It all started in a Tokyo park where we discussed our shared wish to visit “the village of the centenarians,” a rural enclave in the north of Okinawa with the world’s longest life expectancy.

We decided to journey to that extraordinary place and there we interviewed the eldest of its residents, who told us their secrets for living such a long, motivated and energetic life.

The outcome of that study was the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, which focuses on one of the keys to eternal youth; having a “raison d’être” that can provide us with the happiness that comes from always being busy.

To everybody’s surprise, it was the best seller on Spain’s most important online bookstore on the very day it was published. Two months later, it had been sold to thirty countries, including the US, Russia, China and even Japan itself.

We got hundreds of messages and letters from readers enthusing about how Ikigai had inspired them, but they also asked us: how do I find my ikigai? I know what my life’s passion is, but I am always so busy with my responsibilities I hardly have time for my ikigai. How can I realize my dream?

We authors have asked ourselves the same questions. For that reason, we resolved that our next project would be entirely practical and would help both ourselves and our readers to find and empower all aspects of our ikigai.

That was the aim. Two years on, the book you are holding is the fruit of that challenge. We are pleased to present you with a tool that can revolutionize your future by helping you understand your past so that you can live your present the way you want to.

In order to whittle the tool into shape, we set off on a new journey across Japan, the country that inspired our first collaboration, in search of essential lessons to make your ikigai the center of your universe and a driving force for change that will enable you to achieve your life mission.

Ikigai

Written 生き甲斐, ikigai is a Japanese word that has no exact translation. Ikigai is the meaning of life, the thing that makes you get out of bed each day in eager anticipation.

The word is made by joining iki, 生, meaning “life” or “being alive,” and gai, 甲斐, meaning “what is worthwhile and has value.” So, the literal translation would be “that which makes life worth living.”

The Japanese believe we all have an ikigai—or even several—inside us, even if we don’t yet know it.

The Shinkansen effect

We came across the Shinkansen effect while researching the “Japanese miracle,” which took place between 1960 and 1980, when Japan left its post-war devastation behind to become the second largest economy in the world. Up until now, this ground-breaking concept has been used only in engineering and in Japanese companies, but we are convinced we can take advantage of the same principles to accelerate our personal achievements.

Our

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