a Japanese way of connecting with your genuine self
IKI TOTONOE
IKI TOTONOE 
a Japanese way of connecting with your genuine self
About IKI TOTONOE
To become aware of the beauty and appreciation that is right in front of you, you must first prepare your mind. Totonoe means to connect with yourself, here and now. This book reveals the totonoe lifestyle under the aesthetic sense of iki.
I define totonoe as “connecting with yourself, right here and right now”.
I believe that many people are too busy to feel the “right here and right now” in this world, often they put other people’s needs before their own, and then find their hearts exhausted.
It is precisely because we live in such times that I believe it is important to consciously create moments and find items that help you to incorporate totonoe into your daily habits. It will keep your mind and body in good shape.
By taking care of yourself first, you will have more room in your heart and mind to be kind to those you love. I truly believe that if more people behave like that, the world will become a little more peaceful and kind.
Managers and leaders should especially take care of the totonoe. And lead many people to happiness.
I hope you will spend more time connecting with yourself through this book.
May the world be a kind and peaceful place that transcends borders.
Aiming to be a person of iki
As the character iki means “stylish.” I believe that I can become a real iki person at the age of 90.
Until then, I will experience various things in my life, and even if my way of life is not cool, or I am a bad person, or I am what is called a wild person, I will realize it and refine my way of life day by day to become a person with a cool way of life.
As you repeat this process of refining your way of life, when you reach the age of 90, you will become a iki person with a cool and beautiful way of life.
The guiding phrase is “iki or boorish.”
About the book
Japanese people have a cultural sense of beauty and values that have been built up over many years.
The Japanese often use the word totonoe (totono e ) (to arrange) to describe this sense of beauty and sense of values.
I have tried to summarize the ideas we cherish based on this sense of beauty and values as habits that can be used in the modern world. And because of the chaotic world we live in these days,
I hope that by incorporating Japanese spirituality into our daily lives, we can become a society in which each of us can take care of ourselves and our loved ones by preparing our minds and bodies.
Author : Saori Inagaki
Photographer : Shiori Saito (mimosa Inc.)
Designer, translatior : Mio Silvey
Translatior and editor : Scott Silvey
Printer : Toyouke Co., Ltd.
Japanese Calligrapher : Kaworu Saito
Production cooperation for the book:
Hotel - THE HARBOR TERRACE
Shrine - Morito-daimyojin
Costume - Maker's Shirt Kamakura
Others - Haruo Ohmi, Kaori Isobedate
Photo location : Kamakura/Hayama
Let's start totonoe today
Put your hands together to give thanks
Give thanks to the universe. Start the day with a sense that we are not living by ourselves, but that we are being kept alive.
Let us give thanks for the protection we have received today.
In Japan, since ancient times, people have cherished the custom of expressing their gratitude to the unseen, invisible and higher beings by placing their hands together at shrines, temples, Kami- dana (Shinto altars), and Butsudan (a Buddhist altars).
The truly important things are the ones that are invisible to the eye.
The Law of the Tarai (Tub)
If you offer good things and good words from yourself, good things and good words will come back to you in a roundabout way.
If you do something bad or offer bad words, they will also come back to you.
What you do, good or bad, will come back to you.
If you want others to be kind to you, offer kindness from yourself.
Say thank you at home and at work.
Say thank you for all of the good things that are in your life.
While I have this body, use words of love.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
I love you.
These are all words of love I want to use. Repeat these words to yourself on a daily basis.
While I still have this body. I'll pass on lots of love.
Purify your surroundings with salt
In Japan, it has long been said that salt purifies the defi led and invites good luck.
Salt is considered precious and sacred. Placing salt on a Shinto altar or heaping salt in a house or store can bring good ch’i into the home or other area. It is also used to ward off bad luck and negativity.
By adopting this custom, we can also give thanks to the place that we offen take for granted.
Greetings at meals
When we eat a meal, we say Itadakimasu.
It is a word of gratitude for receiving the lives of other animals and plants to nourish our lives.
When we finish eating, we say Gochiso sama desu.
It is a phrase of gratitude and respect to the person who prepared the meal, as well as, the people who cultivated and harvested the food.
What you will encounter when you get in shape
Please try to incorporate your favorite items and actions into your daily life little by little. Your mind and body will rejoice and you
will feel the happiness you desire. As the number of good feelings increases, irritability and fuzziness will decrease, and you will have more room in your heart and mind.
This “space” is important.
When you have more space, you begin to notice greater beauty and appreciate things right in front of you which you did not notice before.
You see a flower blooming on the path you pass by every day and you feel happy to see how beautiful it is. But all along the way, you realize that the flower had been blooming there for many years and you had never noticed before.
When some people are frustrated, they nag at their children or hurl harsh words at their partner. As their mind becomes more organized and it has more space, they realize that it is no big deal and that the fact that they are doing well every day is a blessing. They will even start to feel gratitude.
What we can encounter because we have created a blank space in our minds by preparing ourselves is the appreciation and beauty that is already there, right in front of us.
This book is now available to rave reviews.
About the author
Saori Inagaki
Founder of iki na Joshi-Do. President, Thanks labo Inc.
Saori lives and works in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
She has been offering courses on iki na Joshi-Do since 2011. This course is designed to help people improve their happiness in a short period of time by creating a iki lifestyle. She is also active in corporate training, producing products, she is a radio personality, and lectures at elementary schools with the mission of “creating the wonderful adults that children aspire to be”.
She started overseas expansion with the theme iki to the world in 2022.
The answers are all within us
What we adults need to do now is
to get ourselves in order, totonoe.
Take care of your own mind and be able to take care of the people we love.
If we can expand this circle,
the happiness of each and every one of us will increase.
Everyday,
what we see, what we feel, what we choose.
The choices we make create our hearts and minds.
And you will live the reality of your choices.
The answers are all within us.
To become aware of that answer.
To be in alignment and to connect with yourself.
The criteria for making a choice is
The aesthetic sense of iki.
I have written this book with the hope that by making choices
based on the aesthetic sense within us, we can realize a society that is easy to live in, a beautiful world, and a beautiful planet for the next generation.
To you who have encountered this book
With love, gratitude and prayers.
Iki to the world!
Reviews from happy readers
This book shows the importance of connecting with ourselves, “Totonoe” which means arranging ourselves and taking care of ourselves. The book offers various tips you can incorporate into your daily lives.
As a Japanese living overseas, this book reminds me about beautiful Japanese spirituality and things we always value. Highly recommended!
This book reminds us of the richness and depth of Japan that even we Japanese have been forgetting amidst the busy daily life. You can discover plenty of small but life changing hints, connect with yourself and bring happiness that is close to you but you are not yet aware of.
This book is now available to rave reviews.
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