A researcher of the useless, from Japan

It's okay to be useless.

yes, really.

Hi, I'm MON-chan. I travel the world asking one question:
What does muda mean to you?

Tell me your MUDA See the journey
A father gasps with delight as his daughter gets a capsule from the MUDADAN gachapon machine, while MON-chan in a blue happi coat hands it over. One useless capsule. One very real "WOW."

What is MUDA

Not laziness. Presence.

muda
/moo-dah/ · noun · Japanese
  1. waste; something useless.
  2. doing something with your whole heart, without asking what it's for.
  3. a small act of resistance to productivity.

From MON-chan's MUDA NOTES: "meaningless actions as resistance to productivity."

Forget the result for a moment

Muda is choosing this moment over what it's supposed to produce.

Be five years old again

Fold a paper crane badly. Spin a capsule toy. Laugh at nothing in particular.

Useless things make room

The time you don't optimize is where your own ideas show up.

In Italy, you call it dolce far niente.
In Japan, I call it muda.

See you at Japan Week Palermo, November 2026.

The Journey

Asking the world what's useless.

  1. Home base

    Tokyo, Japan

    A busy city, a serious life, and a growing suspicion that the "useless" parts were the best parts.

  2. 2025

    Manchester

    My first solo trip abroad. A booth at the 50th Japan Week, a capsule-toy machine, and a notebook full of strangers' muda.

  3. November 2026

    Palermo

    The research continues at Japan Week Palermo. Come say hi, and leave your muda with me.

Children and parents gathered around the MUDADAN booth, reading the MUDADAN poster.
The 50th Japan Week, Manchester 2025. Families stopped by to spin the capsule machine and leave their muda.
MON-chan at her booth gesturing to a hand-written poster for the MUDA Challenge.
The MUDA Challenge: collect 365 beautifully useless ideas in just 4 days. #MUDA365

Spun the capsule machine
way too many times.
Zero regrets.

4 daysat the 50th Japan Week in Manchester
1 question"What does muda mean to you?"
Everyonekids, parents, students and grown-ups

Moments of muda

Nobody asked what it was for.

A visitor writing his answer in the MUDA notebook at the booth.Writing down his muda
MON-chan folding paper cranes with a girl and her mother at Gorton Library.Cranes, slightly crooked
MON-chan in a happi coat holding up a red Japan Week towel inside Manchester Cathedral.Manchester Cathedral
MON-chan behind her booth under a hand-painted banner: MUDA BOOM! Together, we make meaningless magic.MUDA BOOM!
A large group of Japan Week volunteers and visitors laughing together outside Gorton Library.Gorton Library crew

Join the research

Tell me your MUDA.

What's something you do that's completely useless, and you love it anyway? Post it with #MUDA100 and tag @mon_muda, or send it to me directly. Every answer becomes part of the next exhibition and the MUDA ZINE.

Send it on Instagram or on X
What does muda mean to you?
Folding a paper crane I will never use, very slowly.
Example answer · your card goes here

Join

Let's do muda together.

Secret society

MUDADAN

A secret base for plotting useless things, founded in Japan in 2021. No boss. No point. Very serious.

  • Entry requirement: plot one useless thing
  • Any age, any country. Membership is free
  • New members join through an online audition
Enter the base
Work with me

Bring muda to your town.

Talks and workshops for schools, companies, festivals and communities, anywhere in the world. Participants find their own muda, and their own dream.

  • Talks: why useless things make people and teams stronger
  • Workshops: write, fold, spin, and share your muda
  • Events: booths and gatherings people actually talk at
Message me on Instagram

Works

Where muda lives.

Essays

MUDA NOTES

Fragments of thought on meaningless actions, in English and Japanese.

Read on Medium → Live

TikTok LIVE

Hours of live, joyful, mostly useless conversation. Mostly in Japanese.

Watch on TikTok → Community

MUDADAN

A secret base for people who take pointless things seriously. Founded in Japan.

Enter the base →
Coming 2027

MUDA ZINE vol.1

The answers collected in Manchester and Palermo, made into a zine.

MON-chan sitting sideways in an ornate orange armchair, wearing a striped camellia kimono and sneakers, making a peace sign.

About

MON-chan

Hiroko Takizawa · Uselessness researcher

I listen to people until they tell me the thing they think doesn't matter. Usually, that's the thing that matters most. I turn those moments into words, events and exhibitions, and I'm taking them around the world.

  • Based inBased in Tokyo, Japan. Heading to New York.
  • CompanyFounder of Pepper Inc., a Japanese studio for branding, community and events
  • CommunityLed a 33,000-member community on new ways of working for two years
  • AbroadJapan Week Manchester 2025 · Japan Week Palermo 2026

Say hi

Let's waste some time together.

For exhibitions, workshops and talks, message me on Instagram.

Instagram @mon_muda TikTok X Medium