Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
Written by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, it will be released this week on the 29th, and addresses a concern that is very immediate: how to deal with a new lifespan that has surpassed anything we had experienced before.

The authors traveled to Okinawa, known as one of the Blue Zones, and interviewed the residents: this Japanese village has the highest percentage of 100-year-olds in the country and, of course, the world, and its inhabitants have very busy lives. There is even a short introduction about their interviews available.

From the very obvious reasons that allow them to stay healthy and active (food, movement, work, and relationships), the book focuses on something else, what the Japanese call an ikigai: a reason for living.

This is a fairly easy book, there are no complex assumptions; it is well researched and has many interesting facts. The way they explain each person’s ikigai is the best part. A strong sense of ikigai means a lot, it allows you to focus, and implies that what you live for accomplishes everything. It is a place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect; giving meaning to each of your days; giving you the best reason to get up in the morning; and lies behind why many Japanese never really retire. Fun fact: there is no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English.

So, the books talk about Humanity’s future longevity on a positive light; encouraging us to stay active, to enjoy our work and enjoy our life because it fulfills us: a purpose in life that drives us and keeps us inspired, that is the Japanese secret to a long and happy life, miles away from the ideals we supposedly have to meet, such as a nice house and a new car every year.

I loved the example they made of Hayao Miyazaki: the first thing he did after retiring from his company was to show up and continue drawing; the very next day. His ikigai is to draw: without a salary, without responsibility, all he needed was to continue doing what he loved the most.

https://geekdad.com/2017/08/stack-overflow-3-books-on-humanitys-future/

This was a short, but interesting read. I learned about how there are different things within the Japanese culture that contribute to their healthy lifestyle.

I feel this book is playing off Marie Kondo's success, and the idea of hygge. It is very motivational and fascinating.

DNF at page 70

Ikigai started out as a fun book with anecdotes about the Okinawa people and how they seem to live a long, happy life. However, as the book goes, the flow and direction become unclear. The author seems to be throwing facts about stress- well into the biological mechanism to trigger the sympathetic nervous system- to various therapy methods available such as logotherapy and morita. The concept Ikigai itself was only mentioned briefly several times as "This is Ikigai" or "The difference with Ikigai is..." It just ends up going around and around without me learning anything about Ikigai itself.

While I didn't feel like I learned anything new or groundbreaking in this book, it was very easy to read. The tone is friendly, not condescending at all, and has action items available in the latter half.

After one year of preliminary research, the authors visited Okinawa, more specifically the village of Ogimi, nicknamed the Village of Longevity where they interviewed the oldest residents. Their aim in presenting their findings is to share the Japanese concept of ikigai (the reason for being) with the hope that readers will be motivated to find their own.

According to their findings:

The positive attitude and emotional awareness of the Japanese seem even more conducive to their health and longevity than their healthy diets, life outdoors and green tea. The following lifestyle facts are true of the Okinawans as well as of residents in the Blue Zone areas (geographic regions where people live the longest).

• Optimism
Readers would be amazed at the power-packed inspirational quotes from these people who seem to remain youthful even while they age. One of their secrets is their team spirit, the joy they experience in helping each other.

• Movement
Judging from the physical habits of the Japanese, it is not the hectic hours in the gymnasium as much as the continual movements of everyday living which keep them strong and agile.

• Good Habits
For example, paying attention not only to what they eat, but also to portion size and the inclusion of foods featuring the colors of the rainbow; and creating flow (immersing themselves and finding pleasure) in everything they do.

• Community
Visiting friends, celebrating birthdays, and sharing garden produce are some of the interpersonal activities mentioned in the interviews. They form associations which feed the member’s sense of worth and belonging.

• Balance
Balancing stress is an art to be learned. Taking life slow, releasing the worry, focusing on what is important rather than what is urgent, practicing mindfulness.

The book is a commendable reference guide for readers interested in total health and longevity. Some of the simple practices can be adopted at the first read. Those who want to understand and practice the Japanese body-mind-soul harmony techniques will also find helpful details and instructions.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions I have expressed are mine.

Interesting take on finding and living a life of purpose to live long!

Interesting book, that mixes Ikigai with Buddhism, Logotherapie and other philosophies, to teach us that finding our meaning in life, as Viktor Frankl would have said, gives us a drive and strength to overcome difficulties and "live long and prosper", with some suggestions from overachievers and mathusalems .

Libro interessante che mischia l'Ikigai con il buddismo, la logoterapia ed altre filosofie, per insegnarsi che trovare il nostro scopo nella vita, come direbbe Viktor Frankl, ci da una direzione e la forza di superare le difficoltá per arrivare a vivere a lungo e bene, con alcuni suggerimenti da chi ci é riuscito e da alcuni centenari.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP for the ARC via NetGalley!

I think the japanese culture is absolutely beautiful. We can all learn something from it, no matter where we are from. I admire the way they view life and how they deal with stress, sadness and complicated situations.

When I read books like this, I try my best to bring these lessons to my life, but it's not so easy - especially when everyone around me is living in a very crazy way, always in a hurry for something, always busy (not in a good way), always stressed, always putting too much energy in things that don't matter after all. Still, it's inspiring to learn so much from a different culture and to see how small changes can have a big impact in our lives.

"Our ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and finding it requires a patient search. In Japanese, ikigai is written as 生き甲斐, combining 生き, which means “life,” with 甲斐, which means “to be worthwhile. (...) It reminds us that both mind and body are important, and that the health of one is connected to that of the other.

Very nice read. I recommend it to those who are willing to make some changes in order to have a better life.

Wonderful text about Japanese culture. Thorough examination about an ancient culture that provides unique insights and discoveries.