is a

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese concept referring to what an individual defines as the meaning of their life.

Meaning and etymology

The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' defines () as "a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living". More generally, it may refer to something that brings pleasure or fulfillment. The term compounds two Japanese words: and , which, when combined and sequentially voiced as ''gai'', result in the meaning 'a reason for living eing alive a meaning for olife; what omething thatmakes life worth living; a 'raison d'être'. In their book, ''Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life'', Héctor García and Francesc Miralles explain, "This Japanese concept, which translates roughly as 'the happiness of always being busy,' is like

logotherapy Logotherapy is a form of existential therapy developed by neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. It is founded on the premise that the primary motivational force of individuals is to find meaning in life. Frankl describes it as "the Third V ...

, but it goes a step beyond." In 2022, the

Japanese government The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...

posted an article on their official website stating, "A broad concept, it kigairefers to that which brings value and joy to life: from people, such as one’s children or friends, to activities including work and hobbies."

The Ikigai diagram

In their book, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles include a

Venn diagram A Venn diagram is a widely used diagram style that shows the logical relation between set (mathematics), sets, popularized by John Venn (1834–1923) in the 1880s. The diagrams are used to teach elementary set theory, and to illustrate simple ...

created by Mark Winn, which in turn was likely inspired by the "purpose" diagram created in 2011 by Andrés Zuzunaga, replacing "purpose" with "ikigai." This diagram includes four elements: what a person likes, what a person is good at, what the world needs, and what can be rewarded. When these four elements overlap, that person has found their ikigai.

Overview

can be described as having a sense of purpose in life, as well as being a source of motivation. According to a study by Michiko Kumano, feeling as described in Japanese usually refers to the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that follows when people pursue their passions. Activities that generate the feeling of are not imposed on an individual; they are perceived as spontaneous and undertaken willingly, making them personal and dependent on a person's inner self. According to Japanese psychologist Katsuya Inoue, is a concept that consists of two aspects: "sources or objects that bring value or meaning to life" and "a feeling that one's life has value or meaning because of the existence of its source or object". Inoue classifies into three categories – social , non-social , and anti-social – from a social perspective. ''Social'' refers to form of accepted by society, such as volunteer activities and community activities. A ''non-social'' refers to that is not directly related to society, such as

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

self-discipline Discipline is the self-control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed, and the ability to keep working at something that is difficult. Disciplinarians believe that such self-control is of the utmost importance and enforce a ...

. ''Anti-social'' refers to , which is the basic motivation for living through dark emotions, such as the desire to hate someone or something or to continue having a desire for revenge. ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

'' reporter Dan Buettner suggested that may be one of the reasons for the longevity of the people of

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. According to Buettner,

Okinawans The are a Japonic languages, Japonic-speaking East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group indigenous to the Ryukyu Islands, which stretch from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwanese islands, Taiwan. With Japan, most Ryukyuans live in t ...

have less desire to

retire Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

and they continue doing their favorite job as long as they remain healthy. , a close-knit group of friends, is also considered an important reason for the people of Okinawa to live long.

Early popularization

Ikigai was first popularized by the Japanese psychiatrist and academic Mieko Kamiya in her 1966 book, .

Importance

In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, was thought to have two primary forms of manifestation: either in terms of the betterment of society ("subordinating one's own desires to others") or the improvement of oneself ("following one's own path"). According to anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva, for an older generation in Japan, their was to "fit this standard mold of company and family", whereas the younger generation reported their to be about "dreams of what they might become in the future". Studies have shown that people who do not experience are more likely to suffer from

cardiovascular diseases Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina, heart attack), heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheuma ...

. However, there was no evidence of any correlation with development of malignant tumors.

Ikigai scale

An Ikigai scale has been constructed to measure the effects on mental and physical health effects on those people who practice it.

References

External links

"Factors associated with 'Ikigai' among members of a public temporary employment agency for seniors (Silver Human Resources Centre) in Japan; gender differences"
''Health and Quality of Life Outcomes''. 2006; 4:12 (retrieved Nov 2008).
"Ikigai and Mortality"
''Psychology Today''. 17 Sep 2008 (retrieved Jan 2010).
"Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+"
TED talk about longevity that explains the word in the Okinawan context. Jan 2010.
Japan's formula for life satisfaction
By Lily Crossley-Baxter, 11 May 2020, bbc.com. {{Authority control Happiness Culture of Japan Japanese words and phrases Mental states Self Sociological terminology Words and phrases describing personality Philosophy of life