Purification rituals and handcrafted cleaning tools are strongly rooted in Japanese tradition. We aim to explore both during our stay in Japan.
Understanding the spiritual meaning of cleaning in Shintoism and Buddhism will allow us to analyse the behaviour and attitudes towards cleaning in contemporary Japanese society.
We will follow individual as well as communal cleaning activities in private as well as in public spaces.
Inspired by the book "A monk's Guide to a Clean house and Mind" by Shoukei Matsumoto, we develop a daily cleaning routine. Applying "his theories" to practice allows us to observe and question the effect cleaning may have on our actions and thoughts.
Testing various tools, and analysing the influence of their usability on the experience itself, enables us to draw conclusions about their design.
Our aim is to understand, compare and question which role cleaning has on aspects of mindfulness and sustainability toward a responsibility interaction with our environment.
#cleaning #mindfullness #sustainability #responsibility #environment #shintoism #buddhism