1-Sentence-Summary: The Little Book of Ikigai explains the popular Japanese concept of ikigai, a way of finding joy and meaning in life, based on 5 simple pillars and the experience of a Japanese neuroscientist for an authentic, original take on this idea.
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Explaining Japanese concepts for a Western audience has been a big trend in nonfiction lately. There are books about “kaizen,” the philosophy of continuous improvement, books about “shinrin-yoku,” the art of “forest bathing,” and many more. I love it, but: Since Japanese is a big, complex, and varied language, authors can also misinterpret words and concepts. As a result, we sometimes end up with books that are useful but don’t capture the original idea very well.
Take one of the most popular of those ideas: ikigai. If you’ve heard of it, you probably connect the word with “happiness” or “your life’s purpose.” That’s because a book written by two Spanish authors has largely shaped our view of ikigai in the West. It’s a good book—but unfortunately, it doesn’t describe what ikigai is really about.
Which book actually does? Meet Ken Mogi. Mogi is a Japanese neuroscientist and visiting professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He’s also written over 50 books, most of them in Japanese, many of them bestsellers. In The Little Book of Ikigai, he explains the true meaning of this concept.
Here are 3 lessons to help you grasp the real version of ikigai and benefit from this idea:
- Ikigai is about what makes your life enjoyable. It’s not about success at work and available to everyone.
- There are 5 pillars of ikigai that can help us find it everywhere.
- The traditional Japanese tea ceremony is a great example of all 5 pillars of ikigai in action.
Let’s learn about ikigai from someone who’s grown up and lived in Japan all his life!
Lesson 1: Ikigai is whatever makes your life worth living. It’s accessible to everyone and has nothing to do with your career.
The word “ikigai” (生き甲斐) is a compound of “iki” and “gai,” words meaning “to live” and “reward” or “worth doing.” In English, you’ll often see the liberal translation that ikigai is your “reason for waking up in the morning.” Sound familiar? “Why do you get out of bed in the morning?” is a popular question. But when we conflate the two, we think ikigai is all about finding your life’s mission when, actually, it can be very small.
“In the Japanese language, ikigai is used in various contexts, and can apply to small everyday things as well as to big goals and achievements,” Mogi writes. So really, ikigai is anything that makes your life worth living—whatever makes you feel happy and grateful to be alive!
That’s why Mogi debunks the common myth that ikigai is about finding work you love: “Ikigai is possible without your necessarily being successful in your professional life. It is a very democratic concept. Having ikigai can result in success, but success is not a requisite condition for having ikigai. It is open to every one of us.”
If you love your work, that’s great, but even if you don’t you can still feel ikigai on a daily basis. From the sunrise to your morning cup of coffee to a walk in the park or a gaming session at night, ikigai can come from anywhere. It can be an event, a habit, a person, or an item.
So first of all, remember that ikigai is about meaning and happiness—and those two things come from sources big and small.
Lesson 2: Ikigai is rooted in 5 pillars of equal importance.
From 99-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono to seeing office workers play shogi on his high school–commute as a teenager, Mogi provides many examples of ikigai in the book. All of them meet at least one of “the 5 Pillars of Ikigai:”
- Start small. Be satisfied with tiny but daily positive actions. This could mean getting up early to enjoy a quiet morning or cooking at least one meal every day.
- Release yourself. Put your ego aside and don’t take life so seriously. Surrender to whatever’s happening, and enjoy things as they are, for example by painting without thinking about the rewards or helping someone in need when it’s urgent.
- Practice harmony and sustainability. Radio taiso helps millions of people in Japan do calisthenics outside every day. Spend time in nature and communities.
- Find the joy in small things. Truly savor every flavor in your lunch. Close your eyes while standing in the sun. And be grateful for even the smallest details, like a free fortune cookie or the mailman’s smile.
- Be in the here and now. Don’t get too occupied with the past or the future. Don’t rush through life. Stay in reality, practice flow, and don’t judge too quickly. Meditation helps, too.
These pillars “are not mutually exclusive or exhaustive,” Mogi writes. “Nor do they have a particular order or hierarchy.” They are, however, essential to understanding what ikigai truly is: a broad concept of joy and meaning that can draw fuel from almost anywhere.
Let’s see what that can look like in everyday life!
Lesson 3: A great example that hits all 5 pillars of ikigai is the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
For all the interesting examples of ikigai throughout the book, Mogi only mentions two that meet not just some but all the 5 pillars of ikigai: the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and the act of becoming a sumo wrestler.
With regards to the tea ceremony…
- Starting small means paying attention to the room’s tiniest details, like flower decorations.
- Releasing oneself is about being humble as a tea master when serving guests.
- Harmony and sustainability come from decades-old tea wares which complement one another.
- Finding joy in the little things is about, well, savoring a simple cup of tea!
- Being in the here and now is essential to fully enjoy the ritual.
As for the Sumo wrestler example, try working that one out for yourself (or read the book)! The point here is to learn to see the 5 pillars everywhere and then go find your own activities that embody them. Ultimately, as Mogi concludes in the book, “the greatest secret of ikigai has to be the acceptance of oneself.” After all, “there is no single optimum way to find ikigai. Each one of us has to seek our own, in the forest of our unique individualities.”
May the 5 pillars help you along the way, and remember: ikigai is for everyone, no matter who you are or what you do.
The Little Book of Ikigai Review
Life is not black-and-white. Some people criticize Mogi’s books for being too generalistic, but its ambiguous nature is precisely what makes ikigai interesting and valuable. The Little Book of Ikigai gave me a wonderful feeling of warmth and nostalgia while reading. If you really want to learn more about Japanese culture and aren’t looking for just another recipe, you’ll love this one.
Who would I recommend our summary of The Little Book of Ikigai to?
The 16-year-old high schooler who’s annoyed at his early-morning commute, the 33-year-old lawyer who feels lost in her career, and anyone who wants to truly understand ikigai.
Last Updated on November 14, 2024
