addition to a healthful diet, a simple life in the outdoors, green tea, and the
subtropical climate (its average temperature is like that of Hawaii)—is the ikigai
that shapes their lives.
While researching this concept, we discovered that not a single book in the
fields of psychology or personal development is dedicated to bringing this
philosophy to the West.
Is ikigai the reason there are more centenarians in Okinawa than anywhere
else? How does it inspire people to stay active until the very end? What is the
secret to a long and happy life?
As we explored the matter further, we discovered that one place in particular,
Ogimi, a rural town on the north end of the island with a population of three
thousand, boasts the highest life expectancy in the world—a fact that has earned
it the nickname the Village of Longevity.
Okinawa is where most of Japan’s shikuwasa—a limelike fruit that packs an
extraordinary antioxidant punch—comes from. Could that be Ogimi’s secret to
long life? Or is it the purity of the water used to brew its Moringa tea?
We decided to go study the secrets of the Japanese centenarians in person.
After a year of preliminary research we arrived in the village—where residents
speak an ancient dialect and practice an animist religion that features long-haired
forest sprites called bunagaya—with our cameras and recording devices in hand.
As soon as we arrived we could sense the incredible friendliness of its residents,
who laughed and joked incessantly amid lush green hills fed by crystalline waters.
As we conducted our interviews with the eldest residents of the town, we
realized that something far more powerful than just these natural resources was at
work: an uncommon joy flows from its inhabitants and guides them through the
long and pleasurable journey of their lives.
Again, the mysterious ikigai.
But what is it, exactly? How do you get it?
It never ceased to surprise us that this haven of nearly eternal life was located
precisely in Okinawa, where two hundred thousand innocent lives were lost at the
end of World War II. Rather than harbor animosity toward outsiders, however,
Okinawans live by the principle of ichariba chode, a local expression that means
“treat everyone like a brother, even if you’ve never met them before.”
It turns out that one of the secrets to happiness of Ogimi’s residents is feeling
like part of a community. From an early age they practice yuimaaru, or teamwork, and so are used to helping one another.
