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Mieko Kamiya could be called the Mother of Ikigai Psychology. She was one of the first researchers to extensively study ikigai. Her seminal book, Ikigai-ni-Tsuite (What Makes Our Life Worth Living) is still considered standard by current-day Japanese researchers, professors, and psychologists, despite it being published in 1966. Unfortunately, her book is yet to be translated into English. Even more unfortunate is that Kamiya died at the ripe young age of 65 in 1979.

Simple pleasures are what neuroscientist, Ken Mogi describes as the joy of little things, the appreciation of sensory pleasure – one of 5 pillars of ikigai he writes about in this book, The Little Book of Ikigai.

In Okinawa, it is believed that residents live longer and happier lives because they know their reason for waking up.

Steve is an inspiring example of someone living their ikigai. In this Guitar Center masterclass guitarist, Steve Vai talks about success and how to achieve it as a musician. He touches on the importance of knowing what you want, practicing with visualization, the joy you can experience of reaching a goal and achieving a state of flow. All these elements relate to the concept of ikigai.

Neuroscientist and author Ken Mogi explains the concept of ikigai, discusses it’s importance and value in today’s globally competitive world. and provides steps you can take to find your own ikigai.

The Venn diagram below is not ikigai. The framework does not accurately represent the concept of ikigai. Japanese don’t follow this framework, nor contemplate these four questions when they think about their Ikigai.