Member-only story
Ikigai — Not a Special Word
Japan’s most misunderstood concept
You may be surprised to learn that for Japanese ikigai is not really a special word. This is what I learned from a conversation with one of Japan’s leading ikigai researchers and authorities, Professor Akihiro Hasegawa of Toyo Eiwa University.
While the concept is deeply personal, the world itself is used casually in conversation and not really paid any special significance. Japanese people understand its meaning and nuances, but don’t make it out to be a grandiose concept or lofty goal to achieve.
Defining Ikigai
The word ikigai is made up of the verb ikiru and the suffix gai. Ikiru means to live, and gai means value or worth. So combined as ikigai, the word means “the value of living”.
The Kanji of Ikigai
The word ikigai is formed from the kanji characters: ‘iki’「生き」the kanji verb base of ikiru, and two kanji characters combined「甲斐」 to represent worth pronounced as “kai”. Kai undergoes sequential voicing when combined with iki to become gai.
- 生 represents life
- 甲 represents shell
- 斐 represents beautiful and florid
