Ikigai – The Japanese secret of long and Happy Life

Ikigai, meaning the reason that makes you get up in the morning.

Ikigai is finding the purpose of your existence and touching your spiritual side.

I read this book because it was recommended by many and maybe because it is popular,

And I am writing this to let you know how much I loved it and it was definitely up to my expectations.

A question that arose in my head before reading was will it be similar to the other self-help books I’ve read,

The answer is, to some extent, yes. But it still gives you different perspectives to see the world through, hence, definitely worth the read.

Things that I loved about the book, Ikigai:

1. Specifically detailed practices

Many a time a vague idea that you have to get your life together comes to mind,

And at the same time equally vague options are there on how to do so.

But Ikigai will tell you almost everything,

From how much to eat and what to do for your body and mind.

I do not want to get into too many details to avoid spoilers, so you can try seeing it for yourself.

2. Focus on Mind and Body

As I said previously and again, I loved this aspect of the book a lot.

Many times we forget how much exercise is important in our day-to-day lives,

And that focusing on certain things will help bring more joy and relaxation to you.

Ikigai will remind you of such things very actively and subtly,

While also stating the helpful things that you can include in your lifestyle from here on.

3. Realtime research results

The book is based on the research by the Authors,

From the small villages of Japan, mentioning one in particular with the longest life expectancy,

I won’t tell you the name of the village or it won’t be fun to read it yourself,

So, this is your task to take up the book and check what is going on.

Because even if you don’t want to live way too long, it is always fun to know how to do it.

4. Exploring the Japanese culture

The authors go to several different villages and among them, Japan had the most where people lived the longest,

I, for one, have always been amazed by how the country is so well known for its disciplined lifestyle and innovative technology,

And of course, my love for anime and manga has factored into this,

Hence, when I learned about all the different things like Wabi-Sabi and Ichi-go Ichi-e,

I can just say that I fell in love with the concepts.

5. A lot of excellent insights

So far, all I have written about is how the book helps you, body and mind,

How the concepts are so useful and interesting,

And they really are.

I understand that not everything you can implement immediately and entirely,

After having considered this I am saying that whatever you’re reading in this book is going to help you, one way or another.

And I can’t even begin to list all the things the authors have covered, an entire lifestyle.

Thus, go ahead and give it a read.

Things that I found very helpful:

Now that I have talked about almost everything that I loved about the book, let me quickly list a few things that I found useful,

And that I have implemented as practice in my daily lifestyle

  • Finding your purpose and sticking to it
  • Moderating your food intake
  • Getting some exercise daily
  • Being Antifragile
  • Getting into the Flow, as you dissolve yourself entirely into the things you love doing.

Just a few for now, because everything takes time,

And so does covering every single thing that you’ve read in an amazing book.

The 10 rules of Ikigai

You’ll find this at the end of the book so if you don’t want spoilers, skip this

And if you just want to re-read them, here you go,

  1. Stay Active, Don’t Retire
  2. Take it Slow
  3. Don’t fill your Stomach
  4. Surround yourself with Good Friends
  5. Get in Shape for your next Birthday
  6. Smile
  7. Reconnect with Nature
  8. Give Thanks
  9. Live in the Moment
  10. Follow your Ikigai

There is a lot more in this book than I have been able to mention,

And so, I will definitely give you a strong recommendation to read it.

Even if it’s only one or two things you can implement at the moment, it will be really worth it.

Thank you so much for staying throughout the blog,

If you liked this one you might find these book reviews interesting as well.

You can always find us and connect on Instagram @thecaffables

See you soon!