In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick talks with Dr. Katharina Stenger about self-care techniques that we can adopt to nurture our well-being and cultivate a stronger sense of ikigai. Dr. Katharina Stenger is a psychologist and professional photo model. In spring 2019, she started her own online practice where she supports clients from all over the world. She also has a strong connection to Japan that led her to discover ikigai. Her mission is to include the art of living ikigai in...

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick discusses the significance of aida (betweenness) and intercorporeality in relation to our embodiment with Prof. Shogo Tanaka. Prof. Shogo Tanaka is a professor of psychology and philosophy at Tokai University in Japan. He received his Ph.D. in philosophical psychology from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2003. He is primarily interested in phenomenology and psychology, and more specifically, in clarifying the theoretical foundations of psychology...

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Jessica Gerrity about Kyudo, the intricate art of Japanese traditional archery. Jessica Gerrity is a TV personality, writer, and tourism ambassador for Saitama Prefecture in Japan. She moved to Japan from New Zealand over 20 years ago. Beyond her captivating roles, Jessica is a mother of three and also assists in managing a dojo for kyudo, a form of Japanese archery.

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Gordon Mathews about finding greater meaning in life through the concept of life after death. Gordon Mathews is an author and professor of anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has written several books, including What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans Make Sense of Their Worlds, which was explored in episode 2 of the Ikigai Podcast.

In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Waki Kamino about designing social robots to enhance the ikigai of older adults. Waki Kamino is a PhD student at Cornell University in human-robot interaction and a research consultant at Indiana University, Bloomington.

In episode 62 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Professor Haruhiko Tanaka about how having ibasho can serve as a source of empowerment for people. Professor Haruhiko Tanaka recently retired from the role of professor in the Faculty of Human Science at Sophia University. He completed his doctorate at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education. His areas of research include lifelong education, youth education, development education, and environmental education. He has also...

On episode 61 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick and his good friend, Masayuki Matsubara, embark on an inspiring conversation about friendship, ikigai, and the power of shared experiences. Masayuki Matsubara is a musician, web designer, developer, and entrepreneur. He has a passion for designing and was awarded the iF Design Award in Germany in 2016. 

On episode 60  of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick welcomes back Jamila Rodrigues to discuss how having ikigai can help people cope in times of crisis. Jamila Rodrigues is an anthropologist focused on well-being and crisis management. She completed her Ph.D. in Dance Anthropology and Sufism embodied ritual practice at Roehampton University in London in 2017. She worked as a professional dancer and travelled to different countries, such as the UK, South Africa, and many other countries for 12...

On episode 59 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with director Yujiro Seki about his film and the importance of craftsmanship in Japan. Yujiro Seki is a filmmaker with a BA in Film from the University of California, Berkeley. After obtaining a permanent US residency, he studied full-time in the Cinematography program at the UCLA Extension.  Upon graduating, he embarked on the journey of making his first full feature documentary, “Carving the Divine: Buddhist Sculptors of Japan.” The film...

Sachiaki Takamiya is an author and sustainable life coach. He is the author of the Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking: Bio-Hacking Based on Japanese Natural Health. He was a guest on episode 3 of the Ikigai Podcast - “What Ikigai Means to Japanese'' and episode 57 “The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 1”. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick welcomes back Sachiaki Takamiya to discuss how Ikigai bio-hacking can benefit both personal well-being and the...

Sachiaki Takamiya is an author and sustainable life coach. He is the author of the Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking: Bio-Hacking Based on Japanese Natural Health. He was a guest on episode 3 of the Ikigai Podcast - “What Ikigai Means to Japanese.” In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Sachiaki Takamiya about applying ikigai bio-hacking to our daily lives to improve our quality of life.

Jamila Rodrigues is an anthropologist focused on well-being and crisis management. She completed her Ph.D. in Dance Anthropology and Sufism embodied ritual practice at Roehampton University in London in 2017. She worked as a professional dancer and traveled to different countries, such as the UK, South Africa, and many other countries for 12 years. She is a visiting researcher at the Marine Climate Change Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Her current research is on...

Dr. Ariadne Maria Ferro Bahuelo is an adjunct professor at IE University in Spain. She has experience teaching at numerous universities in the United States and Spain. Her previous research examines languages in contact, particularly Spanglish as it is spoken by Cuban U.S. Americans in South Florida, USA. She is also the executive director of APUNE (Association of North American University Programs in Spain), an intercultural and inclusion facilitator, and an Intercultural Development...

Natasha Randall is a Ph.D. candidate in the Informatics Department at Indiana University. Her work focuses on human-robot interaction, specifically consumer-oriented social home robot design where she fuses elements of design, user experience, and market research.  Her interest lies in applying a strategic design approach to use cases meant for individual growth or social good, such as applications for improving mental health, social isolation, nutrition, habit information, and education....

Kiku Day is a shakuhachi player, a Ph.D. ethnomusicologist, and a world traveller from Copenhagen, Denmark. Her work lies at the intersections of performance of traditional shakuhachi music, contemporary music and improvisation, ethnomusicology, history, politics, meditation, and writing. She studied shakuhachi with Okuda Atsuya, one of the foremost performers of jinashi shakuhachi, in Tokyo, Japan for 11 years before returning to Europe to study ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental and...

Benjamin Boas is an American author, translator, and contemporary Japanese culture consultant. He is both the Cool Japan Ambassador for the Japanese government and a Tourism Ambassador for the Nakano ward in Tokyo. He is the author of From Cool Japan to Your Japan and two other Japanese-language books about intercultural education and has written for Studio Ghibli, The Japan Times, and many other publications. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Benjamin Boas about the...

Giving a voice to ikigai researchers, authors and Japanese, Motoki Tonn and Nick Kemp discuss the virtual ikigai summit they will be hosting in February 2023. Ikigai has become one of Japan's most misunderstood words and culturally appropriated concepts. It’s not a word from Okinawa. It’s not the Japanese secret to longevity. It's not a Venn diagram showing you how to find your bliss or become a successful entrepreneur. And it’s not the pursuit of a single life purpose.  The Ikigai Summit...

Jennifer Shinkai is a facilitator and executive coach living in Japan. Originally from the UK, Jennifer holds an MA (Oxon) in English Language and Literature from St. Hugh's College, Oxford University. She is an ICF Associate certified coach, Points of You® Expert, and Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching ORSC® Practitioner, and coaches individuals and corporate groups around their ikigai. She also has her own podcast and YouTube channel, “Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai.” In this...

Rie Takeda is a freelance artist and a professional calligrapher; she has been practising shodo since the age of five, under the creative supervision of her grandmother, a distinguished Gayu calligraphy artist.  Rie teaches shodo in various countries, including the UK, Switzerland, and Germany. She produces Neo-Japonism paintings, calligraphy works, washi paper and vintage Kimono collages, illustrations, and works in body art. Rie was also a guest on episode 32 of the Ikigai Podcast, where...

Carly Taylor is trained and experienced in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Japanese psychology (Morita Therapy and Naikan); she is a University qualified nutritionist, personal trainer, and a health coach with over 10 years experience in the area of behaviour change. Her coaching covers all domains of life: mindset, nutrition, movement, and sleep; it is centred around living a life based on values and purpose as opposed to a life dictated by thoughts and emotions. In this episode of...

Have you ever contemplated the good things that happened in your life? Sometimes, we tend to focus on the negative aspects of our lives, and we forget to acknowledge the good things that occur around us. In Japan, they have a self-reflective form of meditation called naikan; this method helps people realise what they have caused others (both good and bad). Can this practice of naikan help us feel more ikigai in our lives? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Dr. Clark...

Is rolefulness essential to ikigai? Although we might not be aware of it, our roles may impact our well-being. We may have many roles in our lives, each with its own significance and impact – on people around us and on us as individuals. These roles give us a sense of fulfilment that leads to a feeling of ikigai.  In this episode of The Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Professor Daiki Kato to explore the importance of roles in perceiving ikigai in our lives.

When we hear the term Bushido, we imagine the Japanese samurai and think of it as something related to martial arts. But the principle of Bushido can actually be applied to some aspects of our lives and help us gain continuous improvement. In this episode of The Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Steve Beauchamp about how people can integrate Bushido into their lives. 

After years of living in Japan and having a meaningful connection with its people, Nick developed a fondness for Japan and its culture. Seeing Japanese concepts, particularly ikigai, being misinterpreted in the West as a Venn diagram makes him uncomfortable as he knows that the idea of ikigai is more than that. With that, he wants to give justice to this concept -- make people understand and appreciate its authentic beauty that is true to the Japanese culture.  In this special episode of...

Japan is filled with crafts that play an important part in their culture. Hence, they have traditions that are passed down from generation to generation to keep them alive. However, with the responsibilities being instilled with the present generation, is it possible for them to find ikigai with the work that they do? In this episode of The Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Ted Bonnah about the social need for ikigai in today’s society.