Ikigai—A Japanese Life Philosophy

The concept of Ikigai is booming, as more and more people worldwide are turning to the question of what constitutes the meaning of life. In Western literature, it has become established to define Ikigai as what one is good at and what one is paid for. This forces Ikigai into the context of a performance and self-optimization culture, bypassing the original content of the term, which literally means “value of life”. As a key cultural concept, a precise understanding of Ikigai is closely linked to understanding its sources and cultural foundations. It is an expression of a society that lives in the here and now, where the individual is closely connected to the community, where death is perceived as a natural part of life, and where everyday life is not only seen as a process of fulfilling necessities but also as a place of meditation. Only by engaging with the backgrounds of Ikigai can one understand what the essence of Ikigai is and where or how the understanding of Ikigai can vary without distorting its actual meaning.