Mieko Kamiya
The mother of IKIGAI
MIEKO KAMIYA – A TRUE HEROINE
For us, Mieko Kamiya is a heroine. She also became known in Japan. The television station NHK dedicated its own series to her. An animated film was even developed about her life.
Given her important work, she has remained unknown outside of Japan. She laid the foundations of Ikigai research and Ikigai psychology.
The Ikigai is very fashionable today - due to confusion with a Venn diagram by the Spanish Andrés Zuzunaga, many believe that this is the Japanese Ikigai.
In reality, Ikigai is much more complex and profound than the famous Venn diagram. Ken Mogi speaks of a spectrum. Ikigai is “as complex as life itself”.
As a Find Future community, we would like to pass on our knowledge about Mieko Kamiya. You can also find out more about this in our materials.
Zitate von Mieko Kamiya
“When we wake up from sleep, we are greeted by the morning. We did not create the morning; He somehow came to give us a chance to live another day.
We wake up and discover the morning. The meaning of life is like the morning”.
—Mieko Kamiya
Mieko Kamiya was inspired by the work of Viktor Frankl. We can read from Viktor Frankl:
“Every day, every hour has a new meaning, and a different meaning awaits every person. So there is a meaning for one another, and for each one there is a special meaning.”
She made direct reference to Viktor Frankl in her central work “Ikigai ni Tsuite”:
“There are two ways to use the word “ikigai”: it can refer to the source or object of life value, as in “This child is my ikigai,” or it can refer to the mental state of feeling the ikigai. The latter is what Frankl calls the “sense of meaning”. I will call it “Ikigai-Kan” to distinguish it from the former “Ikigai” itself.— Mieko Kamiya
What motivated Mieko Kamiya?
Mieko Kamiya cared for and later researched lepers as a psychologist - people who were excluded from society, imprisoned and uprooted from their families. Why did people who suffered such suffering still get up every morning? And what happens when you are robbed of the meaning of life? She formulated the meaning of Ikigai like this:
“There is nothing else for a person to live life to the fullest than Ikigai. Therefore, there is no greater “cruelty” than depriving people of their ikigai, and there is no greater love than giving people their ikigai.”
– Mieko Kamiya in her book ‘Ikigai-ni-tsuite’, which has not been translated into other languages to date
Über Mieko Kamiya
Mieko Kamiya didn't just research Ikigai. She was a doctor, psychiatrist and author — she began writing at the age of nine. She worked as a translator at the imperial court and later became the mother of two children. She spoke and taught several foreign languages, including French and English. She translated the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius into Japanese.
Stationen Mieko Kamiyas
She taught psychiatry at several Japanese universities and was Princess Mishiko's private tutor. Many around her thought that caring for lepers was their “calling,” their ikigai. But when we read her diary entry, we can see that she found her ikigai in research and writing about ikigai itself:
“At the exhibition and on the train ride home, I continued to think about it and repeated the sentence to myself: 'Dedicate the rest of your life entirely to this task!' I should finish my dissertation as quickly as possible so that I can get started with the work can begin to fulfill my mission.”
She was so moved by writing about Ikigai that she had to keep calming herself - and her children too. In January 1960 she began writing and wrote in her notes:
“At night I was engrossed in writing about Ikigai again. Because I was just bubbling with ideas, I played quiet piano pieces for an hour, partly to get my children to sleep and partly to calm myself down. What a moving experience it is to be able to combine all of my past experiences and studies with my writing into a unified whole.”
When she completed her first draft of her book on September 7, 1961, she wrote: “Now I feel like I can die in peace.” These words show how important writing was for Kamiya. It was far more important to her than her work as a doctor, even though she was well known for it. A few days later, Kamiya wrote in her hand notes (Japanese “shuki”):
“It's finally the last day of the semester break. As I prepared for the upcoming lectures, I looked back on this summer in which I devoted myself entirely to my book. The more I wrote over the summer, the more I realized that this was my most important job. I could almost say that I only lived to write this book. […] That the meaning of my life will gradually reveal itself to me one day I would never have thought it would be possible to show it like that.”
Here you can hear more about Mieko Kamiya in our audio course:
What we can learn about Ikigai from Mieko Kamiya
Through her work as a psychotherapist and researcher, Mieko Kamiya brings us personally and scientifically closer to the original Ikigai. We can see a big picture of Ikigai from her biography, her work “ikigai-ni-tsuite”, her personal accounts, self-doubts and her rich cultural and spiritual experiences in the USA, Europe and Japan.
At the same time, it remains a challenge to translate Ikigai into our Western world and to transfer the Ikigai philosophy into our context. This threatens to reduce complexity, which results in the fallacy of Andrés Zuzunaga's Venn diagram.
Mieko Kamiya herself wrote about the challenge of translating ikigai:
"It seems that the word Ikigai only exists in the Japanese language. The fact that this word exists should indicate that the goal of living, its meaning and value have been problematized in the daily life of the Japanese soul. (...)
According to the dictionary, Ikigai means "strength needed to live in this world, happiness of being alive, usefulness, effectiveness". If we try to translate it into English, German, French, etc., there seems to be no other way to define it other than "worth living" or "value or meaning of life". So, compared to philosophical theoretical concepts, the word Ikigai shows us how ambiguous the Japanese language is, but that is precisely why it has a resonant impact and a wide scope."
Mieko Kamiya, Ikigai ni Tsuite
SEVEN IKIGAI NEEDS ACCORDING TO MIEKO KAMIYA
From her studies, Mieko Kamiya developed seven central Ikigai dimensions that strengthen Ikigai. In our Ikigai course we combine these with practical questions for everyday life based on the Ikigai pillars by Kenchiro Mogi to create our own Ikigai model:
MIEKO KAMIYA PRIVATES LEBEN
Mieko Kamiya led an eventful life and died young at the age of 65. She became a mother of two children.
As a young woman, she experienced a great loss that resulted in a life crisis. Later she still felt that she could express everything she had experienced through writing and bring together her different experiences. Perhaps that's why she noted about the ikigai that it can take years to find.
Throughout her life, Mieko Kamiya never expected to find family happiness again. According to her biography, she died happily in the presence of her husband and children.
You can find out more about Mieko Kamiya's life story, her arguments, dark and light hours in our Ikigai book and online course.
GAB ES IKIGAI VOR MIEKO KAMIYA?
WAS MIEKO KAMIYA A BELIEVER?
WHAT ELSE DID MIEKO KAMIYA DO?
More about IKIGAI
THERAPY MEETS THE MEANING OF LIFE
Annelies Harvent's fascinating path to IKIGAI combines therapy with meaning in life. She inspires through coaching with a therapeutic background and integrates IKIGAI into everyday life, through conscious living, relationship harmony and appreciation of the little things. Her story offers guidance for people seeking meaning and presence.
16.08.2023
Ikigai
IKIGAI – THE JAPANESE ART, CALLIGRAPHY AND HEALTH
We invite you to join us in welcoming Saori Okada!
Saori, founder of Mogami Wellness, also spreads the “true” Ikigai and also combines the topics Health (wellbeing, holistic) and Art with each other. On this special Find Future evening, she will introduce us to calligraphy and show how everyone can find access to Japanese philosophy.
11.02.2023
Wellbeing, Wellness, Ikigai, Gesundheit
IKIGAI AND FLOW
The Ikigai feeling can bring us into a state of “flow”. For Ken Mogi, Ikigai and flow lead to creativity. How are these two concepts related? And how can we achieve a life with more flow? You will find out in this article.
11.02.2023
Ikigai, ikigai, Flow
HAYAO MIYAZAKI – FINDING IKIGAI IN CREATIVITY
We delve into the inspiring life philosophy of legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki and learn how he found his life's purpose in creating captivating worlds and stories. Be inspired by his creative journey - a must for anyone looking for meaning and fulfillment in their creative work.
03.02.2023
Miyazaki, Ma, Ikigai
HOW DO WE FEEL IF WE DON'T HAVE IKIGAI?
Anyone traveling to Japan for the first time will quickly be overwhelmed by the impressions. The meeting of traditional and modern culture is particularly impressive. On the streets of Tokyo we meet praying monks and we walk past state-of-the-art displays that show us the most modern advertising at the volume of a discotheque.
What is interesting for those interested in IKIGAI is that, on the one hand, “IKIGAI” is a general word in the Japanese language and at the same time not all Japanese would claim to have an IKIGAI feeling.
If IKIGAI is something like the “Japanese philosophy of finding meaning”, one has to say openly:
Not every Japanese person is interested in finding meaning in life.
14.12.2022
Ikigai, Ikigai ausbildung
NEW YEAR WITH IKIGAI
You probably know our free IKIGAI test. Now the year 2022 is coming to an end and a new year is upon us. How are you going to approach it? What have you learned in 2022, what do you hope for the new year?
We have structured the test with IKIGAI elements so that you can take the test at your leisure. If you don't have much time, you can complete the test in 5 minutes 😊. In any case, you will receive a nice summary.
13.12.2022
Ikigai, Neujahr
IKIGAI MEDITATIONS FOR REFLECTION AND WELL-BEING
We have put together our Ikigai meditations for you with a total length of over 1 hour and want to make them accessible to everyone. There are meditations and reflections on Ikigai and Kintsugi:
Discover Ikigai moments
Develop Ikigai gratitude
Ikigai and closeness to nature
Kintsugi – Scars of Gold Meditation
Kintsugi – finding peace and quiet in the midst of chaos
Meditation for difficult days
17.08.2022
ikigai, ikigai
THE IKIGAI SCANDAL
Why do so many people believe that Ikigai is a four-circle diagram? Motoki talks about confusing Ikigai with Andrés Zuzunaga's Venn Diagram in this video.
24.07.2022
ikigai, purpose, sinn, Ikigai, ikigai ausbildung
PURPOSE VS. IKIGAI – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
What is the difference between purpose, meaning and Ikigai? In this article we look at modern purpose approaches and look at what Mieko Kamiya's Ikigai research tells us about it. Mieko Kamiya referred directly to Viktor Frankl's work and thereby opens up access to meaning-centered logotherapy.
06.07.2022
ikigai, purpose, sinn, sinn finden, logotherapie, viktor frankl, mieko kamiya, Ikigai
IKIGAI TRAINING FOR COACHES
29.06.2022
ikigai, ikigai ausbildung, Ikigai Coaching a>, Ikigai
HOW IKIGAI CAN HELP YOU WITH IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Creative and creative people often suffer from the so-called “Imposter Syndrome”: They believe that their talents and abilities are “normal” – and that they are accessible to everyone. One reason for this is that people who suffer from imposter syndrome have difficulty internalizing their skills and talents and seeing them as strengths.
The German translation is “imposter symptom” and is only partially helpful. In fact, people with a tendency to imposter syndrome believe that, despite their outstanding abilities, they can be “exposed” because in reality there is nothing “special” about their abilities.
If you can relate to this, here is a warning and good news about Ikigai for you.
15.06.2022
ikigai, Ikigai Lebensmodell, imposter syndromeIkigai,
HOW IKIGAI CAN HELP YOU WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY
How can Ikigai help with (high) sensitivity? Highly sensitive people react more sensitively to their environment, to changes and disruptions in everyday life. There are different categories for classifying your sensitivity. How can the “true” Ikigai with the Ikigai sources by Mieko Kamiya and the 5 Ikigai pillars by Ken Mogi help?
15.06.2022
Ikigai, Hochsensibilität, HSP, Ikigai Lebensmodell, ikigai
IKIGAI TRAINING
IS THERE ACTUALLY AN IKIGAI TRAINING?
We are often asked this.
One thing is certain: There are a lot of offers, but less than 1% revolve around the real meaning of Ikigai (Japanese 生き甲斐 'meaning of life' or 'value of life').
In Germany there are currently only two officially certified Ikigai coaches: Dr. Katharina Stenger and Motoki Tonn. Katharina offers individual and group coaching and Motoki with the Finde Zukunft team Ikigai live courses and Ikigai communities (we call them Ikigai circles).< /span>
15.06.2022
ikigai, studien, fortbildung , Ikigai
OUR ONLINE COURSES
At Finde Zukunft we offer two different online courses:
The Ikigai course, which focuses on Japanese philosophy Ikigai focused and intended to help you get a little closer to your Ikigai and your meaning in life & the Find Future Course, which focuses on the topic of mindfulness and strengthening your adaptive resilience and is intended to help you with your To shape the future constructively.Here we want to give you another overview get our course offerings.
14.04.2022
Ikigai, Finde Zukunft, Online Kurs
THE FOUR PRINCIPLES OF JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY
Japanese calligraphy is an art in itself. This is not just a callous script but more of a ritual. The practice of Shodō serves to unite body and mind. It helps us improve our sensitivity and awareness. Learn more about the four principles of Japanese calligraphy here.
05.04.2022
ikigai, Kalligraphie, Live Kurs, Wellbeing, Ikigai
THE FIRST LIVE COURSE ON TRUE IKIGAI - PART 3
We were able to hold our first Ikigai course online! Here you can get an insight into what we covered in our third and final session. This time it was mainly about the 5 pillars of Ikigai according to Ken Mogi.
27.01.2022
ikigai, Ken Mogi, Ikigai
THE FIRST LIVE COURSE ON TRUE IKIGAI - PART 2
We were able to hold our first Ikigai course online! Here you can get an insight into what we covered in our second session. Among other things, it was about the life of Mieko Kamiya and the 7 dimensions of Ikigai.
20.01.2022
Ikigai, Live Kurs, ikigai
THE FIRST LIVE COURSE ON TRUE IKIGAI
We were able to hold our first Ikigai course online! We are very pleased. Here you can get an insight into what we covered in our first session.
12.01.2022
ikigai, Live Kurs, Finde Zukunft, Ikigai
IKIGAI PSYCHOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY – DISCOVERING THE TRUE MEANING
“Ikigai is a spectrum,” neuroscientist Ken Mogi would say. And indeed: the meaning of Ikigai is as wide as the sea. At the same time, there are a number of misunderstandings about Ikigai. The most famous thing is that most people think of Ikigai as the well-known Venn diagram. You too? Then we have good news for you: you are not alone - and at the same time we have even better news: you can still discover a lot with Ikigai.
08.11.2021
ikigai, Ikigai, kamiya , fran
THE GOLDEN IKIGAI TRIANGLE BY KEN MOGI
Ken Mogi is a neuroscientist and one of the leading authors on the subject of IKIGAI. He studied physics and law in Tokyo and Cambridge. He teaches at universities and publishes texts on cognitive and neuroscientific topics as well as a large number of novels, collections of essays and popular science non-fiction books, which are regularly on the bestseller list in Japan and have sold a total of a million copies. Amazingly, in 2012, Ken Mogi became only the first Japanese to give a talk on the TED main stage.
23.06.2021
ikigai, ikigai
IKIGAI QUALITIES TEST: IKIGAI-9
The Ikigai test consists of nine questions that measure the meaning of one's existence from the Ikigai perspective.
24.04.2021
Ikigai, ikigai
HOW THE INVENTOR OF IKIGAI FOUND HER PERSONAL IKIGAI
Mieko Kamiya's path brought with it various tasks. But it was only in researching Ikigai that she unexpectedly came across her own Ikigai and thus her life's work:
“At the exhibition and on the train ride home, I continued to think about it and repeated to myself the sentence: 'Dedicate the rest of your life to this task!' I should finish my dissertation as quickly as possible so that I can get started with the work can begin to fulfill my mission”
09.03.2021
Ikigai, kamiya, ikigai
IKIGAI FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE - FRANKL & KAMIYA'S FINDINGS
The Japanese psychologist Mieko Kamiya is considered the mother of Ikigai psychology, who was the first researcher to study Ikigai intensively. Universities and professors from all over the world value their practical studies and point out the insights they have gained. Her work “Ikigai Ni Tsuite” (The Meaning of Life)” makes a valuable contribution to today’s humanistic psychology.
04.03.2021
Ikigai, kamiya, frankl , ikigai
IKIGAI – WHO INVENTED IT?
Mieko Kamiya could be considered the mother of Ikigai psychology. She was one of the first researchers to study Ikigai intensively. She published the first edition of her seminal book “Ikigai-ni-Tsuite” (“What Makes Our Lives Worth Living”) in 1966. Although it was published over 55 years ago, it has not lost its relevance and is still considered a standard work by researchers, professors and psychologists today.
17.12.2020
Ikigai
SOURCES AND REFERENCES (JUNE 2022):
Asano, K.; Fido, D.; Kotera, Y. (2019): English Translation and Validation of the Ikigai-9 in UK Sample. In: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Ausgabe 18 (1).
Grant, A. (2021): There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling. It’s Called Languishing, zuletzt geprüft: 27.05.2021.
Kemp, N. (2019): Ikigai explained by a Neuroscientist, last checked: May 27, 2021.
Kemp, N. (2020a): Ikigai According To Professor Akihiro Hasegawa, last checked: March 17, 2021.
Kemp, N. (2020b): How Andrés Zuzunaga Venn Diagram Become Ikigai, last checked: May 27, 2021.
Kemp, N. (2020c): Mieko Kamiya – The Mother of Ikigai Psychology, last checked: May 27, 2021
Kemp, N. (2020d): Interview with Ken Mogi on the 5 Pillars of Ikigai, last checked: May 27, 2021.
Kono S. & Walker, G. J. (2020a): Theorizing Ikigai or Life Worth Living Among Japanese University Students: A Mixed-Methods Approach. In: Journal of Happiness Studies, Ausgabe 21 (1).
Kono S. & Walker, G. J. (2020b): Theorizing the interpersonal aspect of ikigai (‘life worth living’) among Japanese university students: A mixed-methods approach. In: International Journal of Wellbeing, Ausgabe 10 (2), S. 101-123.
Lukas, E. (2014): Textbook of logotherapy, image of humanity and methods. 4th edition, Munich/Vienna: Profil Verlag GmbH.
Matthews, Gordon, What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans Make Sense of Their Worlds, 1996.
Matthews, Gordon, The Pursuit of a Life Worth Living in Japan and the United States, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Winter, 1996), pp. 51-62 (12 pages), Published By: University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education.
Miralles, F. & García, R. (2016): Ikigai – Become a healthy and happy hundred. Berlin: Ullstein Buchverlage GmbH / Allegria Verlag.
Mitsuhashi, Y. (2017): Ikigai. A Japanese concept to improve work and life, last checked: May 27, 2021.
