respect
and the maintenance and balanceis very important.
So people very often refrainfrom being direct.
People try to be politicallycorrect, let's say, or they try
to limit the directconfrontation.
(38:56):
And that's somethinginteresting because, you know,
this manifests in the everydaylife from, like public transport
, when you're, I don't know,trying to get on the metro, or,
for me, because of the Fukushimayou know, the whole coordinated
disaster response.
I feel like this, actually,this collective unison, really
(39:16):
does matter a lot for a countrylike Japan, not only for the
individuals, but also for thesafety of all, because we are
living on an island that isfilled with volcanoes and
earthquakes and tsunamis and allthat.
But I feel like this mentalityis very beautiful, but it's
important to notice howdifferent it is from the other
(39:38):
countries.
And here's my second point thatI like about Japan, which is the
contrast between European slashSlavic culture, because there
are some similarities.
We are very family oriented,but I feel like the individual,
the sense of individual, is waystronger and we value the
traditions but we don't have asa strong obligation sometimes
(40:03):
and collectively the sense ofindividual comes out sometimes
in situations that create otherconflict other than you know the
harmony, and sometimes I feellike we should have a little bit
more collective aspect inSlavic and European cultures and
find the middle spot, you know,find the middle spot, you know.
(40:31):
So I like the fact that Japan,as drastic as it was for me as
an individual, I feel like Ihave the exposure to both sides.
So from this touchy, huggykissy, you know no private space
, let's say, you know cultureall the way to bowing and
respecting everybody's space andturning around on a train to
make sure that you don't offendsomebody and being aware of the
(40:52):
eye contact, while in you knowslavic culture you do make eye
contact because it's a part ofhow we communicate quite often.
So I feel like I really likethe fact that japan kind of
opened my eyes that there is notone correct way to do things,
it's the mixture and, dependingon the situation, for the again
(41:13):
best of all it's important to do.
Of course, it's important tohave the sense of individual, as
we do have in Slavic culturesand in Europe, and not only, but
to the extent be aware thatsometimes it's not worth it.
Sometimes it's better toprioritize the harmony rather
than the individual in order tocreate a safe space for
(41:34):
everybody.
So, not only the earthquakesbut other situations you know.
And lastly, it's of course theomotenashi in Japan.
You know the hospitality I feellike whoever comes to Japan
senses the emphasis on themindfulness and also the respect
and the social interactionsbeing aligned with people's own
(41:56):
values, and the customer serviceis just exceptional.
You know, when you get toexperience being in Japan, when
you go everywhere else, I'm yetto see somebody welcoming me
with a smile in the immediateirashimase you know somewhere
else.
So, yeah, I like these threeparts the most.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah, I can relate to all of them, I totally agree.
And then with Japanese, as weboth know, they have these
unique terms or words that areuntranslatable, or concepts we
understand but we don't have oneword to articulate.
And obviously one of thesewords is ikigai and, as you know
(42:41):
, japanese don't really talkabout ikigai and it's usually
something quite private, but ithas also become this
psychological concept and verypopular now in the west.
Do you remember beingintroduced to the word, or did
you hear it often growing up injapan, or what's your kind of
(43:02):
history or relationship withikigai?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
so, going all the way back, I think the first time I
found out about Ikigai wasdefinitely not from a Japanese
person, definitely not throughmy symbiosis with the culture
and, you know, being in a schoolenvironment.
I think it was sometime in myearly 20s when I realized the
power of.
First, I started to do yogabecause I did teach English
(43:28):
through sports.
So I got interested in yoga andthat kind of naturally led
towards me being interested inmeditation in general and then
discovering different types ofmeditation and touching upon the
concept of mindfulnessmeditation on top of Zazen and
others, and somehow, you know,when you dive into that pot.
(43:49):
Let's say, ikigai is somethingthat shows up in english a lot.
But before I speak on my ikigai, I would like to hear your
definition of ikigai, because Ifeel like there's so much income
, like misconception around theinternet and, depending on the
source, I mean, you see thediagram everywhere and some of
(44:10):
them are too colorful and I'mnot sure if if that's exactly
what it is.
So maybe if we could defineyour definition of it so I can
understand the question.
Because, yeah, again, it's justa very wide concept and I think
there's a lot of misconceptionaround it, especially now.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Absolutely yeah.
So I always like to refer toMiiko Kamiya, who I like to
refer to as the mother of Ikigai, and she was a pioneer
researcher on the concept.
She wrote this amazing book inthe 1960s and had very unusual
(44:49):
but amazing life.
And so in her book she says youhave ikigai sources, which
could be your hobbies,relationships, roles yes.
And then you have ikigai kan,which is the emotional feeling
that these objects or people orexperiences give you.
So it's very subjective, but Ithink it's often tied to your
(45:12):
social world.
So it's usually a relationshipwith someone, a role you have,
yes, or being part of, perhaps acommunity or an e-bash hall.
But then it can be thesesmaller things like ken moggy
talks about.
So it can be just enjoying yourmorning cup of coffee or your
(45:35):
favorite music or going to alive band, and then it can even
be a coping mechanism.
And you know some japanese willsay well, drinking or smoking
cigarettes is my key guy,because it helps me get through
the week.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
No me kay.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Yeah, but I mean, I think it's obviously something
you know positive andlife-affirming, and for me it's
you know, it's definitely mywork, but my work's very social,
so it's doing stuff like thisand making new friendships, and
(46:11):
so we'll, you know, we'llprobably have some form of
friendship in the future throughwhat we're doing.
Yes, and I really value thatand that makes my life worth
living, and today my day is morefulfilling because we've had
this conversation, and if wehadn't had this conversation I
probably would have done.
You know, just work I'm notreally interested in.
So I think, yeah, you havesomething in your life that
(46:33):
makes you feel life is worthliving, and that could be a
conversation, a hug, pursuingyour hobby, but it's something
you feel, so I don't know ifthat's helped.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
It did, it did, thank you.
So I think I'm still in theprocess of kind of finding a
strong definition of what myIkigai is, but I think it's a
mixture of, again, possiblythree things.
One thing that's reallyimportant to me is being the
bridge and engaging with otherpeople, which means, simply, I
(47:12):
think I get a lot of joy frommeeting new people and talking
to new people and just kind ofsharing experiences, and not
only my own, but this balance oflistening and talking, because
I'm a constant learner and Ireally do have a strong identity
of that.
I feel like I don't understandthe concept of boredom.
(47:35):
There's always something youcan learn from and I feel like
if you have this the ability tomeet a lot of new people and
listen to them and learn fromthem, but also share what you
have learned and things that youvalue these conversations is
one of the most joyful and thestrong points of my existence.
(47:55):
I thrive on that and it's veryimportant, although I do have
this duality in me, because ifI'm exposed, I'm 60% extroverted
, 40% introverted, apparently,and if I'm exposed to a lot of
these conversations for aprolonged time, I do need to
look inwards for a day and I'verealized that it's a pattern
(48:18):
that I'm going through.
So that's connected to thesecond point, which is this
concept of slow living withintention.
It's very important to me andit's connected to the third part
, which is living in thisrespect and balance with nature.
So being conscious of how muchyou take and how much you give.
(48:39):
And, yes, I'm one of thesepeople who, you know, feed stray
cats and adopted and rescuedtwo cats from Nara who were
interrupting earlier in thepodcast.
And I'm one of these people wholike to walk barefoot, grow my
own herbs in a patio and we tryto, let's say, give to the
nature and be aware of how muchI take and just live.
(49:05):
A slow living sometimes have areally bad connotation, but it
doesn't mean that you're beinglazy, it's just you.
Actually, when you the cup ofcoffee that you mentioned
earlier, you know it's just notjust having a coffee because
it's a part of your routine, buthaving days when you actually
sit down and you notice thetaste, the temperature, the
(49:26):
smell.
You notice the cup, the textureof the cup and how the
temperature affects your handsand what kind of sensation it
gives you.
I feel like this is anotherIkigai of mine, on top of giving
.
Being able to slow down andgive to myself Does that make
(49:46):
sense?
Speaker 1 (49:50):
No, it makes sense and I can relate to all of them,
especially the.
You know making making newfriends, and it's such a joy
when you connect with someone,you have this conversation and
you yes you have this new personmaybe in your life, and you
never know what that can lead to.
So so I feel that with youwe're sort of now friends.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Yes, thank you, nick, I'm so happy.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
I think this is our second conversation, but I'm
really inspired by what you doand your journey.
Likewise Really want to supportwhat you're doing.
So where can people go ifthey're interested in becoming
an investor for the BambooForest House?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Our website.
If you search forplanetdollworld, you can find
all the information.
If you'd like to, you know ifyou're on LinkedIn, you can also
find us on LinkedIn.
We have a page over there.
If you have any questions, feelfree to just search for my name
, connect with me there andshoot a message.
And yeah, I would love towelcome new people to our
(50:53):
community.
I'm actually looking forward tostarting the second community
and I think it will be veryinteresting to see how one
community is different from theother and exploring the needs
and getting to know individualslike you on a deeper level and
becoming friends.
So I guess I reached a goalhere.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
And you're doing a wonderful job too.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Thank you, I try.
Speaker 1 (51:17):
Really inspiring and you really care about this and
you do it with grace intention.
Thank you.
Aw, love.
So yeah, let's get this secondproperty funded.
Yes, and you're going to havedouble the workload, with two
communities to look after.
Speaker 2 (51:39):
Two babies to look after.
Let's see, let's see, awesome,monica.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
Thank you so much.
Yeah, and I'm sure we'll meetin Japan.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Yes, I'm looking forward to it.
Let me know when and I'll bethere.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Okay, awesome.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (51:56):
Yeah, thank you for having me.
But is that the goal?
Is it a goal to make it anybetter?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yes, it is Exactly.
I want this to be a safe spacefor everybody, where they can
have not only the psychologicalownership of the property, but
also sense of purpose andbelonging to something greater
and this collective aspect of ittoo.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Find your Ikigai at ikigaitribecom.
My guest today on episode 94 ofthe Ikigai podcast is Monica
Stadkovic, the community managerof Planet Labs, and on episode
93, the previous episode, Ispoke with Tamaki Nishimura,
founder and CEO of Planet Labs,an organization that specializes
(00:59):
in transforming iconicproperties across Japan into
unique vacation rentals, withthis focus on cultural
preservation and fosteringpartnerships with local
communities, which is a reallyexciting project.
And, monica, you were meant tojoin us on that episode but you
were sick, so it's good to nowsee you that you're better.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, my apologies.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
That's fine.
Thank you, Nick.
So welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Let's start with a bit of background, because you
do have an interesting life andbackground.
Please share.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, first of all, thank you very much for this
opportunity, nick, and thank youfor understanding and allowing
me to be here.
I'm really excited.
And yeah, I guess you can sayso.
I'm not a typical person whowas fascinated by Japanese
culture or language per se andended up being here by choice.
So I was born and raised inPoland, but my mom has been
(01:55):
connected with Japan since 90sand later on.
She was fortunate enough toremarry with the Japanese when I
was around seven.
She was fortunate enough toremarry with the Japanese when I
was around seven, so I spent myvacation in Japan and then,
soon enough, when I was ateenager, at the rebellious 16,
I relocated to Japan with nointerest in Japan and not really
(02:18):
any, to be honest.
No language capacity.
I couldn't say hello, my nameis Monica and count from one to
10.
There's no language capacity.
I could say hello, my name isMonica and count from one to 10.
And I needed to learn how tonavigate the third culture
identity.
But I wasn't a typical thirdculture child, so it was also
challenging because it wasn'tlike I was in elementary school
(02:40):
and our house was very mixed, sooutside we would speak Japanese
, at home we would speak Polishonly and we relocated with my
grandma too.
So, yeah, I don't want to gointo too much details, but I
kind of learned about Japan in areversed manner, meaning that
first I was rebellious and Imissed everything about my
(03:00):
homeland, so I kind of hatedeverything here.
So I needed to learn how tofall in love with Japan and how
to, um, I think first I startedto respect the culture and I
started to realize, um, thepositive sides of it and then
slowly I started to fall in love, some around, some sometime in
my twenties, when I actuallystarted to work here and I used
(03:24):
to teach English.
I love kids.
My stepsister is Japanese, soit was very interesting to see
how Japan affected me and howPoland and Japan affected her
growing, and that kind ofinspired me to become a teacher.
But then the COVID hit and thatwas about a decade of me being
a teacher and I kind of wantedto try new things and expand my,
(03:46):
let's say, impact further, andthat's how I ended up with
Planet Dao.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I see.
So yeah, I mean that's quite aunique experience to move to a
country where you can't speakthe language, you don't
understand the culture, you'renot really understandably
interested in the culture,you've lost your home, your
friends, everything you've knownyes, yeah, and then adjust to
(04:12):
it and then be part of a blendedfamily too.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then go through your childhood and then your
teenage years would be.
That's challenging enoughwithout all that complication.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
But it sounds like now you've found your place in
Japan, especially with the workthat you now do.
Yes, so, how did you getinvolved with Planet Labs?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I always say by luck, which is true, luck, which is
true.
Well, um, in 2017, I had apleasure to work for the inbound
tourism agency owned by gayaksat that time, and that's exactly
where I met tamaki.
So I was a customer servicerepresentative and, um, it was
(05:00):
very early in my 20s.
So, to to be very honest, Ithink I wasn't ready, especially
when it comes to my Japanesecapacity, because I had to
utilize both languages and youknow, keigo, the honorific
language, can be sometimes verychallenging, and I was still
kind of polishing my English tooat that time.
(05:20):
So it was a little bitchallenging, but I really
enjoyed it.
I realized that I enjoyconnecting with people.
I really liked the fact that Icould be very deep into the
crafts and I call it essentialtourism, which is not just going
to Harajuku taking pictures ortaking selfie with Hachiko in
(05:42):
Shibuya Crossing or that kind ofthing, but actually going to
make soba from scratch and talkto the soba master, and it
doesn't matter if you havesomebody there to translate it
for you or not, but kind ofimmersing yourself into the
experience and getting to knowthe essence of Japan.
I really enjoyed that, butbecause of the language, it was
(06:03):
very Especially the writtenJapanese.
It was very especially thewritten Japanese.
It was really hard for me.
So we part ways.
I went back to teaching fulltime and, yeah, seven I think
yeah seven years later or soTamaki reached out to me and,
funny enough, there's a story.
I don't think I told you guysyet, but there is a story behind
(06:24):
that.
Because after COVID I decidedthat I want to shift with my
career and I didn't really havea set plan B, but I just knew
that I cannot.
I was burned out after COVIDand the overtime hours working
in an international, at theinternational school, and I
signed my resignation andliterally within less than a
(06:46):
week, about four days or so,tamaki just randomly reached out
to me and we didn't.
We stayed in touch but we didn'treally exchange comments or
messages or you know.
We just followed each other orSNS.
And she said oh, I started thisproject and I have, you know, I
would like to propose aposition, are you available for
a meeting?
And I laughed.
I was like to propose aposition, are you available for
a meeting?
(07:06):
And I laughed.
I was like what a timing.
And of course I would love tohear.
And Planet Dow became exactly acombination of multiple factors
that I wanted to utilize, but Ijust never found a right place
to do so, so the timing wasperfect too.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
The universe maybe was conspiring to help you.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I think, so I like to laugh about it.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And it is such an inspiring project.
Thank you very much.
Part of today's podcast is tosupport what you're doing a
specific property that we'lltouch on later.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I appreciate that.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh no, not at all, and this is what I read or heard
about from Alex Kerr, author ofLost Japan.
He has this story about howlocal governments make all these
strange golden modern buildingsor things that look like
(08:04):
mosques, or these strangebuildings, thinking that will
attract tourism.
And it's as if they have noidea Foreigners are interested
in historic value andtraditional culture.
There's certainly obviously alot of tourists who like to go
to Tokyo and do all the touristythings, but there are many
(08:26):
tourists or many peopleinterested in Japan who want to
uncover the culture and godeeper.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Exactly.
I think one doesn't exclude theother.
You know, like I feel likecombination is best.
Or you either immerse yourselfor you do combination of the
touristy things together withtrying to understand and learn
about the culture so you canspeak on behalf of it and really
have, let's say, transforming,because Japan has this big
(08:54):
impact.
Of course, depending whereyou're from.
If you're from Asia, it will bedifferent, but for people like
me, from Europe, and I woulddare to say from people from
America as well, when you visitis very different to what we are
used to and by immersion I feellike you can really transform
the way you see the society andhow it works and you can get a
(09:14):
lot of inspiration fromembracing and being a part of
Japan, rather than just, youknow, going to places as bullet
points or checklist tourism thatI mentioned I totally agree,
yeah, so going going deeper and,I think, also connecting with
people.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
And you, you seem to have more opportunity, I think,
of connecting deeply when you goto these rural, rural areas.
Um, in the city it's as we knowthis there's just so much
tourism now and it's so busy,but that can certainly happen
too in in the cities.
(09:53):
So let's touch on your rolewith planet labs.
What do you do there?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
so, as you mentioned before, the community manager.
So I focus on communityengagement and the management of
all the people that we have asa part of our community.
So, basically, not onlybuilding but maintaining and the
inclusive factor of it.
Because we are very unique, wedo utilize the dowel structure,
(10:22):
which is a decentralized,autonomous organization
structure, meaning that we wantto involve our investors, which
I don't like calling investors.
I see everybody as owners orco-owners.
So we really want to developtrust and start initiatives such
as quests, and not only wherewe can actually dive together
(10:43):
into finding solutions andproviding the best service
possible.
So facilitating the transparentcommunication is one of my main
goals, not only between the teambut obviously between the
investors, but also the creativeside of it, such as writing
sub-stack articles or writingsome posts on LinkedIn or other
(11:05):
media platforms and reaching outto amazing individuals like you
who you know createopportunities for us to speak
further.
So, yeah, a little bit of thecontent creation and promotion.
And, yeah, I always say that Ilike to see myself also as the
creative problem solver.
Always say that I like to seemyself also as the creative
(11:28):
problem solver.
So, you know, I like to speakon behalf of the sustainable
living and the local engagementand the tourism aspect of it too
.
But my main focus is creatingthe community, creating and
maintaining the community, and Ialso try my best to.
Of course, everything is at thebaby stage, because we just
started the renovation is, youknow, we're going towards that
(11:49):
direction, but as a communitywe're still developing trust, I
think.
But I really hope that in thefuture, not only the decision
making and the safe space for,you know, having discussions as
a collective and utilizingeverybody's potential as an
individual because we have widevariety of individuals within
our community and I do reallyhope that in the future this
(12:12):
will lead to not only some kindof form of networking and
support on the individual level,but also, hopefully, some
friendships Like this is thelittle goal of mine that you
know, I know that you know Ialready somebody, um, yeah, our
other, uh, co-owner, but, um, Ihope that two people who didn't
know about each other at all,you know, will become friends,
(12:35):
and if they're across the worldor if they're on the same, the
same country, you know, doesn'tmatter.
But I'm patiently waiting andhoping for that moment when I
can hear that two people becamebest friends, you know thanks to
being a part of panandao Ithink it's possible and it
sounds like you're forming ane-bashall, which is one of my
(13:00):
favorite words and it's it'sactually a sub-theory of ikigai.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
It's like the social aspect of ikigai and there are
all these papers on ibasho, soit's become a psychological
concept.
It's also such a cool wordbecause it really just
translates to be you know yourplace to be or where you can fit
in.
So, yeah, it sounds like you'regiving the investors that
opportunity to contribute.
They have a voice and some caneven have a role and take
(13:28):
ownership of quests.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You're doing all this through emails, whatsapp,
monthly meetings, newsletters,weekly updates, linkedin, so
you're very busy.
But is that the goal?
Is it a goal to make it anybetter?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yes, it is Exactly.
I want this to be a safe spacefor everybody, where they can
have not only the psychologicalownership of the property but
also sense of purpose andbelonging to something greater,
and this collective aspect of ittoo.
Because as an individual too, Ifelt like at some point in my
(14:06):
life there were so many ideasand so many things that I wanted
to change or trigger a change,but I felt kind of like there
was no such a place for me to doso.
Like how can I utilize the factthat my stepfather runs a real
estate on top of you know mygrandma passing away right
before COVID, making me realizeabout the elderly in Japan,
(14:30):
making me think about itthroughout the COVID, and then
realizing that, oh, I focus somuch on the younger generation
but I want to support, you know,the elderly in Japan, and that
got me into a whole loop of youknow like not enough babies in
Japan and the aging society andall that.
But I just felt as an individualthat even though I have ideas,
(14:51):
like how can I create a change?
What can I do, you know, and Ihope that within our community
too, people I mean the, theco-owners will have a space
where their voice matters andthey won't feel like they're
little.
They can verbalize that, theycan utilize their expertise and
(15:11):
use the ideas to trigger achange.
With such a complex aspect andI feel like Planet DAO is
solving multiple issues withinJapan and providing a solution
on many layers within Japan andproviding a solution on like
many layers so I hope thatpeople can feel that it's a safe
space within the community forthem to verbalize and dream big.
(15:32):
That's what I want.
I want everybody to dream bigand be able to achieve something
together and on the individuallevel as well.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
There does seem to be a strong sense of unity coming
together, from what I see of theresponse just within WhatsApp.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
You have some very active members who are very much
passionate about what you'redoing and get involved, so that
must be very fulfilling.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
It is.
I'm really happy to see that.
But I'm also very carefulbecause, obviously, like, we
want everybody to contribute,but I don't want to push anyone
out of their comfort zone or,like, push them to do something
when they're already striving tohave their own company or
working, you know, full time etcetera.
But I want to make sure thateverybody is welcomed whenever.
(16:24):
Whenever they have time, weshare the meetings and even if
you didn't participate in thebeginning, you can still be
involved in the solution-seekingsession.
And even if you're late, wedebrief every.
You know every individual and Ido feel fulfillment and also,
recently, just the fact thatsome people show up throughout
(16:46):
the month multiple times andthen you see the same faces and
they start to recognize eachother and I think, slowly we're
getting on the stage when peoplestart to recognize names, like,
oh, this person participated inthat meeting.
You know, so slowly we'regetting there.
You know so slowly we'regetting there and, yeah, I
(17:08):
really hope that one day it itwill be a really lively um
community where people reallyhave vivid discussions and um
feel safe to say their opinionsyeah, that's something very
special and I'm I'm confidentthat'll happen, so that's
something to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Thank you, yeah, and I guess that could lead to you
know, collaboration and allthese other opportunities.
I feel like there's definitelya bright future in what you're
doing, and I guess you validatedwhat you're doing with the
first property you saved.
(17:43):
So do you want to talk aboutthat property and how it felt to
get the funding and haveinvestors saying, yep, we'll
support you, we trust whatyou're doing, we believe in what
you're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Of course, it felt amazing.
It felt amazing.
It felt wonderful.
You know, from the verybeginning there was something
special about the Ryugonjitemple, and it's not just the
fact that it's our kickoff startfirst property.
No, it's not just the fact thatit's a first one.
I'm still trying to discover ifit's on a personal level, but I
(18:21):
don't think, after multiplevisits to the site, I feel like
it's not only on a personallevel.
There's something bigger andgreater about this property,
specifically in the localcommunity too.
So, to answer your question,from the very beginning I deeply
believed that it will happen.
I never doubted that this won'thappen.
I just kept on doing my job andreaching out to more people,
(18:44):
and at some point I didn't evenI try on purpose to avoid the
numbers and just keep on going,and I really hope that this will
be a success.
But to answer your question, Ithink I visited the Rekonji for
the first time in December and Ijoined the project in November
(19:05):
and I was still very fresh.
I was still trying tounderstand how is this going to
happen, what exactly are wedoing, what kind of community?
And back then I focused on thelocal community specifically.
So at that stage I also think Iwas going through a career
change.
So that's why I mentioned theindividual level, because I
thought maybe that's why it hadsuch a big impact on me the fact
(19:26):
that they ask about the food,not where I'm from, the fact
that they're so close togetherand the sense of serenity and
peace and unison.
You know, irokawa used to haveover 3,000 members.
Now it's really hard to findhow many of the actual residents
are registered, but it's around300 or 320.
(19:48):
And it's a very, I would dareto say, small community.
And actually Irokawa as avillage it's a word out of use.
It was merged with other area,but the local community still
uses the same name, they stillsay they're from Irokawa and
nothing has changed in theiridentity.
And I wanted to reallyunderstand why do they want to
(20:10):
save that specific property?
Why is it so important thatthey're able as a community?
Because you know there's a lotof skepticism for a project like
ours to just come, becausethere are many companies that
kind of invade the villages andthey just buy the property or
buy the land, you know, and theytransform the land without
(20:31):
really involving the localcommunity at all.
So I wanted to reallyunderstand that.
But the moment I visitedRyugonji, first of all, it's 170
years old and the bones arevery good.
It's kept very neatly, veryclean, so it was way better than
I thought.
When I looked at theinformation, you know, in the
documents, it wasn't what Iexpected at all, but then the
(20:55):
view, the view, the fact thatyou can see the whole village
and there is some sense of power.
You know I love hiking, andbeing on a hilltop like that
reminded me of this feeling ofwhen you hike through all the
stairs that are historic, youknow all the way up, and then
suddenly you feel such a senseof peace and it's so quiet and
(21:18):
your ears can rest, your eyescan rest with the green
surrounding the area.
There's something magical aboutit and very powerful, and I was
really happy to hear that weactually achieved the goal and
that we will be able totransform it and breathe the
fresh life into the bones of theproperty.
(21:40):
I hope that answers yourquestion.
I'm not sure I got toonostalgic.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
It's not just a property you're saving, you're
supporting a community, and isvery unique.
I think it's very unique in itsdesign too.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
There's some people who believe that there is some
correlation with that being usedas a shelter for, you know,
some royals.
There's no evidence, but thereis some historical evidence that
people you know had to separateand some of them actually did
end up seeking asylum or, youknow, running away towards that
area.
And that's why I said like youcan actually see the entire
(22:23):
village and you can see a littlebit of the sea and the sky is
just at night especially.
It's really, really charmingand it's very powerful, yet
peaceful and humbling, but alsoempowering at the same time.
So it's filled with thesecontrasts that really make you
feel something on the personallevel.
Perfect for retreats.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Yeah, the property itself sounds like any bash hole
.
And I mean, on the subject ofretreats, this does sound like
it ties back to the work you didwith Tamaki back in 2017 with
Inbound Tourism, so I guess thatis part of the plan.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yes, so we're going to utilize the funds, with the
collective consensus of theco-owners, to renovate the
property and then transform thatinto Airbnb, into rental
property.
So I hope we'll have a greaterimpact on a wide range of
individuals and hopefullyfamilies, and I hope there can
(23:24):
be some kind of retreats heldthat can utilize the potential
and the power of the place,because I feel like that's the
reason why it's so resilientuntil now, why it still stands,
why it's still there and why thelocal community sees so much
potential and importance intosaving it, so it serves for
future generations and, in theend, so it's quite special to
(23:46):
take people to a unique locationthat's not overrun with
tourists maybe you know remote,so it's a little bit harder to
get to but it has this uniquepersonality personality and then
it has this unique communitywith all these different
personalities.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yes, it also gives the community a chance to offer
something, and they feel goodabout that, so they can offer
these experiences.
I think we spoke about zazen orsober making.
Yes, whatever it is, and itgives them, it maintains their
role.
So you're helping to maintainthese roles, maybe even giving a
(24:27):
new role to people in thecommunity that they just would
struggle to maintain or wouldn'thave without what you're doing.
So it's, it's, yeah, it'sbigger than just saving a
property exactly which is reallyinspiring.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, thank you.
Have you heard the idea of theblue zones?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Yes, I have.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
The longevity right.
So this is my personal take onit, but that was the first
thought I had when I visitedthat Obviously a lot of people,
when it comes to Japan, theythink about Okinawa being the
blue zone.
It comes to Japan, they thinkabout Okinawa being the blue
(25:09):
zone, but I think Okinawa is themost commonly spoken of
longevity hub in Japan, let'ssay.
But there are other areas thatprovide longevity and have these
traditions that actually makepeople have the happy living,
happy, long, healthy living.
I felt like Irokoa is one ofthese places because I was
amazed to see, you know, peoplein their 70s to just climb these
(25:30):
stairs when me and Tamaki were,like you know, trying to go
through partially the excitement.
But I was like, wow, you know,they have no problem to climb up
.
And also that area is veryfamous for organic farming.
So that's one of the thingsthat I think.
And also the spring water.
They utilize the spring water.
(25:51):
So I still try to discover moredepth into why people live their
longer happier, why so manyU-turners and I-turners come
back to the place, even thoughthey were exposed to living
somewhere else, like Tokyo orKyoto.
Yet they still come back.
Or people visited once and thenthey fell in love and they
decided to buy a property thereand settle with their family.
(26:14):
There is something, there'sdefinitely something about it
and personally I really enjoyedthe fact that whenever we have a
meal, when we serve and getready together, I can hear the
story that this spinach is fromNani Nani-san over there and
these eggs are from this NaniNani-san that you spoke to
yesterday, and I just love it.
It makes food so much morenutritious.
(26:37):
Obviously it's nutritiousbecause it's organic and it's
all well-made and all that andit's fresh.
But I feel on the emotionallevel you know, food is love, so
I feel like it's just packedwith all that value and hands-on
commitment of the localcommunity that when you eat it
it's just the best.
It always feels like the bestmeal, the most fresh, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I guess that's something rare, so that would be
special.
When do you see the templebeing ready for people to to
rent?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
so we hope that in spring 2026 it will be ready.
Yeah, we hope it will be readyon time.
So right now we're in theprocess of finding the
construction companies and thearchitects to present, to have
some kind of consensus and getthem to make proposals so we can
(27:36):
present that and translateeverything for our co-owners so
we can collectively make adecision with which one we're
going to proceed with.
So we can collectively make adecision with which one we're
going to proceed with, and I'mreally excited to see the final
product and how it's going tolook.
It has so much potential andalso, I feel like there are many
ideas coming from our communitythat can be utilized, that will
(27:56):
give a personal, individual,special touch to the place.
Yeah, but we want to keep itauthentic, as authentic as
possible, and do it in a, let'ssay, symbiosis with the Japanese
culture and values.
At the moment, there is noconversation about turning that
into any I like to saykira-kira-pika-pika luxurious
(28:18):
comfort zone.
So we want to keep it authenticand the main problems right now
is the fact that there is noplumbing, and definitely that's
one of the main things we needto do and just make sure that
there's a special designatedroom.
The main room is kept very well, but the other rooms around it,
(28:39):
surrounding it need to berenovated in order for people to
stay there.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that happening yeah,
the people can go to yourwebsite and look at some of the
plans and ideas you have.
Yes, so we might touch on thesecond property and then maybe
we'll end on more of a personalnote about you know, yorikigai
and what you love about Japan,but the second property you have
(29:04):
is the Bamboo Forest House inHayama, kanagawa.
So do you want to talk aboutthat property?
Because that is, you're seekingfunding now, so our listeners
could, yeah, take part,ownership and invest in the
property, and that's somethingthey could do right now, till
(29:26):
the end of January 31st, and theideas you have for this bamboo
forest house is pretty exciting.
Of, course.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Thank you, nick.
So of course I would like toinvite everybody to be a part of
our community, if you'reinterested in such an initiative
and if you want to be part ofit.
We are in the middle of thefundraising for the second
property, so there's time untilJanuary 31st to apply.
We have 49 days remaining andit's being updated on our
(29:56):
website.
But Forest House is anotherspecial property.
I like to say that we, as aproject, consider a lot of
complicated cases that are veryhard for individuals to attain,
and I think Bamboo Forest Houseis one of perfect examples of
that, because so, first of all,it's 7,119 meters square of land
(30:19):
.
It's massive.
But within the property thereis not only the air raid shelter
from World War II and the IKEAitself, which is the abandoned I
like to say half abandoned,half neglected property that
obviously needs a renovation.
There is also a little shed andon top of that there is a
(30:39):
remaining agricultural part ofthe land where there used to be
the tanatas, the rice fields,the stair-like rice bodies, and
on top of that it's filled witha bamboo forest that needs a
constant maintenance.
So it's not only the forestthat you know locally needs a
lot of effort, but also theagricultural land on top of the
(31:02):
IKEA and some historic heritagesite included.
That's been untouched for years.
And one of the special aspectsof Hayama Bamboo House is that
Hayama is the surface hub.
Yeah, it's right near theKamakura and it's filled with
beaches and you know the chill,happy beach life, let's say.
(31:27):
And it's very famous for theSDGs, like they really take
sustainability seriously there,the residents.
But it's very interestingbecause the house itself it
feels like it's so secluded thatit's another property that just
gives you a sense of peace.
Whenever you enter there, justbecause the land is so massive,
(31:50):
once you're there, all you canhear is just your own thoughts
and the insects around and maybepeople that you're surrounded
by.
And I feel like for the this isjust my personal take on it, but
I really do feel like thiscould be a creator's help,
because very often we all need aspot to kind of I don't want to
say lock ourselves, becausethat's not a healthy word but
like we need a safe space that'squiet and peaceful.
(32:14):
Yet when we have everythingprovided, to kind of contemplate
on ourselves, or sometimesmaybe people want to, I don't
know start writing their book orwrite a business plan and they
just want to really dive into bythemselves, or I don't know,
start writing their book orwrite a business plan and they
just want to really dive into bythemselves, or I don't know,
find their ikigai and sit downwith their own thoughts, you
know, and really deeplycontemplate on that and have
this creative aspect of it thecontemplation, the meditation
(32:37):
and also the relaxation.
I think that's a perfectproperty and we do plan intent
into having a little path thatwill let you experience the
entire forest on top of air,open air bath and some sauna on
the property.
So I think that sounds good.
I want to visit.
What is that?
I want to?
Yeah, go immerse myself forfive days or maybe a week I've
(33:02):
seen your post renovation visionoh yeah, photos look amazing.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
it does seem like it's a place where you could
just go for like you taught it,like for this space and the
space to have peace of mind, andyou could go there and
essentially do nothing as well.
Yes, go there and contemplateon your next phase of your life,
(33:29):
or just get away from theartificial world and have some
time to breathe, so I might begoing there in a few years.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, let's go together and separately too.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Let's see what happens.
Let share, yeah, yeah, a veryinspiring.
So yeah, we will link to theproperty we and we'll put photos
on the show notes of theproperty, because this is, uh,
something that's special andit's quite affordable also to be
involved.
You're, you know, you'reseeking hundreds of dollars,
(34:10):
thousands of dollars.
So if you have a few hundreddollars or a few thousand
dollars, you can become aninvestor and contribute to this.
You know wonderful vision andand yeah, your own part of it.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So it's a place you can, you know, visit as well,
and I kind of love the idea thatthese properties also expose
people to places in japan theyprobably normally wouldn't go to
yes, exactly, there's a lot ofover tourism these days and I
(34:45):
don't want to dive into that toomuch, but I do think certain
regions that are very popularare not ready to handle all
these tourists, and the level ofEnglish from, you know, english
teachers perspective is justdisappointing, and I feel like
there is a big need for projectsto target the areas that are
(35:08):
not as famous yet accessible.
Of course, you know Rio Grandeis right next to Kumano Kodo
Pilgrimage Road.
Hayama is also recognized, youknow surface and it's famous for
a lot of marine sports etcetera, and it's very recognized
.
But I think these places arerecognized by people who live
here a little bit more Like.
(35:30):
Hayama is a place I used to goto because she was too busy or a
little bit too dirty and toomany parties going there.
So, personally, before weactually decided on that
property, I used to go thereevery year to just take a walk
by the coast and it felt morepeaceful and not as packed and
you can see a lot of families.
Of course it depends when yougo, but yeah, so it really is
(35:52):
offering a different experience.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
And you can, as I said, you can be part of that
and invest and make it happenout of the creation of this
vision.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
So we've talked about all of you know this ambitious
project that you're a part of.
But let's get a bit personaland maybe we touch on your Iki
Gai and what you love aboutJapan and Japanese culture.
So, as we've mentioned, youhave lived in Japan for half
your life.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yes, it's a long time .
I still don't believe it.
When I realized it was a halfearlier this year, I was like,
really that kind of feels like amilestone.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Yeah, it is a milestone.
So what do you love about Japanand Japanese culture?
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Oh, there are many aspects, but I think I can try
to pinpoint maybe three main.
As for my ikigai, I always wantto become the bridge between
the Japanese and the foreign,just because I'm always in the
sweet middle and I learned howto live that way.
So I understand the Japanese,but I never will be Japanese, no
(37:08):
matter if I live here for twothirds of my life.
It won't happen.
And I was born and raised inthe heart of Europe.
So I have that aspect of me,but I kind of ended up somewhere
in the middle.
So I have understanding of both, I have respect of both and
love for both.
So I try to utilize all mystrengths into becoming the
(37:30):
bridge for people to safely gothrough and have understanding
and respect.
And I always say that you knowJapan has so much to offer.
And I do speak about thenegative sides of Japan too,
because I feel like, after allthis you know experience that I
had I have a right to do so, butI only speak on behalf of
(37:50):
things that actually try to makea change, so noticing the
things but instead of hating or,like you know, I do say that
occasionally you know I have alove-hate relationship with
Japan.
It depends sometimes, but therespect factor, I think it's
what bridges the cultures andthe generations and the world
itself.
So I think one thing that Ilike is the collective unison of
(38:15):
the society, which is very notvery, but it's different from
what I've grown with.
So, you know, the collectiveunison in Japan is, I think,
rooted in the concept of wa,which is the harmony and the
giri, the social obligation ofdoing things.
So there is a strong emphasison the individuals as a
(38:35):
collective being the part of thesociety with the mutual respect
and the maintenance and balanceis very important.
So people very often refrainfrom being direct.
People try to be politicallycorrect, let's say, or they try
to limit the directconfrontation.
(38:56):
And that's somethinginteresting because, you know,
this manifests in the everydaylife from, like public transport
, when you're, I don't know,trying to get on the metro, or,
for me, because of the Fukushimayou know, the whole coordinated
disaster response.
I feel like this, actually,this collective unison, really
(39:16):
does matter a lot for a countrylike Japan, not only for the
individuals, but also for thesafety of all, because we are
living on an island that isfilled with volcanoes and
earthquakes and tsunamis and allthat.
But I feel like this mentalityis very beautiful, but it's
important to notice howdifferent it is from the other
(39:38):
countries.
And here's my second point thatI like about Japan, which is the
contrast between European slashSlavic culture, because there
are some similarities.
We are very family oriented,but I feel like the individual,
the sense of individual, is waystronger and we value the
traditions but we don't have asa strong obligation sometimes
(40:03):
and collectively the sense ofindividual comes out sometimes
in situations that create otherconflict other than you know the
harmony, and sometimes I feellike we should have a little bit
more collective aspect inSlavic and European cultures and
find the middle spot, you know,find the middle spot, you know.
(40:31):
So I like the fact that Japan,as drastic as it was for me as
an individual, I feel like Ihave the exposure to both sides.
So from this touchy, huggykissy, you know no private space
, let's say, you know cultureall the way to bowing and
respecting everybody's space andturning around on a train to
make sure that you don't offendsomebody and being aware of the
(40:52):
eye contact, while in you knowslavic culture you do make eye
contact because it's a part ofhow we communicate quite often.
So I feel like I really likethe fact that japan kind of
opened my eyes that there is notone correct way to do things,
it's the mixture and, dependingon the situation, for the again
(41:13):
best of all it's important to do.
Of course, it's important tohave the sense of individual, as
we do have in Slavic culturesand in Europe, and not only, but
to the extent be aware thatsometimes it's not worth it.
Sometimes it's better toprioritize the harmony rather
than the individual in order tocreate a safe space for
(41:34):
everybody.
So, not only the earthquakesbut other situations you know.
And lastly, it's of course theomotenashi in Japan.
You know the hospitality I feellike whoever comes to Japan
senses the emphasis on themindfulness and also the respect
and the social interactionsbeing aligned with people's own
(41:56):
values, and the customer serviceis just exceptional.
You know, when you get toexperience being in Japan, when
you go everywhere else, I'm yetto see somebody welcoming me
with a smile in the immediateirashimase you know somewhere
else.
So, yeah, I like these threeparts the most.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah, I can relate to all of them, I totally agree.
And then with Japanese, as weboth know, they have these
unique terms or words that areuntranslatable, or concepts we
understand but we don't have oneword to articulate.
And obviously one of thesewords is ikigai and, as you know
(42:41):
, japanese don't really talkabout ikigai and it's usually
something quite private, but ithas also become this
psychological concept and verypopular now in the west.
Do you remember beingintroduced to the word, or did
you hear it often growing up injapan, or what's your kind of
(43:02):
history or relationship withikigai?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
so, going all the way back, I think the first time I
found out about Ikigai wasdefinitely not from a Japanese
person, definitely not throughmy symbiosis with the culture
and, you know, being in a schoolenvironment.
I think it was sometime in myearly 20s when I realized the
power of.
First, I started to do yogabecause I did teach English
(43:28):
through sports.
So I got interested in yoga andthat kind of naturally led
towards me being interested inmeditation in general and then
discovering different types ofmeditation and touching upon the
concept of mindfulnessmeditation on top of Zazen and
others, and somehow, you know,when you dive into that pot.
(43:49):
Let's say, ikigai is somethingthat shows up in english a lot.
But before I speak on my ikigai, I would like to hear your
definition of ikigai, because Ifeel like there's so much income
, like misconception around theinternet and, depending on the
source, I mean, you see thediagram everywhere and some of
(44:10):
them are too colorful and I'mnot sure if if that's exactly
what it is.
So maybe if we could defineyour definition of it so I can
understand the question.
Because, yeah, again, it's justa very wide concept and I think
there's a lot of misconceptionaround it, especially now.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Absolutely yeah.
So I always like to refer toMiiko Kamiya, who I like to
refer to as the mother of Ikigai, and she was a pioneer
researcher on the concept.
She wrote this amazing book inthe 1960s and had very unusual
(44:49):
but amazing life.
And so in her book she says youhave ikigai sources, which
could be your hobbies,relationships, roles yes.
And then you have ikigai kan,which is the emotional feeling
that these objects or people orexperiences give you.
So it's very subjective, but Ithink it's often tied to your
(45:12):
social world.
So it's usually a relationshipwith someone, a role you have,
yes, or being part of, perhaps acommunity or an e-bash hall.
But then it can be thesesmaller things like ken moggy
talks about.
So it can be just enjoying yourmorning cup of coffee or your
(45:35):
favorite music or going to alive band, and then it can even
be a coping mechanism.
And you know some japanese willsay well, drinking or smoking
cigarettes is my key guy,because it helps me get through
the week.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
No me kay.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Yeah, but I mean, I think it's obviously something
you know positive andlife-affirming, and for me it's
you know, it's definitely mywork, but my work's very social,
so it's doing stuff like thisand making new friendships, and
(46:11):
so we'll, you know, we'llprobably have some form of
friendship in the future throughwhat we're doing.
Yes, and I really value thatand that makes my life worth
living, and today my day is morefulfilling because we've had
this conversation, and if wehadn't had this conversation I
probably would have done.
You know, just work I'm notreally interested in.
So I think, yeah, you havesomething in your life that
(46:33):
makes you feel life is worthliving, and that could be a
conversation, a hug, pursuingyour hobby, but it's something
you feel, so I don't know ifthat's helped.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
It did, it did, thank you.
So I think I'm still in theprocess of kind of finding a
strong definition of what myIkigai is, but I think it's a
mixture of, again, possiblythree things.
One thing that's reallyimportant to me is being the
bridge and engaging with otherpeople, which means, simply, I
(47:12):
think I get a lot of joy frommeeting new people and talking
to new people and just kind ofsharing experiences, and not
only my own, but this balance oflistening and talking, because
I'm a constant learner and Ireally do have a strong identity
of that.
I feel like I don't understandthe concept of boredom.
(47:35):
There's always something youcan learn from and I feel like
if you have this the ability tomeet a lot of new people and
listen to them and learn fromthem, but also share what you
have learned and things that youvalue these conversations is
one of the most joyful and thestrong points of my existence.
(47:55):
I thrive on that and it's veryimportant, although I do have
this duality in me, because ifI'm exposed, I'm 60% extroverted
, 40% introverted, apparently,and if I'm exposed to a lot of
these conversations for aprolonged time, I do need to
look inwards for a day and I'verealized that it's a pattern
(48:18):
that I'm going through.
So that's connected to thesecond point, which is this
concept of slow living withintention.
It's very important to me andit's connected to the third part
, which is living in thisrespect and balance with nature.
So being conscious of how muchyou take and how much you give.
(48:39):
And, yes, I'm one of thesepeople who, you know, feed stray
cats and adopted and rescuedtwo cats from Nara who were
interrupting earlier in thepodcast.
And I'm one of these people wholike to walk barefoot, grow my
own herbs in a patio and we tryto, let's say, give to the
nature and be aware of how muchI take and just live.
(49:05):
A slow living sometimes have areally bad connotation, but it
doesn't mean that you're beinglazy, it's just you.
Actually, when you the cup ofcoffee that you mentioned
earlier, you know it's just notjust having a coffee because
it's a part of your routine, buthaving days when you actually
sit down and you notice thetaste, the temperature, the
(49:26):
smell.
You notice the cup, the textureof the cup and how the
temperature affects your handsand what kind of sensation it
gives you.
I feel like this is anotherIkigai of mine, on top of giving
.
Being able to slow down andgive to myself Does that make
(49:46):
sense?
Speaker 1 (49:50):
No, it makes sense and I can relate to all of them,
especially the.
You know making making newfriends, and it's such a joy
when you connect with someone,you have this conversation and
you yes you have this new personmaybe in your life, and you
never know what that can lead to.
So so I feel that with youwe're sort of now friends.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Yes, thank you, nick, I'm so happy.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
I think this is our second conversation, but I'm
really inspired by what you doand your journey.
Likewise Really want to supportwhat you're doing.
So where can people go ifthey're interested in becoming
an investor for the BambooForest House?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Our website.
If you search forplanetdollworld, you can find
all the information.
If you'd like to, you know ifyou're on LinkedIn, you can also
find us on LinkedIn.
We have a page over there.
If you have any questions, feelfree to just search for my name
, connect with me there andshoot a message.
And yeah, I would love towelcome new people to our
(50:53):
community.
I'm actually looking forward tostarting the second community
and I think it will be veryinteresting to see how one
community is different from theother and exploring the needs
and getting to know individualslike you on a deeper level and
becoming friends.
So I guess I reached a goalhere.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
And you're doing a wonderful job too.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Thank you, I try.
Speaker 1 (51:17):
Really inspiring and you really care about this and
you do it with grace intention.
Thank you.
Aw, love.
So yeah, let's get this secondproperty funded.
Yes, and you're going to havedouble the workload, with two
communities to look after.
Speaker 2 (51:39):
Two babies to look after.
Let's see, let's see, awesome,monica.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
Thank you so much.
Yeah, and I'm sure we'll meetin Japan.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Yes, I'm looking forward to it.
Let me know when and I'll bethere.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Okay, awesome.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (51:56):
Yeah, thank you for having me.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com