Ikigai Revealed — The Truth About the Real Meaning of Ikigai

Four years ago, a friend’s Facebook post caught James’s attention. It was on the Japanese concept of ikigai, a word he had never heard, but the meaning of which resonated with him on many levels.

The word inspired a blog post and podcast episode that landed tens of thousands of visits, and became the most-downloaded content of SuperFastBusiness.

Ikigai has gone mainstream since then. Millions know it as defined by a Venn diagram merging passion, skill and profession to achieve one’s ultimate fulfillment in life.

The surprising fact is that to the Japanese, it has nothing to do with this diagram. Nick Kemp, who can speak Japanese and is a self-labeled Japanologist, discovered this when he went chasing the meaning of the word that was close to his heart since his sojourn in Japan.

Tune in as Nick enlightens us as to the true meaning of the Japanese word ikigai, and how it can be applied to unlock joy and satisfaction in your own life.