Book Review: Ikigai-Purpose, Well-Being, Healthy Ageing, and Meaningful Living

Figure 1

Mr. Sharif Khan, author of the Diverse Dream blog, receiving a copy of Ikigai from Mr. Naiknam Karim, Minister for Tourism, Sports and Culture, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Gulmit, Gojal, Hunza, on October 7, 2026. During the recognition ceremony, books were distributed among recipients instead of shields or certificates to acknowledge teachers' dedication and achievements. The selection of Ikigai as a token of recognition underscores the symbolic value of learning, purpose, and service within educational settings, aligning the ceremony's ethos with the book's central themes.

Introduction

What makes life meaningful? Is happiness determined by wealth, professional success, social status, or a clear sense of purpose? These questions have long concerned philosophers, psychologists, educators, and researchers. In contemporary society-marked by stress, uncertainty, and pressure to succeed-the search for meaning and well-being remains increasingly important.

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, examines the Japanese concept of ikigai, broadly understood as a reason for living, a sense of purpose, or something that makes life worthwhile. The authors encourage readers to find meaning in everyday activities, maintain social connections, remain physically active, and approach life with curiosity and gratitude (García & Miralles, 2017).

This review evaluates the book's central ideas, strengths, limitations, and relevance to education, personal development, healthy ageing, and community life. It also considers how ikigai may encourage more purposeful, balanced, and fulfilling lives. Figure 1 offers a local illustration of how books, rather than conventional awards, can serve as symbols of recognition for teachers' dedication.

About the Book and Its Authors

Ikigai introduces Japanese perspectives on purpose, happiness, longevity, and everyday living, with particular attention to Okinawa and the longevity-associated community of Ogimi.

The original Spanish edition, Ikigai: Los secretos de Japón para una vida larga y feliz, was published in 2016, followed by the English edition in 2017. Because publishers and imprints may vary by edition, bibliographic details should correspond to the specific copy examined.

The book combines cultural observations, practical suggestions, interviews, and discussions of physical and psychological well-being. Rather than presenting a technical scientific argument, it offers general readers an accessible account of the relationships among purpose, daily habits, social connections, and quality of life. The authors outline ten rules-such as "stay active; don't retire," "take it slow," "smile," and "follow your ikigai"-and discuss practices including logotherapy, Morita therapy, and the Okinawan diet.

Understanding the Concept of Ikigai

The Japanese word ikigai broadly refers to what makes life worthwhile. It may involve meaningful work, family, friendship, service, creativity, learning, or simple daily pleasures.

A significant strength of the concept is that it does not require fame, wealth, or extraordinary achievement. A teacher may find ikigai in helping students learn; a parent, in supporting children; and an older person, in community service, gardening, reading, mentoring, or sharing knowledge with younger generations.

This view of purpose aligns with psychological approaches that distinguish meaningful well-being from the pursuit of pleasure alone. Ryff (1989), for example, identified purpose in life, personal growth, positive relationships, and autonomy as dimensions of psychological well-being.

Ikigai therefore invites readers to ask: What gives meaning and direction to my life?

The Relationship Between Purpose and Happiness

A central message of the book is that a meaningful life is not necessarily free from difficulty. Meaning may instead help people face challenges with patience, hope, and determination.

Although happiness is often understood as a pleasant emotional state, well-being also includes personal growth, meaningful relationships, responsibility, and social contribution. A person may experience sadness or disappointment while continuing to find meaning in teaching, caring for family, or serving the community.

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) examined flow—a state of deep involvement in an activity that balances challenge and skill. This perspective helps explain why people may experience satisfaction when they engage fully in work or activities they value.

For teachers and other professionals, fulfilment may derive not only from salary or promotion but also from seeing learners progress, supporting colleagues, solving problems, and contributing to society.

Healthy Ageing and the Importance of Staying Active

The book emphasises continued activity, social relationships, and engagement with life in later years. Its discussion of longevity presents ageing as a period of continued participation rather than inevitable withdrawal.

These ideas require careful interpretation. No single lifestyle practice guarantees longevity, which is influenced by genetics, living conditions, healthcare, nutrition, physical activity, and social circumstances.

Ikigai is valuable primarily because it encourages meaningful routines and relationships. Walking, gardening, reading, learning, helping others, and spending time with family and friends can support an engaged life.

Research has associated a stronger sense of purpose with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment among older adults, although these findings do not establish that purpose alone prevents such conditions (Boyle et al., 2010).

Healthy ageing also requires healthcare, adequate nutrition, safe living conditions, and opportunities for social participation. The book offers inspiration but should not replace medical advice or scientific evidence concerning specific health conditions.

Social Relationships, Community, and Belonging

Human beings are inherently social. Relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours provide support, belonging, and opportunities to contribute.

The book highlights community connections—a message particularly relevant to societies where intergenerational relationships, mutual assistance, and collective responsibility remain important.

In rural communities such as Gojal, Hunza, meaningful participation may include supporting students, preserving local history, assisting neighbours, volunteering, sharing traditional knowledge, or contributing to community development.

Such activities strengthen belonging and purpose while demonstrating the connection between personal and collective well-being. Nevertheless, community participation is one possible source of meaning, not an obligation that everyone must fulfil in the same way. Individuals differ in their circumstances, abilities, responsibilities, and preferences.

Lifelong Learning and the Value of Curiosity

Ikigai also emphasises curiosity and engagement throughout life. Learning need not end with formal education or retirement.

Lifelong learning enables people to develop skills, reconsider assumptions, adapt to change, and remain intellectually active. It may involve reading, writing, learning a language, using digital technology, researching local history, or sharing professional experience with younger people.

This message is especially relevant to educators. A teacher's professional life should include continuous learning, reflection, and improvement. Retirement likewise need not end intellectual or social contribution.

Reading and reviewing books can connect personal experience with broader ideas while encouraging readers to question claims, examine evidence, and apply lessons thoughtfully.

Relevance to Education and Educational Leadership

The principles discussed in Ikigai have practical relevance to teaching, school leadership, and student development.

First, education becomes more meaningful when students understand how learning relates to their interests, abilities, aspirations, and social responsibilities. Teachers can help students identify their strengths while promoting realistic goals and perseverance.

Second, school leadership extends beyond managing facilities, timetables, examinations, and administrative duties. It includes creating supportive environments in which teachers feel valued and students experience belonging, encouragement, and opportunities for growth.

Third, educators can promote well-being through balanced routines, healthy relationships, teamwork, creative activities, and reflection. These practices complement rather than compete with academic achievement.

The book's emphasis on purpose also encourages educational leaders to examine their professional motivation. For many teachers, education's deeper reward lies in helping young people become confident, responsible, knowledgeable, and compassionate citizens.

These applications interpret the book's ideas; they do not suggest that it provides a tested educational intervention. Schools should adapt them to local needs and evaluate their effects through appropriate evidence.

Strengths of the Book

Several features make Ikigai accessible and thought-provoking:

· Accessible language: The authors present ideas about purpose and well-being in terms that general readers can understand.

· Practical orientation: The book encourages reflection on habits, relationships, activities, and priorities.

· Cross-cultural interest: It introduces Japanese perspectives and invites comparison with other understandings of a meaningful life.

· Relevance across life stages: Its themes apply to students, teachers, professionals, parents, and older adults.

· Encouragement of reflection: It prompts readers to consider their values, use of time, and contributions to others.

These strengths make the book a useful starting point for personal reflection and discussion of well-being.

Critical Evaluation and Limitations

Although the book offers valuable insights, its broader claims require critical consideration.

First, the relationship among purpose, lifestyle, and longevity is complex. Experiences in a particular Japanese community cannot automatically be generalised to other populations. Cultural practices, economic conditions, healthcare, genetics, and social structures may all affect health and life expectancy.

Second, popular well-being books sometimes combine cultural observations, personal experiences, and scientific findings without distinguishing their evidentiary weight. Readers should separate inspirational examples from conclusions supported by systematic research.

Third, some critics argue that the book presents a Westernised version of ikigai, reducing it to a four-circle Venn diagram of what one loves, does well, can be paid for, and what the world needs. In Japanese culture, the concept is often more modest, everyday, and not necessarily tied to paid work. This distinction matters for readers seeking an authentic cultural understanding.

Fourth, purpose should not be reduced to a single occupation or passion. It may change over time and emerge through multiple roles, relationships, and responsibilities.

Finally, the pursuit of meaning should not burden people experiencing poverty, illness, disability, unemployment, bereavement, or other serious difficulties. Well-being depends not only on personal attitudes but also on social support and material conditions.

These limitations do not diminish the book's value. They indicate that its ideas are best used as prompts for reflection, supported by critical thinking and recognition of individual differences.

Practical Lessons for Everyday Life

Readers can apply the book's general message through small, realistic steps:

1. Identify meaningful activities. Reflect on the people, responsibilities, and activities that give your life direction.

2. Maintain healthy routines. Include suitable physical activity, adequate rest, balanced nutrition, and time for relaxation.

3. Nurture relationships. Make time for family, friends, colleagues, and community members.

4. Continue learning. Read regularly, develop new skills, and remain open to new ideas.

5. Contribute to others. Share knowledge, mentor younger people, volunteer, or support a worthwhile community activity.

6. Practise gratitude and reflection. Recognise achievements and consider areas for improvement.

7. Adapt your purpose over time. Accept that priorities may change as responsibilities, opportunities, and circumstances evolve.

These steps should be adapted to individual needs. A meaningful life does not require perfection or constant productivity; it can include rest, recovery, uncertainty, and simple enjoyment.

Conclusion

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life offers an accessible introduction to purpose, social relationships, active living, curiosity, and meaningful routines. Its central message is that fulfilment need not depend exclusively on material success or extraordinary achievement. Meaning may also arise from ordinary activities, supportive relationships, lifelong learning, and service.

For educators, the book encourages reflection on the broader purposes of teaching and educational leadership. For older adults, it highlights how learning, creativity, relationships, and community participation can provide direction throughout life. For younger readers, it encourages consideration of personal values and future aspirations.

The book should nevertheless be read critically. Its cultural insights and practical suggestions are valuable, but they do not demonstrate that any single practice guarantees happiness, health, or longevity.

Ultimately, ikigai may be understood as an ongoing search for what makes life worthwhile-not a destination reached once and for all, but a continuing process of learning, caring, creating, and contributing.

For me, as an educator and lifelong learner, the book reinforces the belief that education is more than the transmission of knowledge. It also helps people discover their abilities, develop character, strengthen relationships, and contribute positively to society.

A meaningful life is measured not only by its length but also by how thoughtfully, compassionately, and purposefully its time is used.

References

Boyle, P. A., Buchman, A. S., Barnes, L. L., & Bennett, D. A. (2010). Effect of a purpose in life on risk of incident Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older persons. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(3), 304–310. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.208

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.

García, H., & Miralles, F. (2017). Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Penguin Books.

Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069