I have worked in marketing since the late 1980s. The purpose of marketing is to support companies’ product development and advertising activities by probing consumer mentality and behavior. In other words, I’ve been involved with techniques for making people buy stuff.
The late 1980s was the peak phase of Japan’s bubble economy. The distribution industry was growing fast and manufacturers were working hard to develop new products. As the country entered the recession of the 1990s I heard first-hand from manufacturers about their wish to find hidden demand, from companies that saw opportunities in environment-related business.
At a time when companies were frantically trying to make us buy, had we stopped buying? I think the desire to buy was still there. But there were certainly fewer things that everybody wanted. It was no longer a question of everybody wanting the same thing. People already had basic consumer goods. Demand was now more individual. I think this marked a shift in the relationship between “things” and “self.”
Modern housing, furniture, and appliances have made our lives easier than in the past. But how many people are living in homes where they can relax and be themselves? Homes are crowded out with things. People can’t find space for themselves. They want to find new ways of making their homes more pleasant to live in.
This book did not develop on the basis of a specific plan. Rather, I would say it has grown from my struggle to understand our relationship with things. I have tried to propose attitudes and strategies for the Art of Discarding based on my own experience and research, rather than on any clearly established social phenomena or statistics.
I have worked with the book’s editor, Kayano Nemura, on various projects over many years. Once I told Kayano my ideas for this book, it did not take long for it to take shape. Things can proceed remarkably smoothly when one is working with a kindred spirit, and the publication process was a very happy experience. I am very grateful to the publisher, Takarajimasha, for publishing this book and for the speed of their decision to do so.