What can Chinese best learn from my country?

• Source: Global Times
• [01:31 December 22 2009]
• Comments

Hiroyuki Kojima, a Japanese citizen, is deputy director of the Japan Foundation's center in Beijing

Don't be wasteful

I have been working in Beijing for more than three years, and I am quite impressed by the dynamism and energy. I have met many young students who have very optimistic views and hope for the future. On the other hand, I sometimes feel uneasy about the waste of things in this country, particularly food.

It is really wonderful to be invited to a dinner with dishes full of food on the table. Sometimes plates tend to pile up because of limited space.

At the end of the banquet, quite a volume of food will be left out. Sometimes, of course, somebody will dabao (get things to go) and eat them at home. But in most cases guests will just leave it as it is. When I was a kid, my parents told me not to leave any food on the dinner table. Mother often said "mottainai!"(what a waste!)

Her logic went that since farmers put so much energy and e. ort into growing rice, I should eat every grain of rice in my bowl in appreciation. That was a slightly exaggerated way of saying it, but I still have a sense of guilt when I see a lot of food left out on the table.

It is true that Japan is also a mass consumption society, and the young generation's mentality is different from that of their parents' generation. Still I think ordinary people retain a bit of the mottainai spirit.

Considering the size of the population and the speed of development in China, Chinese people's daily behavior has a great impact on the global environment.

If Chinese and Japanese can share this mottainai feeling, it would be good for creating a more eco-friendly East Asia.