Who brings meaning to your life?
Ikigai, the Japanese concept of purpose and fulfilment, isn’t just about achieving great goals or finding joy in activities; it also thrives in the meaningful relationships we cultivate.

The word Ikigai has become a viral global phenomenon. Several Ted Talks and a best selling book has perpetuated the myth that Ikigai is a word from Okinawa and the key to longevity and happiness. But what does ikigai mean to the average Japanese?

Scott Haas is a writer and clinical psychologist and the author of four books. The winner of a James Beard award for his on-air broadcasts on public radio, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Detroit

My guest today is Dr Soenke Ziesche. Dr. Soenke Ziesche has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Hamburg. Soenke has worked for over 20 years for the United Nations in the humanitarian and recovery sector. And, until 2019 he worked as a senior researcher on artificial intelligence at the Maldives  National University. Currently, Soenke is  an independent consultant, mostly for the United Nations, based in New Delhi, India.

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, I am speaking with Dr. Chikako Ozawa-de Silva. Chikako is the author of the book, Psychotherapy, and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan.

On this episode, we will discuss houkousei – life directionality, where we can experience ikigai from associations with the past, present, and future.

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, we will be discussing Ikigai and happiness of the elderly in Japan with Dr. Iza Kavedzija.

Kokorozashi is a personal mission that unifies the passion and skills of a professional to create positive change in society.

Will Reed is a Japanologist with over four decades of experience in Japan and is a master teacher of Namba Walking.

In this episode, Shin shares his research results from a qualitative study on how Japanese university students experience ikigai via interpersonal relationships.