On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan earthquake left certain areas in Japan, including Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture, severely devastated. Many people died while the survivors not only lost their family members, many of them also did not have a place to live in. The great earthquake reminded the Japanese that people will eventually support and help each other in times of need; that in the end, we only have to turn to each other to ease our sufferings. This type of relationship developed during such times reminds us "Kizuna" in Japanese.
After the Word War II, the Japanese searched for freedom and destroyed many traditions that had tied them. However, after freeing themselves to such ties, the lack of personal relationships eventually made some people feel lonely and helpless. This situation may be called existential vacuum which was coined by V.E. Frankl.
Logotherapy was derived From the Greek word 'logos' which means meaning. Logotherapy helps people to notice the logos or meaning within their lives and accept the responsibility, through which they can fulfill the existential vacuum. Frankl emphasized the meaning of suffering and the importance of taking a stand to their own lives. Naikan Therapy is a form of directed reflection established by Ishin Yoshimoto(1916-1988), and he developed this method through the secularization and simplification of one religious practice in Jyodo-shinshu, on e of the biggest Buddhist orders in Japan. Through Naikan Therapy, people can realize the fact that they are loved or supported by many. This reflection helps them to take their responsibilities to their own lives. Both Naikan Therapy and Logotherapy may make us rediscover our relationship with others called Kizuna, stimulate our spiritual dimension, and encourage us to address our existential vacuum.
