Cultural Currents of Mindfulness: Tracing Mindfulness’s Use and Influence in Japan
October 23, 2025 Takeshi Hamamura, Min Maung, Anuradha Baminiwatta et al. 1 citation preprint
Mindfulness research in Japan predominantly frames the concept within therapeutic and wellness contexts in clinical, educational, and occupational settings. Culturally grounded adaptations incorporate practices such as Naikan, Zen meditation, and martial arts, alongside thematic emphases on relational and psychosomatic processes. However, explicit engagement with cultural adaptation is relatively limited, raising questions about the extent to which local cultural contexts are informing or being overlooked. The authors argue that as mindfulness circulates globally, context-sensitive approaches that engage with both global frameworks and local conceptual traditions are needed.