Champion hurdler Dai Tamesue, who retired in 2012, said in a recent <a href="https://cybozushiki.cybozu.co.jp/articles/m001286.html">interview </a>that the fundamental question he asked after he retired was: "what was it that I wanted to achieve by playing sports?" "For me, what I wanted to achieve through competing in track and field was to change people's perceptions". After retiring, he started a company that supports sports-related business. Tamesue's story shows the malleable nature of ikigai and how it can be applied. When retirement comes, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of why you do what you do beyond collecting a payslip.

"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 be a word for it but in all four blue zones such as Sardinia and Nicoya Peninsula, the same concept exists among people living long lives." Buettner suggests making three lists: your values, things you like to do, and things you are good at. The cross section of the three lists is your ikigai.

For Japanese workers in big cities, a typical work day begins with a state called sushi-zum e, a term which likens commuters squeezed into a crowded train car to tightly packed grains of rice in sushi. The stress doesn't stop there.

Ikigai: A Japanese concept to improve work and life

Mo