Office Flora - Japanese Arts & Culture Promotion

Office Flora Philosophy

1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, was the year, Japan started to embark on a journey to search for its new soul. It is extremely remarkable that Japan quickly caught up with powerful western nations in a few decades by incorporating their concepts, technologies and systems in it.
 

The dramatic reforms brought Japan not only economic development but also a promotion in the world society. The victory of the Russo Japanese war, astonished the world and Japan  demonstrated its ability and potential to the world. As a result, Japan was elected as a permanent seat in the league of nations.

However, 20th century was the century of wars.

The great depression and block economy invited the world into another wars.

Japan also fought wars, and finished it by two atomic bombs. -It was devastated.

Paul Claudel, poète-ambassadeur, a diplomat and distinguished French writer once said;

私がどうしても滅びてほしくない一つの民族があります。それは日本人です。あれほど古い文明をそのままに今に伝えている民族は他にありません。日本の近代における発展、それは大変目覚しいけれども、私にとっては不思議ではありません。日本は太古から文明を積み重ねてきたからこそ、明治になって急に欧米の文化を輸入しても発展したのです。どの民族もこれだけの急な発展をするだけの資格はありません。しかし、日本にはその資格があるのです。古くから文明を積み上げてきたからこそ資格があるのです。

We are  the one of the most developed modern countries today, in sense of social stability, manufacturing, robotic technology and as well as animation culture. It is not deniable.

However, it is questionable --have we really "developed"?

We live in the world where the values of "convenience" and "inexpensive" are highly appreciated. Development of automobiles, smartphones, 24/7 open stores have made our life extremely easier. It is as if like we had a dokodemo-door, a magical device that takes you any place you want to go or as if we were homo-zeus, a mighty human.

On the other hand, it should be mentioned that Japan lost too many virtues in exchange for such conveniences, especially its soul - spiritual values that have been handed down from the ancient times, that have fascinated many fellow people on the earth, including, a spirit to pursue wisdom, a Spirit to find silence in Emptiness in Zen, or a Spirit of to learn from the Nature, and to follow the Natural Way in Shinto, a spirit of discipline and loyalty in Bushido code of conduct –we are seeing these Noble Spiritual and Traditional concepts are on the verge of the extinct today.

In addition, we are seeing an expansion on disparities in information, education and income rapidly and in unstoppable way, along with depopulation and super aging society. – in a word, we all are living in a completely unpredictable world.

Everyone feels anxious, in search of something immovable which has universal and timeless value, which we could be core value of life.

Obviously, it is each of us to find such answer, in the light of predecessors’ lessons and wisdom, and, it would be evident that the very concept and value of Japanese spiritual culture, fatally injured, illuminate us.

Hiromi Nishiwaki, founder of Office Flora, has a combined 20 years experience in multinational organization with multicultural teams. She is far from perfect, as most of you. However, she loves to learn from everything and loves Japan and earth. The mission of her and her friends is to contribute to “Happiness” – (such a banal word yet strong and true word) - of earth family, including mankind, by promoting and saving Japanese spiritual culture values.

Office Flora welcomes everyone in our team as irreplaceable member.