One Japanese word can change your life. It did for us, and it’s how I 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.
Kumiko Sugiyama
Kumiko Sugiyama, a Japanese Language Coach, Japanese Language Trainer, and ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC). Kumiko helps learners achieve their goals by drawing on their unique personalities and strengths, with a focus on both Japanese language development and communication skills.
Passionate about the transformative power of language learning, Kumiko believes that studying Japanese can be a pathway to pursuing one's dreams and aspirations. She is also dedicated to sharing the beauty of the Japanese language and the value of coaching with people around the world.
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"Ikigai is something very personal for Japanese people...Ikigai helps you get back on your feet...My ikigai is to make the people around me smile.”
In our conversation, Kumiko shares her journey from sales and business into parenting, startups, community leadership, and ultimately teaching Japanese and coaching professionals from around the world. Along the way, she discovered that ikigai is rarely something you stumble upon all at once. Instead, it develops through experience, relationships, and the courage to keep growing.
Ikigai: Something Deeply Personal
We begin by exploring ikigai and why it is so often misunderstood outside Japan. While it is commonly translated as "reason for being," Kumiko explains that most Japanese people don't think of ikigai as a single life mission or dream career.
Rather, it is something deeply personal that emerges through everyday life. It can be found in meaningful work, raising children, hobbies, friendships, or simply the quiet satisfaction of contributing to others. Rather than chasing one defining purpose, many people experience ikigai through the small moments that make life feel worth living.
What 100 People Taught Kumiko About Ikigai
Kumiko also shares the results of an informal survey she conducted during the pandemic, asking 100 people what gave them ikigai. The responses reveal a remarkably diverse picture of ikigai. Some found it in music, sports, calligraphy, crafts, or other personal passions that brought joy and energy to everyday life.
Others spoke about family, describing the fulfilment that comes from supporting children, caring for parents, or watching loved ones grow. Many also identified meaningful work as an important source of ikigai—not simply through career success, but through using their strengths, helping others, and making a positive contribution. Together, these responses paint a picture of ikigai that is practical, relational, and woven into the fabric of daily living.
Ibasho: A Place Where You Can Be Yourself
From there, we turn to ibasho, the Japanese concept of "a place where you can be yourself." Kumiko describes ibasho as far more than a physical location. It may be a community, a workplace, a friendship group, or even a favourite café where you feel accepted without needing to perform or prove yourself.
Through her volunteer work in Japanese language communities, she has seen how these spaces foster warmth, connection, and mutual support across generations. We also explore why a sense of belonging may be one of the most important ingredients for wellbeing, particularly in a world facing increasing loneliness, social withdrawal, and rapid technological change.
Ohitorisama: Finding Joy in Solitude
The conversation also introduces two beautiful Japanese concepts that complement ikigai and ibasho. The first is ohitorisama, a respectful expression that celebrates spending time alone.
Rather than viewing solitude as loneliness, ohitorisama recognises the value of enjoying your own company. Kumiko reflects on a recent solo journey through western Japan and explains how travelling alone gave her freedom, reflection, and unexpected moments of connection with others.
Yutori: Creating Space to Breathe
Closely connected is yutori, the idea of having space or margin in life. More than simply free time, yutori is the mental and emotional breathing room that allows us to slow down, reflect, and regain perspective. Kumiko shares how this sense of spaciousness during her travels helped her think more clearly, rest more deeply, and appreciate life at a gentler pace. In an increasingly busy and distracted world, yutori may be one of the most overlooked ingredients of wellbeing.
Throughout our conversation, one theme becomes clear: these concepts are not isolated ideas but complementary ways of living. Ikigai offers purpose. Ibasho provides belonging.
Ohitorisama reminds us to enjoy our own company. Yutori creates the space for peace for mind. Together, they present a more balanced vision of wellbeing—one that values both contribution and rest, community and solitude, growth and presence.
More Than Learning Japanese
For Kumiko, teaching Japanese has never been just about grammar or vocabulary. It is about sharing a culture whose language carries values of humility, respect, connection, and consideration for others. As she beautifully puts it, her mission is to "colour your life with Japanese"—using language not only to communicate, but to enrich the way we experience ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us.