Ikigai

One of my best friends gifted me a book called Ikigai many years ago. The Japanese word roughly translates as your life purpose. The author studied a small Japanese village which also happens to be the highest level expectancy in the world. The book goes over some of the things these villagers do on a day to day basis that could likely be the result of the much higher than average life expectancy. As you can probably guess, the author attributed having an ikigai as the the likely reason for the expanded life expectancy.

I love the Japanese culture for many reasons, but perhaps my favorite is the Japanese passion for improvement and the constant striving for perfection. This is reflected in everyday life in Japan. Stop by many of the amazing popular restaurants in Japan, and often times the owners have been running the same shop by decades. Often times these restaurants serve a limited menu whether it be soba, udon, gyoza, sushi, etc. They spend and dedicate their entire lives to perfecting the art of cooking that one dish.

Our sushi chef at Nishiazabu Taku told us that he spent 8 years learning before he made his first piece of sushi. 8 years basically just cleaning and watching until he was allowed to make his first piece of sushi. It’s no wonder why food in Japan is so damn delicious — these folks dedicate their whole lives to making it amazing.

Watching the Japanese culture in action is a refreshing break from our traditional western culture. It’s hard for me to call one better than the other. There is something about having options and there should be nothing wrong with changing your career. All that said, I love when I meet someone who has found their ikigai. You can tell and taste the difference.