Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

by Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

Overview

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 1.5 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

“Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider
 
“One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes

Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) to live longer and bring more meaning and joy to all your days.

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb
 
According 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—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143130727
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/29/2017
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	8,456
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Héctor García and Francesc Miralles are the coauthors of The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way. Héctor is a citizen of Japan, where he has lived for over a decade, and is the author of A Geek in Japan, a #1 bestseller in Japan. Francesc is the author of a number of bestselling self-help and inspirational books and of the novel Love in Lowercase, which has been translated into twenty languages.

Editorial Reviews

06/05/2017
This compendium of best practices for a healthy body and mind is loosely organized around the concept of ikigai, a Japanese word García (A Geek in Japan) and Miralles (Love in Lowercase) translate as “the happiness of always being busy.” The authors focus on Ogimi, a village in Okinawa reported to have the world’s highest life expectancy. They interview villagers who report eating a simple, vegetable-based diet high in antioxidants, engaging in continual physical activity, and participating in a strong network of neighborhood groups. The book also includes wisdom from supercentenarians (age 110 and over) throughout the world. García and Miralles deliver clear, succinct information about diet, exercise, stress, sleep, and meditation. While little here is new, the authors have skillfully compiled key ideas related to physical and mental well-being into an engaging, easily accessible format with lists, charts, and illustrations. They explain clearly why each recommended action is critical and make it easy for the reader to take immediate steps (for example, by providing diagrams for basic tai chi and yoga exercises). Throughout, the book persuasively shows that small changes can help readers find more joy and purpose in their lives. Agent: Sandra Bruna, Sandra Bruna Agencia Literaria (Spain). (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Ikigai urges individuals to simplify their lives by pursuing what sparks joy for them. . . . Much in the same way that The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up emphasizes ‘choosing what we want to keep, and not what we want to get rid of,’ [Ikigai] demonstrates that aging could be an opportunity to keep working, keep smiling, keep active, and keep being social.” —KonMari Newsletter

“Want to live longer? Keep super busy. If hygge is the art of doing nothing, ikigai is the art of doing something—and doing it with supreme focus and joy. . . . Pack up those cozy blankets and candles you purchased in last year’s hygge-fueled Ikea spree. Fall’s biggest imported lifestyle trend is ikigai, and it might help you live to 100.” —New York Post

“Originating from a country with one of the world’s oldest populations, ikigai is becoming popular outside of Japan as a way to live longer and better. . . . [It] is helping people live longer on Okinawa as it gives them purpose.” —World Economic Forum

“The Japanese concept of ikigai (the happiness of being busy) [is] attainable and even an important key to living longer.” —Elle.com

“Discovering your ikigai, or passion, can be one of the greatest journeys you will embark on.” —Forbes

“Enjoy a cup or two of green tea as you digest this small, charming book.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“A must-follow lifestyle hack . . . Think feng shui with Venn diagrams—although this time there is no need to move the front door.” —The Guardian

“Ikigai is what allows you to look forward to the future even if you’re miserable right now. . . . It might just help you live a more fulfilling life.” —BBC
 
“A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness.” —Stylist

“An attractive and absorbing book.” —The Bookseller

“Persuasively shows that small changes can help readers find more joy and purpose in their lives [with] clear, succinct information . . . skillfully compiled . . . into an engaging, easily accessible format with lists, charts, and illustrations.” —Publishers Weekly

“Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Science-based studies weave beautifully into honest, straight-talking conversation you won’t be able to put down.” —Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation

From the Publisher