Mandala Chart vs. Harada Method
The two names are often used as if they meant the same thing. They don’t: the Mandala Chart is a tool, and the Harada Method is a whole system for reaching goals that happens to use a version of that tool.
The short answer
| Mandala Chart | Harada Method | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A 9×9 grid for breaking a goal into themes and actions | A complete goal-setting and self-reliance program |
| Origin | Mandal-Art, developed by Yasuo Matsumura in Japan in 1979 | Developed by Takashi Harada, a former school track coach in Osaka |
| Main parts | One page: goal, 8 themes, 64 actions | Several forms: goal setting, analysis, the 64-cell grid, a routine checklist and a daily diary |
| Time needed | An hour to make, minutes a week to review | Daily work, often with a coach or in a company program |
| Best for | Planning any goal quickly and seeing the whole plan at once | Long, structured personal development with tracking and coaching |
What the Mandala Chart is
A Mandala Chart is a single page: a goal in the center cell, eight themes around it, and eight actions for each theme in the outer blocks. Its strength is that it makes you think broadly about a goal and turns it into concrete steps, all visible at once.
The original method, Mandal-Art, was created by Yasuo Matsumura as a tool for thinking and planning, and has been used in Japan for decades in business and education.
What the Harada Method is
The Harada Method was developed by Takashi Harada, who used it as a track and field coach at a public junior high school in Osaka, where his students won many national titles. He later turned it into a program for companies and schools.
The method treats goal achievement as a skill you can train. Besides setting goals, it puts a lot of weight on self-reliance, analyzing past successes and failures, building routines and serving others. A 64-cell grid much like the Mandala Chart is one of its forms, often called the “Open Window 64”. Alongside it the method uses long-term goal sheets, a routine check sheet to track daily habits, and a diary for reflecting on each day.
Where Shohei Ohtani fits in
The most famous example of the grid is the chart Shohei Ohtani filled in at Hanamaki Higashi High School. His school used the Harada Method’s approach, so strictly speaking his chart is a Harada-style 64-cell sheet – but in form it is exactly a Mandala Chart. That is why the two names are mixed up so often. See Ohtani’s chart translated and explained.
Which one should you use?
Start with the Mandala Chart. It takes an hour, works for any goal, and gives you most of the benefit: a clear goal, a complete picture, and a list of things to do. You can make one in the free editor or start from a template.
Borrow from the Harada Method if you want more structure. Two of its ideas are easy to add to any Mandala Chart:
- A routine checklist. Pick the 5–10 daily habits from your chart and tick them off every day for a few months.
- A short daily reflection. Two minutes each evening: what went well, what didn’t, what you will do tomorrow.
If you want the full Harada Method, look for its official books or certified programs – it is a larger system than one page can capture.