In a world where TikTok trends fade faster than cherry blossoms 🌸, one Japanese scholar is turning to 2,500-year-old philosophy to help young people find meaning. Meet Ohori Rio – a sinologist on a mission to make Confucius cool again.
From Poetry to Philosophy
Rio's journey began like many Gen Zers: through competition hype. Her 'aha moment' came during the Chinese Bridge contest, where she discovered Confucius's radical idea of 'education for all' – basically the OG version of today's viral 'knowledge-sharing' TikTok trends.
Ancient Answers for Modern Anxiety
📜 'The Analects aren’t just dusty quotes,' Rio tells us. 'They’re about handling FOMO before it was a thing.' She’s repackaging Confucian values like:
🤝 Relationship-building over endless scrolling
🧠 Self-reflection as mental health care
🌱 Personal growth in our 'side hustle' culture
Confucianism in the Digital Age
While Japan’s youth battle 'karoshi' (overwork culture) and China faces 'neijuan' (social competition), Rio sees Confucian harmony as the ultimate life hack. Her next move? Creating bilingual content that makes 'ren' (benevolence) as relatable as K-drama friendships.
Could this be the start of a #ConfuciusChallenge trend? 🎋 Only time – and Gen Z’s attention spans – will tell.
