I've been hearing the word "Hugge" a lot for the past two or three years. Personally, I've only heard it a little before, but I've never paid much attention to it or looked into it, so I was a bit confused.
This time, I had the opportunity to watch a webinar by Jens Jensen, a Danish man living in Kamakura, and Okazaki from House of Finn Juhl Hakuba, so I did some light preparation.
It seems that many books have been published on the subject, but this time I decided to do some research online.
It is a Danish and Norwegian word that conveys feelings of wellness and contentment , as well as a feeling of coziness, comfort and cheerfulness.
The behaviors that result in hygge are almost identical cultural categories in Danish and Norwegian, but it is more prevalent as a core part of the culture in Denmark. <1> Since the second half of the 20th century, hygge has been more asserted as a central part of Danish culture. (From Wikipedia)
I don't really understand lol.
Upon further investigation, I found that it is a word that describes how Danish people spend their time and their state of mind, which is very important to them.
By creating comfortable time, whether alone or with a group of people, a sense of happiness and fulfillment naturally arises. It says that this is an attitude of enjoying life.
I somehow understood that it was a way of life that allowed people to achieve spiritual happiness rather than material happiness, but to me it seemed like it would be quite difficult.
At the beginning of the webinar, Jens always said that when explaining hygge to Japanese people,
"Hygge is the opposite of scary, frightening, and undesirable things."
●Hygge interior
A talk about housing conditions, furniture, and lighting in Denmark.
What was striking was the selection of furniture that, although not particularly expensive, each piece had its own story to tell, such as pieces inherited from their grandfathers or pieces they had purchased cheaply at flea markets and repaired or remade themselves.
They take good care of their home, maintain it themselves, and continue to live in it.
Danish people are very expressive and unique with their interiors. I have a lot of chairs in my home, and I really feel like I want to pass them on to someone else even after I die.
It also touches on Japanese consumer culture, emphasizing the importance of using things you really like for a long time, rather than throwing them away when they break, and repairing and continuing to use things that can be repaired, which reduces waste and is good for the environment.
It's not that this way of thinking doesn't exist in Japan, but I feel like people are less aware of it than in Denmark.
When buying furniture, can you use it for a long time? Can it be repaired? It would be great if these were considerations when buying furniture, as they would provide an option other than throwing it away or buying a new one because it's broken.
●Hygge for delicious moments
In this story, it is said that hygge can be felt in Japanese food culture such as hot pot and hand-rolled sushi.
Suddenly, I felt a sense of familiarity. Apparently, hand-rolled sushi is like an open sandwich in Denmark.
It seems that the similarities are that you get together with family and friends and have fun cooking together. The takoyaki party I had with friends the other day also fits the idea, and making gyoza together is also hygge.
Taking your time and eating is what fills you with a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
This isn't the hygge of eating a beef bowl in just two minutes at a restaurant lol.
Although it's not a meal, it seems to be felt in Japanese public baths as well.
What I felt during this webinar was that hygge is a word that describes the comfortable time that I have already experienced, and that it is not just something that is unique to Scandinavia, but can also be felt in Japanese living and dining environments.
I think what people find comfortable varies, but when you think of hygge as the opposite of something scary, frightening, or something you don't want to do, it feels somehow familiar.
My hygge time these days is cooking, even if I'm terrible at it. But even if I'm terrible at it, as long as I'm having fun, that's fine.
(text: Doi)
DOI KOUHEI
Born in Toyama Prefecture, currently living in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 40 years old
After becoming interested in furniture, I wanted to work in the interior design industry, so I went to an interior design school in Kanazawa. After working at a store interior design company, I started working at an interior design shop when I was about 23 years old.
Currently, I work at an interior design shop in Kanazawa City, doing everything from sales, corporate sales, furniture planning, and occasional delivery.
My hobbies are moderate running so I can drink alcohol without gaining weight, and simple cooking because I enjoy cutting vegetables with a knife.