Why We Love Hard Work

In the busiest train station in the world, I stare at a man fully absorbed in his work: cleaning station walls.

In Shinjuku station, in the heart of Tokyo, I am transfixed by an overalled cleaner meticulously removing a smudge from a tile wall. His movements are deliberate, almost reverential. He's not just cleaning; he's caring for this space. No one will likely notice his patch of cleanliness. Yet he continues with complete engagement, as if this task is everything.

This moment captures something I've been obsessing over for years: the mysterious process by which effort transforms into something bigger. Why does pushing ourselves often feel worthwhile, even when the task itself is mundane? And why does Japan, more than anywhere else I've visited, seem to understand this truth at a cultural level?

My lab has been digging into this question for years now. Led by my PhD student Aidan Campbell—who has both a high threshold for effort and a soft spot for Japanese culture—we've discovered so…