Everything is cause to honour the occasion

I’m here. You’re here. The sun isn’t shining, but it’s certainly there. And even if it were, that wouldn’t matter. Everything is sekkaku.

'Sekkaku’ is a phrase often uttered in Japan that I struggle to find a direct translation for. Something like ‘reason enough to’, ‘to honour the occasion’, or something along the lines of: ‘since [reason], let’s [action].

For example,

• since the sun’s out, let’s go to the beach.
• since you’re here, let’s have a toast.

That sort of thing.

Sekkaku is a powerful force. It’s a reminder that the circumstances we are in are reason enough to do something. That if we find ourselves in the company of someone special, at a special time of the year, in a special place, that we should do something to honour the occasion.

But the thing is, everything is sekkaku. That we’re here is a miracle. That I’m writing this and you’re reading this even more so. Everything is Sekkaku, and we should treat it that way. Let’s honour the occasion just because it’s the occasion. It’s Sekkaku after all.