Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Akiko Katayama covers Japanese food and culture. We all need a reason to get up in the morning. Ikigai is the term the Japanese ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Helping high-achievers redesign success—without doing more. A Japanese word and concept, ikigai is the idea of finding purpose and ...

With no direct English translation, it’s a term that embodies the idea of happiness in living. Yukari Mitsuhashi explains. For Japanese workers in big cities, a typical work day begins with a state ...

Everyone has an ikigai. You just have to find it. A common preoccupation nowadays is that of finding one’s life purpose, something that gives meaning to our life. One particular country seems to have ...