Ikigai
生きがい
The short translation: “The purpose of living.”
More nuance: What gets you out of bed in the morning. What you are good at that you love and is needed by the world.
Embedded in the word is the belief that everyone has an ikigai. You just need to find it.
Ichi go ichi e
一期一会
Translation: “once in this lifetime”
More nuance: A gentle reminder to treasure every moment in our lifetime. Each moment is unique and will never come again.
Embedded in the word is the relationship to enjoying tea but the meaning extends and applies to all aspects of life.
Nakama
仲間
Translation: “friend”
More nuance: Not just any friend but a very good friend you consider family.
Embedded in the word is the idea that even if you don’t see this friend often, whenever you do it’s as if no time has passed even if it’s been years since you last connected.
I’m not a fan of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis but concepts that are expressed in a word do reveal what a society values.
I know so little about how Japanese is constructed but I would guess it’s maybe harder to express precise information when words are so nuanced with meaning. But I love the ideas that are expressed.