Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Akiko Katayama covers Japanese food and culture. We all need a reason to get up in the morning. Ikigai is the term the Japanese ...

We live in a time of great uncertainty, a pivotal moment in history when social and technological changes are accelerating, leaving anxiety in their wake. Polarization and isolation have weakened ...

In Japan, there is a quiet belief that everyone is born with an ikigai, a reason to wake up each morning. The word itself is simple. 'Iki' means 'life'. 'Gai' means value or worth. Together, “ikigai” ...