In this issue, I would like to take up the theme shown in the title from the book Nihonjin yo, Hahagokoro ni Kaere (“Japanese People, Return to a Mother’s Heart”) by Master Masando Sasaki,* a great Aikido teacher and chief priest of the Yamakage Shinto tradition.
Words by Mr. Sasaki are quoted in “ ” below.
“There is a saying: ‘The dove flies back toward its homeland, and the fox dies with its head turned toward its native hill.’
Doves are known to return unfailingly to their place of origin, even when separated by thousands of kilometers; for this reason, they have long been used as carrier pigeons.
The expression ‘the fox dies facing its native hill ’appears in The Book of Rites, which states: ‘When a fox dies, it turns its head toward the hill of its birthplace.’ This is a metaphor for never forgetting one’s origin. From this idea comes the character meaning ‘to face toward one’s homeland,’ and a person who never forgets their roots, who cherishes what is fundamental, is called a person of the native hill.
For example, one might say, ‘A person of the native hill—Saigo Takamori.’
The ‘fundamental’ way of living as a human being lies in a worldview centered on one’s homeland.
What, then, is one’s homeland? It consists of the following three elements:
1 One’s mother
2 One’s hometown
3 One’s nation
These three are the homelands of life itself. We are born not by our own will, but by a transcendent force called “life”—and perhaps that is why it is called life. Whether we like it or not, these three are inescapable facts of nature.”
In this issue, I would like to reflect on this profoundly deep theme: our homeland.
I believe that this way of thinking leads us to govern our own families; for business leaders, it extends to governing their companies; and further still, to governing the communities in which we were raised, and ultimately, the nation itself.
Let me examine why it is so important to reflect on these three homelands:
1. One’s mother
2. One’s hometown
3. One’s nation
I will now explain each of these points in more depth.
１. One’s mother
Master Sasaki’s Words
“There is a saying: ‘A wise father may have a disappointing or wandering child,
but a wise mother will not’
As the proverb goes, ‘The soul of a child at three lasts until a hundred.’
A mother strokes her belly while carrying her child, and the warmth of the mother at the moment of birth is remembered in the body for a lifetime.
A mother is constantly with her child; if the mother is wise, there will be no unfortunate child. Even if the father is wise, the time he spends with the child is limited. Therefore, it is the mother’s responsibility to instill, in the child’s subconscious, the essential foundations of being human and of being Japanese.”
(My Commentary)
→ For the past ten years or so, I have been helping both myself and my clients release mental blocks. At their core, the origin of these mental blocks lies in the relationship each person has with their mother.
These mental blocks are not merely obstacles; they are necessary for the individual to live their life. In that sense, I believe that people choose their mothers before they are born.
Seen this way, it is important to look at one’s own mother objectively and to understand what kinds of mental blocks one was born with, and what kinds of mental blocks were formed through being raised by that mother. I believe this understanding is essential to understanding and accepting oneself.
Since a mother is the source of one’s consciousness, by deeply internalizing who one’s mother is as a person, one may be able to reaffirm the meaning and purpose of one’s own existence.
２. One’s hometown
Master Sasaki’s Words
“Is one’s homeland merely something to be thought of when it lies far away?
In both good times and bad, in moments of success and in times of struggle, what encouraged me, strengthened me, and supported me were the majestic mountains and the clear-flowing Mogami River, and above all, the single-minded wish to bring joy to my mother, who had endured so many hardships.”
(My Commentary)
→ Among the real estate professionals around me, there are quite a few who have returned to their hometowns and are helping to revitalize their local communities. Many people live in large cities such as Tokyo and tend to forget where they come from, but one’s homeland is an essential part of one’s identity—of how one understands who one is.
I include myself in this reflection. I would like to take a deeper interest in the place where I was born, to pray for the development of my hometown, and to contribute to it in whatever way I can.
３. To look to the words of those who came before us—our teachers
Master Sasaki’s Words
“’Education means cultivating virtue, forming good habits, and imparting knowledge and skills.
That virtue, in its most immediate form, is filial piety toward one’s mother—the homeland of the body itself—followed by working for the hometown where one was born and raised, and further, for one’s mother country, Japan.
Unless this virtue—directed toward these three homelands imbued with the warmth of a mother—is taken as the foundation, society falls into disorder. By taking these three homelands as one’s foundation, a person’s character is formed. Filial devotion within the family, community-building in one’s hometown, and nation-building for one’s country—this way of thinking, centered on one’s homeland, is the proper path of being human.”
(My Commentary)
→ What Master Sasaki is expressing here is supported even by scientific perspectives.
Reflecting on one’s homeland means reflecting on the source of one’s birth and the foundation of one’s identity. As such, it is deeply connected to one’s need for self-acknowledgment and to self-esteem.
Recently, as I observe our clients and people around me, I feel that many suffer from extremely low self-esteem.
When self-esteem is low, a defensive instinct arises—the belief that “I am being criticized or attacked.” As a result, people themselves become aggressive, creating conflicts and discord that would otherwise be unnecessary.
Furthermore, when this lack of confidence becomes extreme and then reverses, it manifests as an inability to listen to others at all, an inability to let go of ego-driven attachments, and a tendency toward dictatorial or self-righteous behavior. (This is something I reflect on in myself as well.)
Recognition and affirmation are not things we should originally seek from the outside or from others; they are things we must give to ourselves.
I hesitate to speak about my own example, but through studying abroad, working in foreign-affiliated companies, and experiencing an international marriage, I came to feel a deep desire to learn more about Japanese culture. I have been training Aikido, the art of flower arrangement, and the business philosophy of Mr. Inamori, among others. I believe these experiences have been profoundly helpful in establishing my identity as a Japanese person. Establishing one’s identity leads to self-acceptance, and as a result, my desire to be acknowledged by others has gradually diminished.
I am proud to be a person of Wa-harmony-which is the centre of Japanese culture and born in the land of Wa-harmony-.
What Master Sasaki is saying resonated deeply with me—not only in theory, but through my own lived experience—and settled naturally within my understanding.
To conclude, the theme of this issue—“homeland”—leads us to reflect on our mother, who is the fundamental source of our birth; on our hometown; and on our mother country, Japan. These reflections ultimately lead to establishing one’s identity—understanding who one truly is—and to genuine self-acknowledgment and self-acceptance.
This issue contains profoundly deep insights. As for myself, I would like to once again reflect deeply on my connection with my mother, my connection with my descendants, and my connection with my hometown and my country.
I have to appreciate to find such an insight.
*Master Masando Sasaki
Born in 1929 in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture.
After overcoming many hardships in his youth, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics and the Advanced Course of the Faculty of Law at Chuo University.
After resigning from his post at the Defense Agency, he encountered Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, and devoted himself to martial arts and the cultivation of the human spirit, eventually becoming an Aikido instructor.
While seeking the true path of life, he practiced waterfall austerities, zazen, and trained in groups such as “Ichiku-kai” and “Itsui-kai.”
He later met his life mentor, Nakamura Tempu, and studied under him.
Through a fortunate connection, he became associated with Yamakage Motoo and was ordained as a priest of the Yamakage Shinto tradition, serving as the chief priest of Kamifukuoka Nishimiya Shrine.
In 1977, he was invited by the French Ministry of Culture to Paris as a Shinto instructor at the “Dojo for the Restoration of Human Nature,” and he visited France again in 1985.
Alongside teaching Aikido, he traveled throughout Japan delivering “Sasaki Dharma Talks,” expounding on the traditional Japanese cultural arts—such as martial arts, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement—and on the true path of being human.
Further queries or doubts, please email to ytomizuka@abrilsjp.com
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