ないものはない  
Ama Town's Conceptないものはない  of Sufficiency andMessage to the World
ないものはない  ないものはない  
Nai-mono-wa-nai
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  Junko Edahiro
ないものはない  
Copyright Ama Town and Institute for Studies in Happiness, Economy
and Society All Rights Reserved.

About Ama Town
About 60 kilometers fromJapan’s main island

Oki Islands

1

ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  WHAT ISないものはない  
THIS
CONCEPT OF
ないものはない  NAI-MONO-WA-NAI?
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  The Two Meanings of Nai-mono-wa-nai• In 2011 Ama town adopted the slogan of Naimono-wa-nai (ないものはない).
• “Nai” means “nothing” or “not” and “mono”
is “thing.”• The first meaning is a simple statement: “Whatis not here … is not here”– “We don’t have it here, so just accept the situation.”• A second meaning is “There is nothing that isnot here.”– “Everything … is ... here.”Copyright Ama Town All Rights Reserved.

The basic conditions are very different from urban area of Japan
Image	  by	  Morio	  2009	  Some	  Right	  Reserved.	  2ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  NAI-MONO-WA-NAI
ないものはない  
AND AMA TOWN
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  Youth group activities“If there is nothing fun to do here, let’s create it.”Copyright Hiroshi Abe All Rights Reserved..

Vending machines in Tokyo

Image	  by	  DavideGorla	  2012	  Some	  Rights	  Reserved	  No vending machines at the ferry terminal

Image	  by	  Asturio	  Cantbrio	  	  2018	  Some	  Rights	  Reserved	  High School Miryokuka Project• the Dōzen High School is trying to make a greateruse of the local challenges– population decline; a dramatically declining
birth rate and aging population; financialpressures• The negative dimensions of local challenges could
be seen as resources.
• These challenges could help to develop the humanresources that can pioneer a new future for Japan.

The number of the Dōzen High Schoolstudents : V-shaped recovery
300	  students	  225	  Total	  Students	  from	  Outside	  the	  Islands	  150	  75	  0	  1989	   1993	   1998	   2003	   2008	   2009	   2010	   2011	   2012	   2013	   2014	   2015	   2016	  Source:	  The	  Handbook	  of	  2017	  Census	  in	  Ama	  Town	  	  Population Decline After Postwar Period
8,750	  	  people	  7,000	  	  5,250	  	  3,500	  	  1,750	  	  0	  	  1925	   1935	   1945	   1955	   1965	   1975	   1985	   1995	   2005	   2015	  Source:	  THE	  2015	  POPULATION	  CENSUS	  	  The	  Number	  of	  People	  Moving	  to	  Ama	  Town	  is	  on	  the	  Rise	  	  1008060

social movement

40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
1996-2000

2001-2005

2006-20102011-2015

Source:	  The	  Handbook	  of	  2017	  Census	  in	  Ama	  Town	  	  The secret attraction
for these people is the spirit of

Nai-mono-wa-nai.

There are also many examples ofnai-mono-wa-nai in day-to-day life
• There are no babysitting services, but neighbors will takecare of local kids any time.
• There are no “disco” clubs, but all of the townspeople candance the traditional dance along with the “Kinyamonya”
local folk songs.
• There are no security companies, but people do look after
each other, so no one worries about that.
• There are no flower shops, but lovely flowers are growing
outside many homes.
• There are no movie theaters, but there are many local
video nights.

3

ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  
THREE MESSAGES
ORないものはない  
BENEFITS OFないものはない  
NAI-MONO-WA-NAI
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  Three messages or benefits ofnai-mono-wa-nai
1. Positive acceptance
2. We have everything that is important: Knowsufficiency (values + self-reliance + socialcapital)
3. Enjoy the “process” of creating things together(willingness to take on a challenge + special
skills + social capital)

A society ofmass consumption is a societythat has forgotten

the joy of creating something
deliberately together.

4ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  
HAPPINESS AND
ないものはない  NAI-MONO-WA-NAI	  INないものはない  DEVELOPEDCOUNTRIES
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  The ecological footprint
The ecological footprint of humanity today isthe equivalent of 1.7 planet Earths. .

hUps://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-­‐work/ecological-­‐footprint/	  GDP per capita does not correlate explicitlywith the degree of satisfaction

Source:	  White	  Paper	  on	  the	  NaYonal	  Lifestyle	  2008	  The degree of life satisfaction
does not increase

Source:	  White	  Paper	  on	  the	  NaYonal	  Lifestyle	  2008	  Do you think continued GDP growth isnecessary for Japanese Society?
2014	  2017	  33	  22	  necessary	  somewhat	  unnecessary	  DK	  51	  44	  6	   2	   9	  13	  5	  17	  somewhat	  necessary	  unnecessary	  Source:	  InsYtute	  for	  Studies	  in	  Happiness,	  Economy	  and	  Society	  Developed countries need to free themselvesfrom the models of mass production,
mass consumption, and forever chasing after
economic growth.

The nai-mono-wa-nai concept of Ama Town isa new model that can help us accomplish that.

5ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  SUMMARY
ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  ないものはない  Rather than having us seek endless growth,nai-mono-wa-nai
proposes for the world the possibility ofcreating happiness for everyone
but still keeping within the finite boundaries ofour planet Earth.

Thank you very much for your attention.

THE END

ないものはない