MUJI is often dubbed “commercial Zen,” and there is a reason for that. Zen, a school of the Mahayana Buddhism, elevated the notion of “kuu” – the central tenet of Buddhism – into unique forms of art such as Zen rock garden (kare-sansui) and tea ceremony, which let abundant beauty emerge from least number of objects. “Kuu” means “nothingness”, “emptiness” or “sky”, and represents zero and the source of infinite potential at the same time. The essence is shared by MUJI’s design philosophy, which was cemented by Kenya Hara, a renowned designer and the member of MUJI Advisory Board who advocates the aesthetics of “emptiness.” MUJI designs its products as “empty vessels” by carefully stripping off every excessive, unnecessary frill. The result is substantial voids which inspire users, who enjoy unleashing their own creativity to make the most of the products to invigorate their living environment. MUJI engages users so that they can design their own happiness leveraging their products.