Non-essential but a Daily Necessity?

2021/04/20

2020 was a year where we heard the phrase "refrain from non-essential outings" so many times we lost count, and there are strong signs that this trend will continue this year. Amidst the global mood of self-restraint, many people are likely becoming increasingly unable to judge what is truly non-essential and what is a daily necessity.

To begin with, the criteria for what is essential to life have always fluctuated depending on the era and culture. A century ago, Sombart stated in his book "Luxury and Capitalism" that luxury is "expenditure that exceeds necessities," and that without clarifying what a necessity is, one cannot know what qualifies as "luxury." To do so, it must be defined either by subjective individual ethical and aesthetic standards or objectively depending on the historical period. This is by no means saying that luxury should be eliminated or that we should live ascetically. The limits of necessity are not fixed; in fact, they can be defined freely.

In the current global pandemic, many things that were once part of our casual daily lives have become difficult to access. Moving freely to places we want to go, chatting face-to-face with friends, agonizing over what to buy at a store, and the happiness of experiencing beautiful art—all of these are deemed non-essential. However, it is extremely harsh for ordinary citizens to continue enduring ascetically or being forced to exercise self-restraint in a situation with no end in sight. Perhaps by obtaining even a small amount of aspiration or joy in daily life, we can maintain a healthy mental state.

From this perspective, I am working on research into designing services that bring margin, surplus, leisure, and desire to life. For example, daily shopping. While home delivery and courier services are already available, there are likely many people who want to distinguish between products they want to buy with one click and those they want to see and select with their own eyes. In a project currently underway in Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture, we have just begun a demonstration experiment in collaboration with local shopping districts and malls in mid-January of this year to understand regional needs in light of the current situation. I am also conducting projects related to cultural and artistic appreciation and public transportation. I believe that while all of these may be non-essential, they are not unnecessary for life.