Living simply with 15 objects

Cover of Fumio Sasaki’s “I Decided to Live Simply” / Courtesy of BusinessBooks

By Kim Jae-heun

In the rapidly changing society of the 21st century, people living in big cities like Seoul, Tokyo and New York may suffer enormous stress from making decisions and looking for solutions. Buying goods ― given that it could be small things, from a toy costing a few coppers to furniture worth several thousand dollars ― gives psychological satisfaction and people pile things up at home.

Fumio Sasaki, 37, who works for a publishing house, has written a book titled “I Decided to Live Simply.” It became an instant hit in Japan and Korea after its release three months ago.

The author once lived in a 20-square-meter apartment ― full of clothes, a large-screen television, various musical instruments and even antique cameras. He never read books he bought, barely played his instruments and lost interest in outdated costumes. But he kept shopping for things that he did not have.

One day, Sasaki found the concept of “extreme minimalism” of American Andrew Hyde, who asserted that “all you need is 15 things in the backpack to get freedom in life.” Hyde toured 43 countries with only a backpack, selling all his possessions.

The Japanese author was deeply affected by the American and questioned himself about how many possessions he really needed at home. He realized he used 20 percent of them at most. It was the moment Sasaki learned he could live better and happier if he got rid of his household objects. He turned into a minimalist.

Sasaki now has 15 objects in his backpack at home, which includes a MacBook Air laptop, Wi-Fi cell phone, Kindle e-reader, a battery charger, socks, underwear and a book. He concentrates on reading ― he gives away the book when he is done with it ― and uses the mostly empty space to practice yoga and enjoy the freedom.

In the book, the author wrote: “The number of possessions doesn’t matter very much and people can live as a minimalist as long as he owns only what he truly needs.”

He also saves his shopping money for travel and says it would not take long to prepare for a flight.

The book does not give readers a list of things to follow as a minimalist but rather shows before-and-after pictures of Sasaki’s room and how he is practicing his idea.

Sasaki also emphasizes that minimalism should not be the ultimate goal but a means to discover what one truly needs. He confessed that his worries for an uncertain future have also disappeared because he threw away household goods that he bought for the future and now can concentrate on the present.

Finally, the author encourages readers, saying he had lived like anybody else for past 10 years and that people should not be afraid of changing their lives. “Being afraid of the change will not give one a chance to challenge,” he said

Sasaki’s life philosophy has affected audiences in their 20s and 30s and fits with the current trend of a simple life in Japan.