How to ikigai your life

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This was published 5 years ago

How to ikigai your life

Ikigai encompasses the idea that happiness in life is about more than money or a fancy job title.

Ikigai encompasses the idea that happiness in life is about more than money or a fancy job title.Credit: Shutterstock.

This is sponsored content for Japan National Tourism Organization.

Japan has the longest life expectancy of any country, according to the World Health Organisation. And everyone would love to know why.

A healthy food culture, high living standards, universal healthcare and strong social connections have been cited as contributing factors. But there may be something else going on.

The word ikigai comes from two Japanese words: iki, meaning life, and gai, meaning value. In other words, it means life purpose, or reason to live.

Travel to Japan, and you'll witness ikigai at every turn. It's a bit more nuanced than a career, a passion or a goal; it's the practice of living an enjoyable, enduring life.

Experience ikigai for yourself

You can see the essence of ikigai in every aspect of life in Japan, from the dedication of culinary masters who focus solely on perfecting one particular kind of food, such as ramen or sushi, to the artisans who delicately craft their woodwares through methods passed down for generations.

Japan is the ideal travel destination for those who want to see the world in a new way. Travelling through the country can offer insights into how ikigai is embraced from the smallest villages, where rice fields are tended meticulously, to the largest cities, where thousands of people cross the road at the same time with remarkable respect for others.

Ikigai is many things to many people, often hard to define, and different for everyone. Here are a few ways to find it on your next trip to Japan.

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Smell the flowers

Cherry blossoms – or sakura – are deeply symbolic for Japanese people. As they inevitably tumble to the ground after a brief but spectacular period of beauty, they bring to mind the temporary nature of life. People all over Japan celebrate cherry blossom season each spring by going to hanami – cherry blossom viewing parties ­– in parks. For some, it's an occasion of joyous celebration, while for others it's more about quiet contemplation of the ephemeral nature of existence. In other words, being self-aware – a key aspect of ikigai.

Watch sport

Sport and ikigai fit together like a hand in a baseball mitt. The dedication required to be a professional sportsperson is ikigai in action – and for many fans, their team is their reason for being. Baseball and football are huge in Japan, and like everything here, the experience of attending a game is a little bit different; in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Japanese fans became famous not just for their passionate support, but for tidying up each stadium before they left it. Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2019, which is a great excuse to visit, and if you like the idea of getting involved in a more traditional Japanese sport, there are plenty of opportunities to do that too. Learn judo or kendo at a martial arts school, or attend a sumo tournament. Now those guys know a bit about ikigai.

Eat food

Food in Japan is about much more than sustenance and flavour. Preparing and eating Japanese food is a form of cultural expression. In many ways, ikigai and food are intertwined. Making food can be someone's life passion – from the noodle makers who craft each noodle by hand to the sushi artists at the top of their game. And for chefs and diners alike a meal can be a form of self-expression – from the explosive drama and high spirits of a teppanyaki performance to the quieter ceremony of a meticulously presented multi-course kaiseki dinner, served at a ryokan, a traditional inn.

And then there's the Japanese tea ceremony, after which you'll never look at a simple cuppa the same way again. Simple on the surface, yet bound in ritual and complexity, Japanese food is unlike any other cuisine.

Cross the road

You may well have seen movie footage of Tokyo's famous Shibuya Crossing. It's said to the be the busiest intersection in the world, with five roads meeting in the Shibuya district in the centre of Japan's biggest city, and has become not just a way of getting from A to B, but a tourist attraction in its own right. The crossing operates on a scramble system, with all the pedestrian lights turning green at once, and at peak times thousands of people all crossing the road together. While that might sound like a recipe for chaos, it actually all works incredibly smoothly, thanks to the Japanese respect for other people combined with a sense of mindful purpose, which is all very ikigai.

Go for a walk

Finding your own personal ikigai may involve some contemplation, preferably undertaken at the same time as some mindful action. Sounds like what you need to do is take a long walk. Japan's natural beauty is extraordinary, and changes character dramatically over the four seasons of the year. Whether you're looking for a short hill climb to get a view over a city such as Kyoto, or want to tackle part of an epic spiritual journey, such as the 88-Temple Pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku, Japan has walks that can provide extraordinary combinations of culture and natural beauty. And who knows, they might just help your ikigai come into sharper focus too.

For more inspiration and travel tips, visit the Japan National Tourism Organization site jnto.org.au.

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