没自我と日本の力：偉大なものを探す社会Ego Dissolution and the Source of Japan's Strength: A Society in Search of Something Greater

In this article, I will examine how Japanese society has become unable to exercise a strength rooted in its own soil, and how this has led to a significant decline in recent years.

Speaking broadly and setting aside finer details, what lies at the bottom of the dynamics of society on these islands is what I call botsujiga (没自我) (*). Here, please note that I am talking not about individuals but about the force that works within the field of a society.

*没自我 (botsujiga):

This Japanese concept of “botsujiga” is extremely difficult to translate into English. In this article, I have intentionally chosen to use the Buddhist term “ego dissolution” to convey its positive connotation. However, for many readers, it may also be perceived as something closer to “self-effacement” or “self-negation,” or even as a form of “collectivism.” Please keep in mind this inherent ambiguity as you read on—understanding this nuance will help deepen your comprehension of the concept.

Now, what does ego dissolution mean here? Essentially, it is the act of forgetting and relinquishing one’s sense of self, dedicating it instead to “something great” (aru idaina mono, ある偉大なもの) in a moment of deep awe or inspiration.

Aru idaina mono (ある偉大なもの):

The Japanese phrase “aru idaina mono”—rendered here as “a revered entity”—is also notoriously difficult to translate. A more familiar concept might be “a higher ideal,” “a sacred purpose,” or “a transcendent cause,” though none of these terms perfectly captures its essence. I will explore this nuance further in separate articles.

It is crucial to recognize that this dynamic lies at the core. In other words, this society tends to discover a sense of ikigai—a concept recently introduced in the West—by longing for or revering a “revered entity.”

As a result, the movement of the society as a whole takes on a sacrificial or devotional attitude toward this “revered entity.” More precisely, it is deeply ritualistic in nature.

Throughout Japanese history, whenever such a “revered entity” has been discovered or presented, Japanese society has shown its greatest strength, swiftly creating and realizing an entirely new world.

While this “revered entity” may seem abstract, in practice it can be just about anything. Looking at recent history, we see a progression from prewar Emperor worship, to the postwar embrace of democracy, to the worship of money that began in the 1950s.

A key point to note is that Emperor worship was not instigated by the Emperor himself. In prewar Japan, most citizens never even saw the Emperor in person. Nor was it introduced by any single charismatic leader.

While individuals with nationalist tendencies did play a role in shaping it, the process took considerable time—something I have touched on in recent articles.

Similarly, the reverence for democracy that began immediately after Japan’s defeat in World War II can be traced to the moment following the Emperor’s acknowledgment of surrender in the “Gyokuon Broadcast” of August 15, 1945.

In the case of money worship, after several years of postwar hardship, the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 suddenly shifted Japan’s fortunes. The nation overcame its immediate post-defeat struggles and enjoyed a rapid rise in living standards. At the time, the national slogan was “Catch up and surpass America.”

Under this rallying cry, the whole country united, underwent ego dissolution, and surged forward to pursue a single, shared objective.

From these few examples, it is apparent that the expression of this force is not sparked from within, but rather by an external stimulus. In such cases, worship of an individual rarely occurs; instead, people become almost possessed by a particular idea or slogan.

In other words, once a single, collective objective has been set—regardless of who set it—people devote themselves to it in a state of ego dissolution.

Looking at the situation today, it seems Japanese society’s current steep decline may stem from just one core issue: the absence of a new “revered entity.”

Nevertheless, if by chance it were to discover such an entity tomorrow, Japan’s transformation could be swift and dramatic.