Ikigai has become one of Japan's most misunderstood words and culturally appropriated concepts. It’s not a term from Okinawa. It’s not the Japanese secret to longevity. It's not a Venn diagram showing you how to find your bliss or become a successful entrepreneur. And it’s not the pursuit of a single life purpose.

This evidence-based book clears up these misconceptions and offers an authentic perspective of ikigai in the context of Japanese culture by bringing together insights from Japan’s research pioneer Mieko Kamiya to current day experts and authors.

Japanologist Nicholas Kemp draws on insights from Japan’s leading ikigai researchers and his own personal experiences of living in Japan. His investigations shed light on a multifaceted concept that is both uniquely Japanese yet also universal, offering all readers a path forward to enjoying a life that feels worth living.

If the truth matters to you and you are fed up with Western interpretations and romanticised notions of ikigai and Japanese culture in general, then you will appreciate how this book provides an accurate cultural context so that you can apply traditional Japanese wisdom to achieve a life worth living.

Say goodbye to destination addiction and start living a fulfilling and meaningful life with the Japanese wisdom of ikigai, a life philosophy involving daily rituals, living your values, building intimate relationships, fulfilling your life roles and pursuing a life goal with a healthy sense of urgency.

A concept related to eudaimonia and existential positive psychology, ikigai offers you a way to live with motivation and resilience in times of hardship, opening yourself up to the path of self-actualisation.