Just Enough
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"Brown's book Just Enough is a compelling account of how Edo Japan confronted similar environmental problems and created solutions that connected farms and cities, people and nature." — Huffington Post The world has changed immeasurably over the last thirty years, with more, bigger, better being the common mantra. But in the midst of this constantly evolving world, there is a growing community of people who are looking at our history, searching for answers to issues that are faced everywhere, such as energy, water, materials, food and population crisis.In Just Enough, author Azby Brown turned to the history of Japan, where he finds a number of lessons on living in a sustainable society that translate beyond place and time. This book of stories depicts vanished ways of life from the point of view of a contemporary observer and presents a compelling argument around how to forge a society that is conservation-minded, waste-free, well-housed, well-fed and economically robust.Included at the end of each section are lessons in which Brown elaborates on what Edo Period life has to offer us in the global battle to reverse environmental degradation. Covering topics on everything from transportation, interconnected systems, and waste reduction to the need for spiritual centers in the home, there is something here for everyone looking to make changes in their life.Just Enough is a much-needed beacon in our evolving world, giving us hope in our efforts to achieve sustainability now.
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just enough
lessons in living green from
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The center of life in the house is the unassuming firepit, the irori—a square recess in the floor of this main room. It serves as a cooking facility, where pots of stew or gruel can be hung to cook, and fish and vegetables can be roasted on skewers. Other treats can be toasted over this fire as well, though rice and most rice dishes are better prepared on the kamado. The firepit is the information and communication center of the house. It commands a view of the doma as well, allowing someone seated here, usually the matron of the household, to witness all comings and goings and to monitor and direct all activity. We’ve arrived just as Shinichi and his family are finishing their midday meal. The cast-iron stew pot has been replaced by one for boiling water for tea, suspended over the embers by an adjustable hook. As Misaki and her mother-in-law bustle about the kitchen area, other members of the household lounge comfortably on woven straw mats, some sprawled on the cool floor in hopes of catching a short nap. All told, there are six people, an average number for a farm of this size.
Shinichi is the head of the household and is in his thirties. He grew up in this house, which was built by his grandfather on land obtained by his great-grandfather. As his name indicates, he is the eldest son of his deceased father, Shin. His wife, Misaki, who is a few years younger, grew up in a neighboring village; their marriage was an arranged one. The matron of the household, however, is Shinichi’s mother, who is over fifty years old and therefore quite elderly. Though she defers to her daughter-in-law in many matters, this is her domain and the place where she spends most of her day.
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