What makes your life worth living? What makes you get out of bed in the morning, and creates a sense of purpose and worthfulness? In Japanese culture, this concept is expressed in the term “Ikigai” (生き甲斐, ‘a reason for being’). For a person to be happy and fulfilled in life, on this view, they should freely and spontaneously find the pursuit, profession, or purpose that provides this feeling. Once you have found your Ikigai, many psychological and health benefits follow, including satisfaction, better friendships, longevity, and even lower rates of coronary diseases. Many studies, in fields ranging from Anthropology to Psychology, have documented the validity of Ikigai, and its reality in people’s lives. While the concept originates in Japan (and is found in various versions across Japan, for example in Okinawa) it has cross-cultural relevance. We can learn this concept, and apply it, no matter who or where we are. As Psychology Today puts it: “Individuals who believe their lives are worth living live longer.”

Ikegai and other secrets of Japanese longevity are the subject of a TED talk by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner “How to live to be 100+.” Recommended readings are this BBC article “Japan’s formula for Life Satisfaction”, and the Wikipedia entry Ikigai. Anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva has done pioneering research on Ikigai. This blog post was inspired by remarks made by VinUni President Mai Lan in December 2021.