In this video, Nick Kemp discusses how ikigai is rooted in Japanese cultural values, focusing on personal fulfillment rather than societal approval or financial gain.
Discovering deep fulfillment in one's craft
Nick: We're talking about AI and ikigai, and you have written several articles on AI and ikigai on medium.com in English, and I'd like to quote you, you write:
“The Japanese definition of ‘ikigai’ does not necessarily focus on being needed by society or earning money, but rather on an individual's inner joy and satisfaction, where the individual is genuinely excited and wants to continue the activity no matter who stops him or her. This represents a unique understanding of ikigai that reflects the cultural background and values of Japan.”
It’s very interesting, especially tying it to Japan's cultural background and values. To share with you, my father-in-law is a shokunin, is a craftsman, he makes Shino-yaki pottery in a small town in Gifu-Ken. And so I don't think he ever meets the customer, because he sells to a wholesaler. So yeah, maybe he's never directly thanked either. But I think he's 83, and he still makes pottery every day, because he is a crafts person, as well.
So finding a sense of purpose in work, and maybe it gives you the freedom to express yourself; it seems really important to the Japanese idea of ikigai. And Japan has so many fascinating traditional crafts, but there's also, I guess, modern craft that we see in products or hosting an event. Even in a way, maybe my podcast is something I really enjoy doing; I get to interview interesting people, but I have to find the guests and email them and prepare notes and arrange a time.
And yeah, I guess most of my audience just listens. And sometimes I get thank yous, but most of the time, I don’t. So I understand that kind of idea of craftsmanship, and I really enjoy the the work and preparing my podcasts.