Hello! I have been truly looking forward to having a heart-to-heart conversation with you like this.
What I have prepared for you today is the “true law of success for money and life” that everyone else is frantically searching for. It is not a flimsy, superficial know-how that vanishes overnight. It is a “truth of wealth,” so absolute it borders on ruthless, which has withstood centuries of trials and is secretly practiced by modern global billionaires.
By simply listening to this story to the end and incorporating a little bit of it into your daily life, your monthly bank balance will visibly begin to change. You will be freed from the stress of money slipping away on wasted expenses, gaining an overwhelming peace of mind that allows you to boldly spend and invest your money on what you truly want.
Now, sip your tea, relax, and listen closely. This is a very important and exciting conversation meant to completely transform the future of no one else but you.
The Truth of Frugality! The 5 Most Powerful Routes to Never Worrying About Money from Tomorrow
First, there is something I want to convey to you above all else. When many people hear words like “saving” or “frugality,” they assume it means “a boring life full of endurance” or “living miserably like a cheapskate.”
But that is completely wrong! Let me state this clearly. True frugality does not make you restricted. Rather, it is the ultimate weapon to completely free you from all financial constraints.
Why do the greatest merchants in history and modern billionaires alike walk this path? What amazing benefits will you gain by practicing this? I have summarized the reasons in a simple list of five. Just by scanning it, an image of your future life where money accumulates rapidly will naturally float into your mind.
- [Route 1] Your available cash (cash flow) will explode, allowing you to seize opportunities instantly.
- [Route 2] Expenses driven by vanity drop to zero, granting you “true confidence” untouched by the eyes of others.
- [Route 3] Household expenses come completely under your control, wiping away any vague anxiety about the future.
- [Route 4] By squeezing every ounce of utility out of things, your thinking becomes simple, and your main business performance skyrockets.
- [Route 5] You can concentrate the saved money into “truly valuable investments,” allowing your wealth to snowball.
Doesn’t that get you excited?
Frugality is not about locking your money away. It is an extremely intelligent strategy to return the initiative of your life entirely into your own hands.
The Crucial Difference Between “Shimatsu” and Being “Cheap”! The Ultimate Aesthetics That Elevate Your Stature
“But wait, if I cut back on living that much, won’t people around me laugh and think I’m just a cheapskate?”
I completely understand why you would worry about that. No one wants to be seen as a small-minded person. But rest assured.
Here, I will share with you the wisdom of the “Omi merchants” and “Ise merchants (Matsusaka merchants),” who were exceptionally brilliant at business during the Edo period. Because of their thorough frugality, the locals in Edo used to mock them with terrible nicknames like “Omi thieves, Ise beggars.” The words are harsh, but it shows just how intensely they refused to spend money on wasteful things.
However, they were by no means “cheap.” What they thoroughly practiced was a way of living called “Shimatsu.”
“Shimatsu” Means Breathing Life Into Things
There is a word I want you to remember by all means. It is “Shimatsu.”
In modern times, we only use this word when disposing of trash, but its true essence is entirely different. “Shi” means the beginning, and “Matsu” means the end. In other words, it means “taking responsibility to beautifully fulfill a matter from its very beginning to its absolute end.”
According to the teachings of the Omi merchants, utilizing the utility of an object to its absolute limit is what breathes life into it and truly makes it live.
For example, suppose you buy a single notebook.
- A cheap person: Grudges the loss of money, hesitates to buy even a necessary notebook, and ends up lowering their work efficiency.
- You, practicing Shimatsu: Quickly buy a high-quality notebook and write on every single page, so packed that not a millimeter of margin is wasted. Once finished, you read it over and make it a part of your own flesh and blood.
This is “Shimatsu.” You spend money cheerfully where it ought to be spent, and you do not part with a single yen for wasteful things. This crisp, well-modulated way of living elevates your stature as a human being several times over.
The Secrets of World Billionaires! Surprising Daily Lives You Can Emulate Tomorrow
Let’s peek into the rooms of top-tier global billionaires who live in the same era as you. Their total assets are on an unimaginable scale—trillions or tens of trillions of yen. They are people who could buy whatever they want, even the earth itself.
What kind of lives do you think they lead?
Do they drape themselves in glittering jewels and drive luxury foreign sports cars every day?
No, the answer is quite the opposite. When you learn about their daily lives, the common sense in your mind will come crashing down.
Warren Buffett’s $30,000 House
Think of the image of Warren Buffett, the world’s greatest investor.
He still lives in the same modest house in a local American city that he bought nearly 70 years ago, in 1958, for a mere $31,500 (at the value back then).
For breakfast, he buys a breakfast meal worth around $3 at McDonald’s on his way to work every day. His desk features no state-of-the-art computer, nor is he swung around by a smartphone in his pocket. He has said:
“My life couldn’t be happier. Because I’m doing what I love, with the people I love, in the place I love. I don’t need a house any more luxurious than this.”
Jeff Bezos’s Honda Car and the “Door Desk”
Jeff Bezos, the man who built Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer. It is a famous story that even after joining the ranks of billionaires, he drove himself to work in an old, mass-market Honda Integra.
During Amazon’s founding days, when trying to buy desks for the office, Bezos went to a home improvement store. There, he realized that buying a regular “wooden door” and slapping four legs onto it was far cheaper than buying a proper office desk.
Without hesitation, he made that “door desk.” To this day, it stands as a symbol of “frugality”—one of Amazon’s core values. Even executives must fly economy class on business trips. This is driven by a ruthless mathematical rationality: “All saved money should be channeled back into customer returns and service development.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s Closet
If you open the closet of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, you will see identical gray T-shirts and identical denim jeans lined up in rows.
His personal car is a very ordinary, mass-market vehicle like the ones you see on any street corner. He focuses all the time and energy he would waste each morning wondering “What should I wear today?” into his business to make the world a better place.
Bill Gates’s Economy Class
The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates. The reason why he continued to fly economy class on company business trips for many years is incredibly sharp.
“Even if you fly first class or economy class, the time you arrive at your destination doesn’t change by a single second. If so, paying five or six times more money is completely wrong as an investment efficiency.”
How about that? Have their images vividly surfaced in your mind?
They don’t save money because they lack it. Because they understand the value of money better than anyone else, they have an intense aesthetic that refuses to pay even a single cent for wasteful things.
Learning from Edo’s Great Merchants! The Teaching of “Sticking Solely to Your Core Business” to Blast Through Your Career
Let’s return to Japanese history.
Along with the Omi merchants, the “Matsusaka merchants (Ise merchants),” who laid the foundation of the Japanese economy, had an incredible action principle that you can apply immediately to your life today.
That is, “Sticking solely to your core business without looking sideways.”
In this day and age, whenever you open your smartphone, sweet words of temptation like “side hustles to make easy money” or “get rich quick with crypto” jump into your eyes one after another. It is completely natural to want to peek sideways and think, “Maybe I should give it a shot.”
However, the Matsusaka merchants never touched speculative trades or gambles beyond their actual capabilities. Moreover, indulging in pleasures, distractions, or multiple hobbies was considered completely out of the question.
Are People with Too Many Hobbies Unsuited for Business?
In the shops of Matsusaka merchants, it was even said that “A person with too many hobbies is unsuited to be a merchant.” Those are harsh words, aren’t they?
Why did they go that far? Because human focus and time are finite assets. People who scatter their energy here and there cannot master a single thing.
Look at the work you are doing right now, your core business. Try pouring all your passion and time into it. Do not look sideways; become a professional in that field who loses to no one. In the end, this is the shortest route to bringing you the largest and most stable wealth.
Wear Cotton, Pleasures Forbidden! The Lesson for Your Body Hidden in the “Edo Illness”
The thoroughness of the Matsusaka merchants did not stop there.
The clothes worn by the employees working at the shops were strictly decided to be humble, fine-patterned “cotton.” Wearing flashy silk garments was strictly forbidden. Small arguments among peers, casual gossiping, and night-time pleasures were all prohibited. Deep management and frugality were the trademarks of their shops.
However, if anything goes too far, an unexpected pitfall awaits. From here, we dive into an unexpected story full of lessons that relates directly to your daily life.
Employees Collapsing from Excessive Ban on Luxuries
At the shops they set up in Edo (Edo stores), a major problem arose.
As a result of continuing an extremely frugal diet, many employees fell ill one after another, finding their legs staggering so badly they couldn’t walk, or becoming completely bedridden.
The people of the time feared this as a mysterious and terrifying disease, calling it the “Edo Illness (Edo-wazurai).”
In truth, this was caused by a deficiency in a certain nutrient that anyone in modern times knows about. It was “beriberi” caused by a lack of Vitamin B1.
In Edo at the time, eating pure white, polished rice was a status symbol and a luxury. However, because they kept their side dishes extremely meager, they suffered a complete lack of Vitamin B1, which is found in brown rice and pork.
The Balance of Your Life
What do you learn from this story?
What I want to tell you is that “saving money at the expense of your health becomes your greatest loss.”
If you say you want to save money and live only on instant noodles every day, or work yourself to the bone while sacrificing sleep, what will happen? Eventually, you break your body, end up paying high medical fees, become unable to work, and suffer a massive loss.
True “Shimatsu” means keeping your greatest capital—your body and your health—in the absolute best condition. Eating well, sleeping well, and taking care of your body while cutting down on wasteful expenses. This exquisite sense of balance is the absolute condition for you to remain happy, healthy, and wealthy for a long time.
The Philosophy Guarded by Toyota’s Great Leader! “Defend Your Own Castle by Yourself”
Toyota Motor Corporation, a world-class company representing modern Japan. At the very root of Toyota’s strength, the exact same DNA of “frugality” flows steadily.
There is a legendary manager named Taizo Ishida, who was known as the master guardian who built Toyota into a global enterprise. His way of living is full of a fierce, single-minded devotion that will fire up your heart.
Despite holding the highest positions as president and chairman, Ishida never stepped foot inside a department store to shop even once during his time as leader.
“It’s a waste of money, and above all, I don’t have that kind of time. My duty is to give everything to the business.”
Saying so, he always dressed humbly like an apprentice and quietly worked away.
Being Number One in Car Production Means Nothing
Even when everyone around him made a huge fuss saying, “Toyota’s production volume became number one in the world!”, Ishida kept a cool face and said:
“Even if our car production volume becomes number one, that in itself means nothing. What truly matters is being ‘Number One in Profits.’ And then, taking the profits earned there and pouring them all into developing new products. This is the only way to defend our castle.”
He always told his people, “Defend your own castle by yourself.”
Do not rely on the state, the government, or the assistance of others. Firmly solidify your own footing, thoroughly eliminate waste, and keep a plentiful reserve (profit) inside. If you have that, no matter how great a recession hits, your castle will never fall.
This applies directly and perfectly to your individual life and your household financial management.
Instead of relying on someone else, you strengthen your own castle through your own “Shimatsu.” There is no greater security than this.
Stirring Your Soul! Nakai Genzaemon’s “One-Page Pledge of a Wealthy Merchant”
Here, I would like to introduce a legendary management policy that Nakai Genzaemon, a giant among Omi merchants, wrote down every New Year in his final years as a vow to the gods and buddhas.
It is called the “One-Page Pledge of a Wealthy Merchant (Kanamochi Shonin Ichimai Kishomon).”
He left behind the truth of why he was able to build such colossal wealth on a single piece of paper, as if speaking directly to you. I deliver its contents to you rewritten in clear, modern words.
[The Teaching of the One-Page Pledge of a Wealthy Merchant]
1. People in the world often say, “That person became rich because they were lucky. I am poor because I have no luck.” But that is a huge mistake. No such thing as “luck” exists in this world.
If you want to become rich, completely stop wasteful drinking parties, flashy plays, and luxuries. Just focus on living a long life and dedicate yourself to “Shimatsu” as the top priority in your daily business. There is no other way. If you start chasing after greedy gambles aiming to get rich quick, you will be abandoned by both the blessings of your ancestors and the laws of nature, and you will surely ruin yourself.
However, do not confuse “Shimatsu” with being “cheap.” The light cast by a cheapskate vanishes in an instant, but the light of true “Shimatsu” will continue to beautifully illuminate the place you stand right now, as if it were a paradise on earth.
2. A person who understands this from the bottom of their heart and practices it diligently every day will undoubtedly accumulate a vast fortune of 50,000 or 100,000 ryo. This is an undeniable fact.
However, to become a true, long-lasting master respected by the whole country, the power of your single generation is not enough. Only when a virtuous person who inherits this spirit of “Shimatsu” is born in the second and third generations can it become a household that lasts forever. To achieve this, pile up unseen acts of goodness without seeking rewards (accumulating hidden virtue), and firmly leave this teaching behind so that future descendants do not perish from the sickness of luxury.
How about that? Even though these are words from centuries ago, doesn’t it feel like he is pointing directly at your life today and gently guiding you?
“Don’t blame luck. Your ‘Shimatsu’ of today creates your wealth of tomorrow.”
These powerful words of Genzaemon will serve as a wonderful compass for your way of living from now on.
The Ice-Cold Resolve of Konosuke Matsushita! Presenting “The General’s Ultimate Satisfaction” to You
Konosuke Matsushita, revered as the “God of Management” in Japan. He, too, left behind very strict yet love-filled words for managers—leaders who take responsibility for their own lives.
If you are a leader (the protagonist) cutting open your own path in life, please straighten your back and listen to these words.
“Once people become the top leaders of a company, they can’t be saying things like ‘I’m going to play, I’m taking a day off’ just like general employees do. That won’t do at all.
Even when employees are playing, even when you are resting your body, you must constantly think about work and the future of the company inside your head. That level of resolve is necessary.
Some might say, ‘I can’t survive under such pressure.’ But even if you lose your life over it, isn’t that the ultimate satisfaction as a general? Unless you have the mindset of ‘Sen-yu-ko-raku’ (worrying before others, enjoying after others), you can never stand above people, nor can you ever succeed in business. Management is not such an easy thing.”
Are You the “General” of Your Own Life?
Hearing these words, how did you feel? Did you think, “Wow, doing that much is just a black company”?
But what Matsushita wants to say is not about being forced to work. It is about “how much you can fall in love with the work you chose, and how crazily passionate you can be about the greatest stage called your life.”
While other people are killing time playing games on their smartphones, what if you are reading books and reflecting deeply for your own future? While other people are enjoying shopping driven by materialistic desires after payday, what if you are practicing “Shimatsu” and storing money for future asset management?
At that exact moment, you are already a magnificent “General” of your own life. That resolve is the very driving force that will pull you away from the crowd of ordinary people and make you break through all at once.
The Dining Table of Toshio Doko, the Demon of Management! What “Mr. Doko of the Mezashi” Teaches Us About Happiness
Lastly, let me introduce one more magnificent leader of Japan whom I want you to know by all means.
During the Showa era, Toshio Doko served as the chairman of the Provisional Commission on Administrative Reform, turning around massive, failing Japanese corporations and rebuilding the nation’s finances one after another.
He was a man who moved national budgets worth trillions of yen and possessed the greatest power and influence in Japan. One day, his private life was broadcast nationwide on a television news program.
The citizens across Japan were utterly astounded.
Sitting on his dinner table shown on the screen was nothing more than a single “Mezashi” (dried sardine), brown rice, miso soup, and pickles.
Despite being incredibly wealthy and a magnificent leader, what he ate was far humbler than the average citizen. From then on, he was called “Mr. Doko of the Mezashi,” gathering absolute trust and respect from the people of Japan.
The Philosophy of Omi Merchants Who Loved Straw Ropes
This image of Mr. Doko syncs perfectly with the way of living practiced by the top Omi merchants.
The Omi merchants of the past never wore silk garments throughout their entire lives, sticking only to humble cotton or linen clothes. For the string of their tobacco pouches, they used straw ropes picked up from the ground, and on rainy days, they did not wear expensive wooden clogs, walking through the mud in straw sandals.
Upon arriving at an inn on their journey, they would immediately ask the host for straw and weave new straw sandals for tomorrow’s trip before going to sleep. When at home, they walked around the village early in the morning; if there were straw scraps or old straw sandals dropped on the road, they picked them up to use as fertilizer for the fields. If they found pieces of wood, they used them to kindle the bath, and all paper scraps were completely used up as memo pads by writing on the back.
They used to say:
“If a human being can receive three meals a day and has a house to shield them from the wind, rain, and cold, that alone is enough to be happy.”
The True Luxury Right in Front of You
Now, let me ask you.
Are there not too many things overflowing around you right now?
The smartphone you want every time a new model comes out, a closet packed with clothes you don’t wear, snacks you bought at a convenience store for no particular reason.
Are those things truly making you happy from the bottom of your heart?
Staring at the way of living of Mr. Doko and the Omi merchants washes your mind clean, making everything feel beautifully clear. True happiness is not about owning many things. It is about loving what you have right now, using it completely, and living simply for your precious purpose.
The moment you bring that “simple beauty” into your daily life starting today, your money will stay by your side and begin to multiply at an astonishing rate.
Summary: The “Cycle of Wealth” Beginning in Your Life Today
Thank you so very much for listening to my story for such a long time.
To be able to talk deeply with you about your future life like this brings me greater joy than anything else.
Try recalling what we discussed today as a beautiful image inside your mind once more.
- The old, charming, modest house where Mr. Buffett still resides.
- The proud “door desk” that Mr. Bezos built with his own hands.
- The dignified cotton kimonos worn by the employees of the Matsusaka merchants.
- The pure integrity of the single mezashi sitting on Mr. Doko’s dining table.
These are all “living textbooks” to make you wealthy.
It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. As the protagonist of your own life, you can stop spending money for the sake of other people’s vanity starting today, this very moment.
The precious money and time brought forth by your “Shimatsu” should be focused 100% on your future dreams and your true success.
You can absolutely do it. I am looking forward to the day when your bank balance grows steadily, and at the same time, your heart fills with the overwhelming peace of mind shared by true billionaires. I will be cheering you on more than anyone else!
Please come back to talk with me anytime. I truly believe in your magnificent breakthrough ahead!
Postscript: A Message from the Soul of an Artist to Color Your Daily Life
Lastly, before we part ways, allow me to present you with a wonderful quote by a magnificent artist that has a deep connection to your life ahead.
Leonardo da Vinci, the world-renowned genius painter, sculptor, and architect, left behind these words:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
These words do not merely apply to paintings or design. They are a teaching that connects most deeply and powerfully to your upcoming daily life and your relationship with money.
Why Does This Quote Hold Meaning for Your Daily Life?
Many people are desperate to make their lives “complex.”
They think, “I have to buy more things,” “I have to go to more luxurious places,” and “I have to be thought of as amazing by others,” constantly trying to attach unnecessary decorations to themselves. As a result, no matter how much money they have, it is never enough, and their hearts grow exhausted, always trembling under the gaze of others.
However, Da Vinci teaches us. True excellence and a beautifully sophisticated way of living exist within “ultimate simplicity,” where all unnecessary things have been shaved away.
The essence of “frugality (Shimatsu)” that you and I discussed today is exactly what this quote by Da Vinci represents.
Abandoning wasteful vanity, choosing only what is truly necessary, and treasuring it to the absolute end. That extremely simple way of living will make you shine as a “sophisticated, true adult” far brighter than anyone around you.
From tomorrow, when you are about to buy something, or when you hesitate over a choice, try chanting these words in your heart.
“Does this make my life simple? Or does it make it complex?”
With this single, simple question, your money will be protected, and your life will transform into something many times clearer, more beautiful, and infinitely wealthier than it is today. I pray that the greatest fortune rains down upon your future!