I recently read the book "101 Words to Know About the World.

Hello everyone.I am Hiroya, a washi artist.It's been a while since I finished reading this book, but I would like to introduce you to an interesting book.

101 Words to Know the World" by Dr. Mandeep Rai.

It seems to me that there are more and more books these days that claim to be ho-hum just by reading a page a day.Is it a book fad?It is easy to read one page, but I think it depends on the content.Can the content stay fresh even though it's been quite a few days since I read it completely?I guess one page a day is enough if you just want to get facts and knowledge.However, there are many books that I bought and haven't read yet, so reading one page at a time is probably suitable for a laid-back person like me.

Now, "101 Words to Know About the World" is a book of knowledge, so I was able to read it at a leisurely pace.The author, who has traveled all over the world, wrote the book based on his own experiences, so although there are some subjective parts, I think it was a good learning experience for me to know the world objectively.A great person at Google also wrote on the obi, "This book describes the wisdom of the world. This is the essential sense for us to live in the global age".

After reading the book, though, my impression was, "Wow, I didn't know that."I have never been to most of the countries mentioned in this book, so I thought that what was written was definitely an important element because they have different traditions, cultures, religions, and everything else.

However, since I cannot meet everyone or visit every region in every country, in the end, what I see, hear, and feel is what I want to see and hear. I thought that the most important thing is to be able to see the world from the outside.

The author has been to 101 countries.In this book, one important value of each country is listed.

Japan's was "respect.What do you think of this?I personally think the Japanese are modest and kind.However, the word "respect" doesn't really ring a bell for me...it just doesn't feel right.Respect is certainly a word that fits the culture of hospitality, but I thought that sincerity was a closer word.Or rather, I think that words and actions derived from sincerity are respect and not hospitality service.

If I were the author of this book and writing about Japanese values, I wonder what I would write.At any rate, it wouldn't be respect....Humility or kindness.No, I think the word "respect" is pulling me down.

I want it to be "sincerity.

What do you think of Japanese values? What would you say if asked?In reading this book, I felt that foreigners are relatively more likely to be able to say immediately when asked about the values of their countries. Is it patriotism?

So, this book made me feel like I had a little bite of 101 countries, even though I have never been there.In an age when globalization is the norm, this book made me think that I should have a deeper understanding of my own country.

There are only a few days left in this year.Let's run as fast as we can through the rest of the year!