noun
self-cultivation; self-improvement
Refers to the process of developing one's character, mind, or morals through personal effort, often in a philosophical or educational context.
彼は読書と瞑想を通じて自己修養に励んでいる。
He devotes himself to self-cultivation through reading and meditation.
Compound of 自己 (self) and 修養 (cultivation, training). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a standard Sino-Japanese pattern for abstract concepts.