Message from MUJI - "Pleasant, somehow"

　From Friday, August 28, message from MUJI – “Pleasant, somehow” has been released at the same time worldwide.
　The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of MUJI. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, MUJI, who has been pursuing lifestyle aesthetics and creating products that are truly fundamental to day-to-day life without any unnecessary complexity, chooses “cleaning” as the theme of its message. It believes that the very essence of a simple, pleasant life and society lies dormant in the everyday and ordinary work of cleaning, which transcends culture and civilization. This message conveys the stance that MUJI is taking: to pay attention to our everyday life, which is often taken for granted, and to discover important hints and then learn from it.

　The “Pleasant, somehow” website has been launched simultaneously in 17 languages, not only in MUJI’s website in Japan, but also on the websites of all countries and regions in which MUJI operates. In addition, we will publish five long videos based on the theme of world’s cleaning one by one on a regular basis (one video every two weeks), and distribute short versions of these videos through SNS every day. In addition, on Wednesday, September 2, newspaper advertisements will be posted in the morning edition of some national newspapers, and TV commercials are also being broadcasted at 114 TV Stations in Japan from August 28.
　Accordingly, a product promotion campaign has been carried out at MUJI stores. Since MUJI aims to make life simple and beautiful, all MUJI products should have something related to cleaning by nature, and they answers the question of “why do we feel pleasant, somehow?” From Friday, August 28 to Thursday, September 24, the product promotion will focus on "cleaning tools" that we use in our daily life.
　In addition, a 504-page picture book “CLEANING” recording scenes of cleaning around the world under 16 categories such as wiping, polishing, removing, etc. has been released at 123 MUJI stores in Japan and MUJI online store on Friday, August 28. From early October, it will be available at all MUJI stores in Japan as well as in general bookstores in Japan. We also plan to sell it in outside Japan from November onward.

“Pleasant, somehow” Website
Book “Cleaning”

In Iran, before the New Year, villagers would come together to wash the carpets that they use every day.
In other words, it is a cleaning participated by everyone in the village.
When the leader – usually an elderly woman – signals in loud voices, the sound of the trumpet and drums will be included, and everyone will roll up their sleeves in cleaning.

In Tianjing, Mainland China, 10 cleaners were cleaning the wall of a tower building.
Such cleaning by manpower seems courageous.
These people look like a series of music notes on the wall.
Cleaning is carried out with mops and squeegees in a good rhythm.

Scenery at Shandong Province, Mainland China.
The cleaning machine seems little old-fashioned, but it is still working hard to carry out its duty.
It’s exciting to consider mainland China as being in the forefront, but it is also a nice thing to think about the era in which such machines were invented.

The scene of a huge tanker in dock, being cleaned by high-pressure cleaners. Regularly cleaning the shells, garbage, etc. attached to the vessel during voyages would increase its driving force.

On August 7th every year, Ominugui (cleaning the body of the Great Buddha) will be carried out at Todaiji Temple.
Buddhist monks and believers dressed in white clothing will gather early in the morning, purify themselves at the bath house and then conduct cleaning together.
Perhaps the hearts and moods of the people who participate will also be radiant.