KODEN OBSCURE

We live in a culture that tells us we need "more willpower" to break a bad habit. But Zen monks take the exact opposite approach. Let's see if you can guess their secret! 🌿
Watch now: https://youtu.be/dZkwiX36f7c
According to Japanese monastic tradition, what is the most dangerous thing for a bad habit?

1 day ago | [YT] | 16

KODEN OBSCURE

We live in a world that constantly tells us to do more, but ancient wisdom suggests the opposite. Watch the new video in Flowing Void...👇
https://youtu.be/NCt8qWil0sM

According to the ancient philosopher Lao Tzu, what is the only way to make a bowl of muddy water clear?

2 days ago | [YT] | 30

KODEN OBSCURE

You might have noticed that I have been posting videos much more frequently lately, and I want to tell you about why I am doing that.
Recently, my family has been facing a very challenging time. My mother has been suffering from blood cancer and undergoing intensive hospital treatment. Because of the medical expenses, I have taken on a significant amount of debt. I have been pouring all of my energy into creating content so that I can pay off these loans and regain financial stability for us.
However, I am very happy to share some beautiful news... she is recovering incredibly well.... and the doctors have said she should be completely fine in about two months. While she will remain very weak and requires complete bed rest for the next year to fully regain her strength...

And to get relief from stress that are all going on since 2 months I took my father for a forest bathing area.....

And pls remember one thing is that.... please do not send any donations. The Japanese Red Cross Society stepped in to help us with the medical funds, and I am eternally grateful to them for their life saving support.
If you want to help me clear these loans, all I ask for is your time. Please just continue to watch, like, and engage with the videos.... Your viewership is the absolute best way to support the channel right now, and it helps more than words can say.
Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Nagoya orphanage and to every single one of you. Your kindness and support during this incredibly difficult situation kept me going. Thank you for being here to all of you my friend ❤️

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5 days ago | [YT] | 297

KODEN OBSCURE

Koden Obscure is back ⛩️🌸⛩️
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Recently, I tried stepping out from behind the brand, but so many of you reached out with a powerful reminder: Koden Obscure isn’t just a channel name, it’s an emotion. It represents a simple, thoughtful space we’ve built together.
I realize now that changing it was a mistake. Koden Obscure is where this entire journey started. It is the foundation of our community and the perfect home for the wisdom, art, and habits we explore here.
Sometimes you have to stray from the path to remember why you started walking it in the first place. Koden Obscure is back, and it is here to stay.
Thank you for your honesty, your loyalty, and for keeping me grounded.

1 week ago | [YT] | 233

KODEN OBSCURE

A New Chapter for the Channel
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Thank you all so much for helping this community reach 150,000 subscribers. It has been an incredible journey exploring Kaizen, Zen traditions, and Samurai wisdom together, and I am deeply grateful for your support.
As we continue to grow, I want our connection to be as authentic and grounded as the philosophies we discuss. For that reason, I am officially changing the channel name from Koden Obscure to my actual name, Hiroto Takana.
Please know that the content itself is not changing. We will continue our deep dives into historical wisdom, minimalist living, and the classical aesthetics you have come to expect. Stepping out from behind a brand name simply allows me to share these reflections with you on a much more personal level.
Thank you for walking this path with me. I am looking forward to this next chapter with all of you!
— Hiroto Takana

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 78

KODEN OBSCURE

Be honest: what is the hardest part about staying disciplined for you? 🤔
For years, I was stuck in a cycle of setting massive goals and failing a few days later. In my new video, I share the 7 daily practices from my grandfather's journals that finally fixed my discipline. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/kN4H6iV2T0o

What is your biggest struggle right now?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 31

KODEN OBSCURE

If you are asking me what's the reason I don't want to post or make any videos... This is the reason...
And after a long time I did voiceover in this video and got this output which is literally disgusting...
I am very thankful for my audience who supported me during my mother's health condition... I sold my land which I had brought at the age of 27 almost around 8.17 Chobu for my mother's treatment... Her treatment is going on it will take almost 3 to 4 months...
Till then it's bye from my side...
And no hate from my side who disliked the video...

1 month ago | [YT] | 91

KODEN OBSCURE

Your self-care routine might be making you more stressed.

Instead of treating self-care as a reward for surviving the week, what if it was just built into your daily life?
I just released a new video covering 7 Japanese self-care practices that actually work. No expensive retreats, no complicated routines; just simple, intentional habits that bring you back to the present moment. 🌿
Watch the full video here:
👉 https://youtu.be/3_XJGc2UBA4

Drop a "🍵" in the comments if you're going to try one of these tomorrow morning!

1 month ago | [YT] | 23

KODEN OBSCURE

Modern society conditions us to consume constantly. We work exhausting hours just to buy things that lose their appeal the moment we own them. But what if true financial freedom comes from needing less?

In my newest video, I explore a deeply personal realization sparked by reading my grandfather Daiki’s journals. I dive into 5 traditional Japanese frugal living principles: including Kakeibo, Mottainai, and Kanso; that completely transformed my financial reality.
This is never about depriving yourself of joy. It is about intentionally stripping away unnecessary expenses so the things that actually bring you happiness become completely affordable.
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/yEpz3wqrJcQ
I would love to read your thoughts in the comments. Let me know which habit you plan to start practicing first...

1 month ago | [YT] | 15

KODEN OBSCURE

Dear friends,
​I am writing this update with tears of absolute relief and gratitude. We did it.
​Thanks to the overwhelming kindness of this community through your donations and Super Thanks, along with the incredible, life saving support of the Japanese Red Cross Society, all the funds needed for my mother's treatment have been completely arranged. Because of you, my mother can focus entirely on her treatment and fighting this illness without the crushing weight of this financial burden hanging over our family. I am truly in awe of the generosity that has been shown to us.
​Because we have successfully secured all the necessary funds for her hospital bills and specialized care, I am officially asking everyone to please stop donating. We have exactly what we need, and I want to ensure your generosity is respected.
​I will never be able to fully express what this means to us. Thank you for standing by us during our darkest hour, and thank you to the Japanese Red Cross Society for their crucial intervention.
​Please continue to keep her in your thoughts as she goes through her treatments. And as always, thank you for continuing to support the channels just by watching the videos.

1 month ago | [YT] | 258