IkigaiTribe

One Japanese word can change your life. It did for us, and it’s how connected with Kumiko Sugiyama, a Japanese language coach, business Japanese trainer, and ICF Associate Certified Coach who blends language learning with coaching, communication skills, and a deep love of Japanese culture.

Some people don’t need fixing—they need a sanctuary. In this conversation, Chie Sawa shares how reflection creates clarity, calm, and better decisions for globally minded leaders in Japan. Together, we explore thriving, co-reflection, and the power of having a protected space to hear yourself clearly again

Caitlin Kight returns to host The Ikigai Podcast and interview me about my new book, A Year of Ikigai. Caitlin interviewed me for my first book—which she also edited—back on Episode 45, and she was also a guest on Episode 29. She is deeply connected to the Ikigai Tribe journey, having completed the Ikigai Tribe Coach Certification and joined our inaugural retreat in Japan, so there is a real sense of shared understanding behind this conversation.

Learning Japanese for work is rarely a straight line from grammar to fluency. The biggest gap for many professionals is not vocabulary, but the cultural logic behind Japanese communication: indirectness, shared context, and a constant awareness of how words land on other people.Podcast HighlightsShohei’s background across Japan, Malaysia, and the UK Why language learning becomes ikigai

With constant distractions everywhere, how can you stay receptive to notice life’s aha moments?In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Mae Yoshikawa about how moments of deep insight, known in Japanese culture as kizuki, can reshape self-understanding and perspective on life.Podcast HighlightsA life shaped by multiple worlds. Mae explains how her life was

How can we find meaning in today’s workplace?In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick Kemp speaks with Tina Bagwell to explore how meaning, identity, and belonging are reshaping modern work and what it means to build a more human-centered professional life.Podcast HighlightsA foundation of intentional living. Tina shares how living in Okinawa helped shape her

How much can we truly hold?In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Shigeki Nishimura about utsuwa, a concept that encourages us to focus less on doing more and more on expanding our inner capacity in work, leadership, and life.Podcast HighlightsFrom corporate engineer to global leadership thinker. Shigeki shares his life in Germany.What is

The fact that you’re alive to read these words is nothing short of a miracle. Thousands upon thousands of generations in your ancestral chain all lived long enough, met, and procreated at the exact right time to eventually produce you. In short, you and I won the jackpot in the evolutionary lottery. Yet, we don’t treat life as a miracle. Most of the time, we struggle to get through each day. The Japanese concept of ikigai reminds us that life is a miracle

How do you deal with pain?In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Kiki Fukai about how physical pain changed her perspective, purpose, and approach to life.Podcast HighlightsA life of freedom before the fall. Kiki shares her experiences as a digital nomad.The day everything changed. Kiki reflects on her life-changing accident.Gratitude before fear. Kiki shares how