ikigai - Japan joy of living

A

anatta

100% recycled karma
In a 2001 research paper on ikigai, co-author Akihiro Hasegawa, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Toyo Eiwa University, placed the word ikigai as part of everyday Japanese language. It is composed of two words: iki, which means life and gai, whichdescribes value or worth.

According to Hasegawa, the origin of the word ikigai goes back to the Heian period (794 to 1185). “Gai comes from the word kai (“shell” in Japanese) which were deemed highly valuable, and from there ikigai derived as a word that means value in living.”

There are other words that use kai: yarigai or hatarakigai which mean the value of doing and the value of working. Ikigai can be thought of as a comprehensive concept that incorporates such values in life.

There are many books in Japan devoted to ikigai, but one in particular is considered definitive: Ikigai-ni-tsuite (About Ikigai), published in 1966.

The book’s author, psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya, explains that as a word, ikigai is similar to “happiness” but has a subtle difference in its nuance. Ikigai is what allows you to look forward to the future even if you’re miserable right now.

Hasegawa points out that in English, the word life means both lifetime and everyday life. So, ikigai translated as life’s purpose sounds very grand. “But in Japan we have jinsei, which means lifetime and seikatsu, which means everyday life,” he says. The concept of ikigai aligns more to seikatsu and, through his research, Hasegawa discovered that Japanese people believe that the sum of small joys in everyday life results in more fulfilling life as a whole.
A Concept for Longevity?

Japan has some of the longest-living citizens in the world – 87 years for women and 81 for men, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Could this concept of ikigai contribute to longevity?

Author Dan Buettner believes it does. He's the author of Blue Zones: Lessons on Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, and has travelled the globe exploring long-lived communities around the world, which he calls “blue zones”.


One such zone is Okinawa, a remote island with a remarkably high number of centenarians.
While a unique diet likely has a lot to do with residents’ longevity, Buettner says ikigai also plays a part.

Pop idol grannies from KBG84 perform at a herb garden on Kohama Island, Okinawa Prefecture
direct
 
Last edited:
Older people are celebrated, they feel obligated to pass on their wisdom to younger generations,” he says. This gives them a purpose in life outside of themselves, in service to their communities.

According to Buettner, the concept of ikigai is not exclusive to Okinawans: “there might not be a word for it but in all four blue zones such as Sardinia and Nicoya Peninsula, the same concept exists among people living long lives.”

Buettner suggests making three lists: your values, things you like to do, and things you are good at. The cross section of the three lists is your ikigai.

But, knowing your ikigai alone is not enough. Simply put, you need an outlet. Ikigai is “purpose in action,” he says.

For 92-year-old Tomi Menaka, her ikigai is to dance and sing with her peers in the KBG84 dance troupe, she told the Mainichi newspaper. For others, it might be work itself.
Take Action

In a culture where the value of the team supercedes the individual, Japanese workers are driven by being useful to others, being thanked, and being esteemed by their colleagues, says Toshimitsu Sowa, CEO of HR consulting firm Jinzai Kenkyusho.

CEO of executive recruiting firm Probity Global Search Yuko Takato spends her days with highly qualified people who consider work as their ikigai and, according to Takato, they all have one thing in common: they are motivated and quick to take action.

“If you want to start a company but you are scared to dive into the unknown, go and see someone who is already doing something similar to what you have in mind.” By seeing your plans in action, Takato says, “it will give you confidence that you can do it too”.

That’s not to say that working harder and longer are key tenets of the ikigai philosophy – nearly a quarter of Japanese employees work more than 80 hours of overtime a month, and with tragic outcomes – the phenomenon of karoshi (death from overwork) claims more than 2,000 lives a year.
 Rather, ikigai is about feeling your work makes a difference in people’s lives.

When retirement comes, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of why you do what you do beyond collecting a payslip.

By being mindful of this concept, it might just help you live a more fulfilling life
Young salarymen (office workers) leave an office building in Tokyo
direct
 
anatta said:
Older people are celebrated, they feel obligated to pass on their wisdom to younger generations,” he says. This gives them a purpose in life outside of themselves, in service to their communities.

According to Buettner, the concept of ikigai is not exclusive to Okinawans: “there might not be a word for it but in all four blue zones such as Sardinia and Nicoya Peninsula, the same concept exists among people living long lives.”

Buettner suggests making three lists: your values, things you like to do, and things you are good at. The cross section of the three lists is your ikigai.

But, knowing your ikigai alone is not enough. Simply put, you need an outlet. Ikigai is “purpose in action,” he says.

For 92-year-old Tomi Menaka, her ikigai is to dance and sing with her peers in the KBG84 dance troupe, she told the Mainichi newspaper. For others, it might be work itself.
Take Action

In a culture where the value of the team supercedes the individual, Japanese workers are driven by being useful to others, being thanked, and being esteemed by their colleagues, says Toshimitsu Sowa, CEO of HR consulting firm Jinzai Kenkyusho.

CEO of executive recruiting firm Probity Global Search Yuko Takato spends her days with highly qualified people who consider work as their ikigai and, according to Takato, they all have one thing in common: they are motivated and quick to take action.

“If you want to start a company but you are scared to dive into the unknown, go and see someone who is already doing something similar to what you have in mind.” By seeing your plans in action, Takato says, “it will give you confidence that you can do it too”.
Click to expand...
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." Kaizen is a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. Kaizen (改善) is the Sino-Japanese word for "improvement". Kaizen also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain.[1] It has been applied in healthcare,[2] psychotherapy,[3] life coaching, government, and banking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen

Learned this from Total Immersion Swimming. Never stop learning.
 
anonymoose said:
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." Kaizen is a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. Kaizen (改善) is the Sino-Japanese word for "improvement". Kaizen also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain.[1] It has been applied in healthcare,[2] psychotherapy,[3] life coaching, government, and banking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen

Learned this from Total Immersion Swimming. Never stop learning.
Click to expand...
sounds zen like - harmony of purpose and outcome with work (yield best results?)

Isn't that ikigai ?
Ikigai is “purpose in action
Click to expand...
 
anatta said:
When retirement comes, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of why you do what you do beyond collecting a payslip.

By being mindful of this concept, it might just help you live a more fulfilling life
Click to expand...

Great post anatta. I've often thought I could be a great guidance counselor for incoming college freshman who have no idea what they want to major in. That was me.
I always considered university a trade school but it can also be a place to immensely improve and discover the total self and find what trade you want later. Those kids are still very young.
 
anonymoose said:
Great post anatta. I've often thought I could be a great guidance counselor for incoming college freshman who have no idea what they want to major in. That was me.
I always considered university a trade school but it can also be a place to immensely improve and discover the total self and find what trade you want later. Those kids are still very young.
Click to expand...
find some kids to mentor, you can do that in your spare time and don't need a formal job to do it
 
anatta said:
sounds zen like - harmony of purpose and outcome with work (yield best results?)

Isn't that ikigai ?
Click to expand...

Yes. I've heard that word. Swimming is very zen like for me. You can get in great shape churning water but proper technique allows me to swim effortlessly and fairly fast for extended distances.
My wife took a vid of me swimming in a triathlon event which is the first part. My swim stoke looked like slow motion compared to the guys in the adjacent lanes yet I was way faster. - harmony of purpose and outcome with work.
 
anonymoose said:
Yes. I've heard that word. Swimming is very zen like for me. You can get in great shape churning water but proper technique allows me to swim effortlessly and fairly fast for extended distances.
My wife took a vid of me swimming in a triathlon event which is the first part. My swim stoke looked like slow motion compared to the guys in the adjacent lanes yet I was way faster. - harmony of purpose and outcome with work.
Click to expand...
you're in great shape doc.. I can't really do lanes for any amount of time.

But the water is perfect for tai chi (stuff I do) and the slower movements reduce friction -so yes I get the dynamic of your stroke
 
I moved all the furniture and vacuumed/dusted and wet Swiffer the floor boards today.
Tomorrow I have to move a bulky fireplace that sits in a corner - it's siting on a layer of dust.
It's disgusting, and the plastic has to get all wiped down clean.

Out weather hit a high of 70 today! It's a chilly night with a mostly full moon.
I can close up house to keep out the chill, and the house will be all set for winter after I clean it all
Ikigai is “purpose in action”
 
anatta said:
But the water is perfect for tai chi (stuff I do) and the slower movements reduce friction -so yes I get the dynamic of your stroke
Click to expand...
I used to do tai chi regularly but quickly discovered the swimming stroke is tai chi when done properly, as is running, the golf swing, and even cycling to an extent.
So in several ways I'm still doing it along with daily meditation.
 
anonymoose said:
I used to do tai chi regularly but quickly discovered the swimming stroke is tai chi when done properly, as is running, the golf swing, and even cycling to an extent.
So in several ways I'm still doing it along with daily meditation.
Click to expand...
I probably should improve my stroke.
It's a big pool,but it's community pool, so mostly I wind up treading water and doing like running motion
for an hour at a time
My weight loss and muscle build of the past 18 months have really tightened me up, to improve some kata
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top