The Ikigai Podcast
by Nick Kemp - Ikigai Tribe
Nick Kemp from Ikigai Tribe reveals what ikigai truly means to the Japanese and how you can find it to make your life worth living. Discover how you can find meaning, purpose, and joy in your day to day living, with this podcast. From interviews with professors, authors and experts to case studies of people living their ikigai, you'll learn about the power of rituals, why having a daily morning routine is vital, how to find your confidence, how to improve your relationships, and why you should start a meaningful online business. Hit the subscribe button, and get ready to find your ikigai.
Episodes
-
The Entrepreneurs Journey in Japan with Johnny Pawlik
He built his first “business” at 10 years old by printing an editorial and selling it at school. Years later, after growing up in a rough corner of the UK, Johnny Pavlik is leading global marketing work, scaling international projects in Japan, and helping luxury craft makers reach high-end…
more -
Ikigai, Zero Waste and Local Wisdom in Kamikatsu with Satoshi Nonoyama
A former would-be astronaut helps a tiny town in Japan teach the world how to live lighter. Yuki Ohata returns with Satoshi Nonoyama, founder and CEO of Pangea, to unpack why Kamikatsu, Tokushima has become a magnet for sustainable tourism, study tours, and corporate learning trips. This...
-
Wisdom of the Shoguns with Maoko Miami
The fastest way to lose your edge is to confuse information with wisdom. We sit down with Tokyo-based Japanese calligrapher and author Naoko Omikami to talk about her new book, *Wisdom of the Shoguns: Valuable Life Lessons from Japan’s Greatest Warriors*, and why it’s designed to be read slowly,...
-
Beyond Myself 8: Eight Powers for Navigating an Uncertain World
The world is changing fast, and “just be strong” is not a plan. I’m joined by my good friend, clinical psychologist and author Professor Daiki Kato to share the thinking behind his new book Beyond Myself 8 and the BM8 framework: eight practical psychological powers that help us stay steady…
more -
How Ikigai Can Support Recovery from Workplace Trauma with Dorothy Dalton
A single ignored greeting can sound small until it becomes the daily signal that you do not belong. We talk with Dorothy Dalton, a global HR leader and inclusive workplace champion, about what gender balance looks like when you have lived through normalized sexism, and why so many organizations...
-
Life Needs A Role with Yūki Ōhata
A grandmother stops farming and something quietly disappears: her energy, her rhythm, her reason to get up. That single story becomes the thread that ties everything together as we talk with Yuki Ohata, representative director of Sanchi No Mikata in Shizuoka, about Ikigai as a lived practice...
-
Trust and Leadership: An Entrepreneur’s Journey in Japan with Timothy Connor
Japan can look easy from the outside: huge buying power, world-class retail, and consumers who love quality. Then you try to sell there and discover the real barrier isn’t your product. It’s trust, context, and the unglamorous work most brands skip. We sit down with Timothy Connor, CEO of...
-
Beyond Engagement with Olesia Kyrylchuk
On this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, we talk with Olesia Kyrylchuk about what happens to purpose when life gets disrupted, from relocating to Japan after the war in Ukraine to rebuilding belonging through community and work. We connect the global engagement slide to a deeper meaning problem and...
-
Ikigai And Belonging with Kumiko Sugiyama
One Japanese word can change your life. It did for us, and it’s how we met Kumiko Sugiyama, a Japanese language coach, business Japanese trainer, and ICF Associate Certified Coach who blends language learning with coaching, communication skills, and a deep love of Japanese culture. We talk…
more -
Reflecting to Thrive with Chie Sawa
On this episode of The Ikigai Podcast, I talk with Chie Sawa, founder of Thrive Life Design, about why all leaders need a sanctuary to pause and reconnect with themselves. We also explore reverse culture shock, the power of co-reflection, and how structured tools like Tarot readings for…
more -
Reflections on A Year Of Ikigai with Nicholas Kemp
Caitlin Kight returns again to host the Ikigai Podcast to interview Nick on his new book, A Year of Ikigai. In this episode, Nick shares how Japanese voices, careful cultural research and daily prompts, helped him write a book that the reader can actually use. This epsidoe covers: • A 365-day...
-
The Power of Awareness: How Kizuki Moments Transform Our Lives with Mae Yoshikawa
What if the feeling you’re most afraid of could become your clearest compass? Our conversation with Mae Yoshikawa begins in the hard places—parental divorce, a mother’s early-onset dementia, and the sudden death of a spouse—and unfolds into a practical path for turning pain into insight. Mae...
-
Aligning Work with Purpose: A Conversation with Tina Bagwell
What if the problem isn’t workload, but identity? We sit down with coach and HR leader Tina Bagwell to explore how many of us let a single role—the job—define who we are, and why that narrow frame leads to exhaustion, disengagement, and a loss of joy. Tina’s journey starts in Okinawa, where…
more -
Expanding Your Inner Capacity: The Utsuwa Philosophy with Shigeki Nishimura
What if the key to better work and wiser leadership isn’t adding more tools but building a bigger vessel? Shigeki Nishimura—author, cross-cultural leadership coach, and former global executive—joins us to introduce Utsuwa, the Japanese concept of inner capacity. Drawing on two decades in Germany...
-
A Year of Ikigai
Nick celebrates the launch of A Year of Ikigai and read the book’s introduction, separating myth from meaning and showing how purpose lives in daily moments. Nick shares why Ikigai is felt more than defined, and how small sources of value build a life worth living. This episode covers: • what...
-
Turning Pain Into a Gift: The Kintsugi Life of Kiki Fukai
A single fall changed everything. When our guest, life coach and digital nomad Kiki Fukai, crashed into a tree on a routine run, she shattered her skull and—unexpectedly—found a new way to live. What followed wasn’t a quick comeback story. It was a careful rebuild guided by kintsugi, the Japanese...
-
Anxiety as a Compass: Exploring Ikigai, Empathy, and Emotional Wellbeing with Catherine Deeks Gnocchi
Anxiety isn’t a malfunction to be silenced; it’s a message asking to be heard. We sit down with therapist and educator Catherine Deeks Gnocchi to rethink fear through the lenses of evolution, mindfulness-based psychotherapy, and Japanese ikigai—revealing how anxiety can guide you back to your...
-
Discovering Ikigai Through Art and Martial Arts: A Conversation with Baptiste Tavernier
Start with a vision, test it in the dojo, and forge it in a studio where code becomes sculpture. That’s the journey we explore with Tokyo-based French-Spanish artist and independent curator Baptiste Tavenir, whose life bridges Japanese martial arts, musicology, and 3D-printed fine art in ways…
more -
The Transformative Power of Travel: Insights from Jake Haupert
What if your next trip did more than entertain you—what if it changed you? We sit down with Jake Haupert, founder of the Transformational Travel Council, to unpack how intentional journeys can help you stretch, learn, and grow into new ways of being. Rather than racing through bucket lists, Jake...
-
Japanese Wisdom for a More Meaningful Life with Saori Okada
What if the words you use could change the way you breathe? We welcome author Saori Okada back to share the heart of her new book, Wisdom of Japan, a collection of 60 concise concepts designed to calm a rushed life and rekindle everyday meaning. Saori opens up about crafting short reflections…
more -
Reflections from the Japan Leadership Experience: Live from Tokyo with Katie Anderson
On episode 118 of the Ikigai Podcast, Katie Anderson and Nick Kemp reflect on a Katies's Japan Leadership Experience - a week in Japan exploring how kaizen, rolefulness, and community design create real leadership growth. Katie and Nick share how relationships open doors, purpose fuels energy…
more -
Understanding Academic Yarigai with Yu Kanazawa
Ever study hard and still wonder why it feels empty? We dive into academic yarigai—the lived, situational meaning that makes learning feel worth doing—and map out nine practical factors that turn study from grind to growth. With Dr. Yu Kanazawa, associate professor at Osaka University, we explore...
-
Understanding Psychological Flexibility: The Key to Emotional Resilience with Ross White
Ever feel like your mind is running the show—and not in a good way? We sat down with clinical psychologist and author Ross White to unpack psychological flexibility, a practical skill that helps you have difficult thoughts and feelings while still taking the actions that matter. Instead of…
more -
The Shared Wisdom of Stoicism and Ikigai with Ken Mogi
What if the hard road is the honest road—and also the most creative? Neuroscientist and author Ken Mogi joins us to explore how Stoicism and Ikigai converge on a single idea: live in alignment with nature, accept limits with grace, and let difficulty forge depth. We move from the awe of a first...
-
What Ikigai Really Means: Insights from Japanese Culture with Minako Horaguchi
Meaning doesn’t have to shout to be real. In this conversation with educator and certified life coach Minako Horaguchi, we re-center ikigai where it belongs: in the small daily moments that make life feel worth living—morning coffee in quiet light, a page of honest journaling, the waku waku spark...
-
Applying Japanese Wisdom in Counselling with Ai Kihara
"I believe when I sleep at nighttime I die. Then when I wake up I got a new life." These powerful words from Ai Kihara set the tone for a profound conversation about finding meaning through Japanese wisdom traditions. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Ai brings a unique perspective to mental health...
-
The Transformative Effects of Sound Therapy With Nanako Aramaki
What happens when your body can no longer endure the crushing weight of corporate expectations? For Nanako Aramaki, a Japanese-Canadian marketing executive in Tokyo, the answer came through panic attacks, hives, hair loss, and finally, a complete inability to function at work. Diagnosed with...
-
Finding and Feeling Ikigai at Work with Kensuke Yamamoto
What if work wasn't something we simply endured, but instead became a vibrant source of meaning and purpose? Kensuke Yamamoto, senior consultant at Vanto Group, joins us to challenge the deeply ingrained assumption that work must be an obligation rather than a wellspring of fulfillment. Against…
more -
How Ikigai Leads to a Life of Personal Excellence with Andriana Ubunuki Kalfa
What gives meaning to your life when faced with loss and challenge? For Andriana Ubuduki-Kalfa, the answer emerged at her mother's funeral when a Japanese friend approached her about meeting her daughter, saying simply: "she was your mother's ikigai." This profound moment transformed Andriana's...
-
The Four Secrets to Longevity with Sachiaki Takamiya
What if the secret to living longer isn't found in cutting-edge supplements or complex biohacking, but in the timeless wisdom of Japanese rural communities? In this revealing conversation, 63-year-old biohacker and Ikigai Diet expert Sachiaki Takamiya shares groundbreaking findings from the World...
-
Ikigai Decisions: Aligning Your Life with What Matters Most with Christopher Tan
What happens when a successful financial advisor abandons commissions to build an ethical wealth management company? Christopher Tan takes us through his remarkable journey from sleeping on his family's living room floor to founding Provident, a fee-only wealth advisory firm in Singapore that's...
-
The Rolefulness Book: Why We Wrote It and What We Hope It Brings You
In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick welcomes back Daiki Kato to explore their new book on rolefulness—a concept that empowers people to live more intentionally by embracing meaningful roles in everyday life.
-
Ikigai Musing With Rock Legend Sunplaza Nakano Kun
Ready to let ikigai rock your world? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Sunplaza Nakano Kun to explore how his music captures the spirit of ikigai and inspires his fans. Sunplaza Nakano Kun is a Japanese musician, writer, and singer for the band BAKUFU- SLUMP (爆風スランプ). Beyond...
-
Finding Clarity Through Zazen with Tosei Shinabe
How can we quiet our minds in a chaotic world? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Tosei Shinabe about how Zen meditation offers a path to deep contemplation and inner stillness amidst the noise of modern life.
-
Quiet Moments: Finding Peace in the Ritual of Tea with Dairik Amae
What can a single sip of tea reveal? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Dairik Amae on how the simple act of drinking tea can become a doorway to stillness.
-
Nature, Rituals, and Kami: Discovering the Essence of Shinto with Taishi Kato
Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, is strongly rooted in animism, with Japanese believing that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Shinto does not have a single creator or specific doctrine, and instead exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms...
-
Exploring Fourth Spaces: Where Personal Growth and Meaning Meet with Tomoe Ueyama and Gloria Tam
Where is your place to cultivate meaningful connections and personal growth? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Tomoe Ueyama and Gloria Tam to explore how fourth spaces can help people build authentic relationships and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
-
Ikigai and Loss: Finding Meaning in Life’s Hardest Moments
How have you handled loss in your life? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with June Kashio to explore how embracing Ikigai can provide meaning, resilience, and healing during times of loss.
-
The Spark of Life: Using Ikigai to Inspire and Empower Others with Katie Sandoe
What gives you energy? What is the spark that lights your fire? In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Katie Sandoe to explore how ikigai can inspire and energize people, helping them rediscover passion and purpose.
-
Sailing Into Life with Purpose: Navigating Your True Calling with Martin Krafft
Where does life lead us? Life is a journey, and with the right guidance, it can steer us toward our true calling. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Martin Krafft about his transition from a life at sea to professional training and coaching.
-
Thinking Through the Body: Cultural Perspectives on Embodied Intelligence with Igor de Almeida
How can we gain a deeper understanding of foreign concepts like ikigai and saudade? While these concepts can be challenging to define, our bodily sensations can offer valuable insights into their deeper meanings. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Igor de Almeida to explore…
more -
The Outdoors as a Catalyst for Personal Growth and Discovery with Cory McGowan
What can we gain from spending time outdoors? While nature is commonly linked to well-being, it also serves as a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Cory McGowan to discuss how he integrates nature and adventure into his...
-
Discovering Ikigai: Making Life Worth Living After Losing Everything To War with Myroslava Marchenko
How do you rebuild your life after losing everything? Coping with loss is one of life’s greatest challenges, yet there are paths to recovery that can help us heal and move forward. One such path is discovering a sense of ikigai. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Myroslava...
-
Motivation Through the Brush: How Calligraphy Sparks Inspiration with Naoko Mikami
Can artwork inspire us? Beyond mere decoration, art forms like calligraphy have the unique ability to evoke feelings of motivation and purpose. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick welcomes back Naoko Mikami to explore how calligraphy can be a powerful source of inspiration, helping to set...
-
Timeless Japan: Preserving Cultural Treasures in a Modern World with Monika Sadkiewicz
Monika Sadkiewicz's journey from Poland to Japan might seem like a story of unexpected twists, but it's a testament to the transformative power of embracing new cultures. In this episode, we sit down with Monika, the dynamic community manager at Planet Labs, as she recounts her life-altering move...
-
Transforming Japan’s Iconic Properties into Vacation Retreats with Tamaki Nishimura
Are you passionate about historic properties? Japan is home to a wealth of historical gems, many of which are in need of preservation. In this blog post, Nick speaks with Tamaki Nishimura to discuss the importance of saving these iconic properties and transforming them into unique vacation rentals.
-
An AI Book Summary of Ikigai-kan - Feel a Life Worth Living
Unlock the secrets of living a meaningful life as we challenge popular misconceptions about Ikigai in a conversation led by AI co-hosts. Could it be that passion alone isn't the key to happiness? Journey through the complex dimensions of Ikigai as we revisit insights from the book "Ikigai Kan…
more -
Exploring the Intersection of Behavioral Activation and Ikigai with Nathania Rochelle and Jürgen Hoyer
Can ikigai be used as a treatment? Ikigai is about discovering a sense of purpose, and when applied effectively, it can enhance other Western treatments like behavioural activation, promoting overall well-being. In this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Nathania Rochelle and Jürgen...
-
Achieving Success Through 5S Methodology with Steve Beauchamp
Are you seeking strategies to streamline your business operations? Toyota, the renowned Japanese automotive giant, has developed various methodologies to enhance workplace organisation and boost productivity, with one of the most effective being the 5S model. In this episode of the Ikigai…
more
About this show
Nick Kemp from Ikigai Tribe reveals what ikigai truly means to the Japanese and how you can find it to make your life worth living. Discover how you can find meaning, purpose, and joy in your day to day living, with this podcast. From interviews with professors, authors and experts to case studies of people living their ikigai, you'll learn about the power of rituals, why having a daily morning routine is vital, how to find your confidence, how to improve your relationships, and why you should start a meaningful online business. Hit the subscribe button, and get ready to find your ikigai.
Hosted by
Nick Kemp - Ikigai Tribe
Categories