"Where sensei denotes the respect you owe to your teachers, go-on is a more general respect you owe to anyone who has taken good care of you. The concept of go-on developed in an ancient feudal era to describe the bond between the lord and the samurai. The price of the lord's protection was paid in go-on, gratitude expressed through absolute loyalty.
Today, on is a feeling of appreciation towards the people who have been a friend to you or looked after you. You would go beyond your calling to help or support the giver of on - not because you are motivated by guilt or obligation but by the genuine desire to return the help that you have received. On is everywhere, between you and your parents, friends, co-workers, maybe even strangers. It is a beautiful tie that strengthens the connections between people in society."
From Ikigai and other Japanese words to live by by Mari Fujimoto.
I'll write more about the book soon but I wanted to post this extract now as it expresses our appreciation of all those who helped us in our recent difficulty.
