The Japanese practice of ikigai — finding purpose and meaning in life — is credited as one of the key factors of the remarkable longevity enjoyed by citizens of the country ‘Finding meaning is the key to buffering ourselves from daily stress.’ Photo: Getty Konnichiwa! The era of Japanese exports being limited to electronics and reliable small cars has expanded to a broader cultural mainstreaming, so that these days we all know our sushi from our sashimi, our matcha from our sencha, judo from jiu jitsu, anime from manga, Pokemon from Studio Ghibli. Two octogenarian Japanese artists, Yoko Ono and Yayoi Kusama, currently dominate London’s Tate Modern.
We can’t get enough of Japan. But behind the popularity of its cultural exports are the ideas which shape Japanese society, and which are slowly permeating west. Ideas like ikigai — roughly translated as ‘the happiness of always being busy’ — may explain the extraordinary longevity of Japanese citizens, particularly in the Okinawa region, which is identified by longevity researcher Dan Buettner as one of the world’s five Blue Zones (the other four are located in Sardinia, California, Costa Rica and Greece).
Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.
