How to find balance with the ancient Japanese principle of chowa

If you followed Marie Kondo’s advice earlier this year and threw away all your books, you probably have space for ‘The Power of Chowa’. Christine Manby finds harmony with the newest philosophy from Japan

Illustration by Tom Ford

One of the truly great pleasures in life, for me at least, is picking up a book and unexpectedly discovering between its pages the exact wisdom or comfort you need at that very moment. So it was for me when I picked up The Power of Chowa by Akemi Tanaka (Headline, £12.99) at the beginning of October. Lifestyle guides based on Japanese philosophies and culture have been everywhere for the past decade but if you took Marie Kondo’s controversial advice earlier this year and threw away all your books, then perhaps you have a little room for this one.

As it is written in Japanese, chowa is a word consisting of two symbols. The first, cho, means “search”. The second, wa, means “balance”. So, at its simplest chowa means a search for balance. A striving for harmony.

Tanaka grew up in Japan but now lives in London, where she teaches Japanese culture and etiquette. She is descended from a family of 15th-century samurai and their historical sense of valour and chivalry punctuates her work. What makes chowa seem so relevant for now, however, is that it isn’t just about personal improvement. It’s also about what each of us can give to the world.