"Older people are celebrated, they feel obligated to pass on their wisdom to younger generations," he says. This gives them a purpose in life outside of themselves, in service to their communities.

According to Buettner, the concept of ikigai is not exclusive to Okinawans: "there might not...

In one experiment, cold callers at the University of Michigan who spent time with a recipient of the scholarship they were trying to raise money for brought in 171% more money when compared with those who were merely working the phone. The simple act of meeting a student beneficiary provided mean...

Rather, ikigai is about feeling your work makes a difference in people's lives.

How people find meaning in their work is a topic of much interest to management experts. One research paper ...

Japan has some of the longest-living citizens in the world -87 years for women and 81 for men , according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Could this concept of ikigai contribute to longevity?