Ikigai is framed as the quiet intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for — the reason you get out of bed in the morning. García and Miralles blend Blue Zone research in Okinawa with Japanese philosophy, logotherapy, and flow science to show how purpose, community, food, movement, and mindset all braid into a long, meaningful life.​​

What you can get from reading it

• The Ikigai framework (the four-question Venn diagram) with prompts to explore your passions, talents, service, and livelihood, then notice where they naturally overlap.​​
• The “10 rules of Ikigai” distilled into daily practices — stay active, take it slow, eat to 80% full, nurture friendships, reconnect with nature, give thanks, and follow your joy.​
• Insight into why places like Ogimi, Okinawa have so many centenarians: light movement, vegetable gardens, strong social ties, unhurried days, and work that doesn’t end at retirement.​
• An accessible introduction to logotherapy, flow, and Eastern practices (like tai chi, yoga, and meditation) as tools to anchor purpose and presence, not just productivity.​
• Gentle reflection questions for uncovering your own Ikigai and experimenting with tiny shifts — hobbies, social rituals, and micro-routines — that make life feel more meaningful and less rushed.​​

About the authors

Héctor García is a Spanish-born engineer who moved to Japan, worked in high-tech settings like CERN and for Silicon Valley start-ups, and fell in love with everyday Japanese culture, chronicling it on his blog and in his bestselling book A Geek in Japan. Francesc Miralles is an award-winning Barcelona-based writer and musician with a background in journalism, literature, editing, and art therapy, known for warm, reflective books on spirituality and meaning, including the novel Love in Lowercase. Together they bring a mix of data, reportage, and poetic observation — one foot in Japanese daily life, one in European literary and self-help traditions.