Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverbAccording to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a
reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese
village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to
a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the
place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means
that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the
morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact
there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it
does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy,
because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always
being busy.In researching this book, the authors interviewed the
residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of
100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the
secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move,
how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their
best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?