Good old Japanese period dramas teach us what is important as humans

Many Japanese people think that Jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) is so outdated.

Actually, Jidaigeki is really not popular.

So, program production companies hardly ever produce Jidaigeki.

However, I believe that now is the time to pay attention to Jidaigeki.

Though our country has become rich materially, there are many Japanese people who feel insecure about their futures.

This is because our society has lost its soundness.

Well, what is a healthy society?

Why is our society wrong?

The important clue is hidden in many good old Jidaigeki.

A market economy stimulates people’s various desires endlessly.

So, many people misunderstand that the more money they have, the better.

Of course, they know that money isn’t everything, but actually, they try to buy happiness with money.

In addition, our society instills in us a belief that improving efficiency is absolute justice. 

So, many people are afraid of wasting their money and time.

They pursue cost performance.

They are like mechanized factories.

As a result, they don’t have room in their hearts.

So, our society is suffocating.

Many Japanese period dramas have one important thing in common.

It is altruism.

What our society lacks is altrusm.

I’d like to introduce an episode.

A poor lazy couple won the lottery. Because of that, they were targeted by some evil people.

The couple overcame the difficulty with the cooperation of honest neighbors.

Finally, the couple donated the lottery money to a magistrate’s office, and they said, “We learned what is important as a people through the hardship. We don’t need such a lot of money because it will ruin our lives. I want to help people in need with the lottery money”.

This episode gets to the core of the relationship between money and happiness.

The value of this episode is often seen in many Japanese period dramas.

We cannot be happy if we don’t wish happiness for others.

Modern Japanese people forget this obvious thing, and many of them think only of their own happiness.

So, we should think about altruism more.

What goes around comes around.

Good old Japanese period dramas teach us what is important as humans.

Each Japanese person should see as many Japanese period dramas as possible.