Héctor García & Francesc Miralles

An international bestseller that is poised to make the Japanese concept of ikigai—the happiness of always being busy—a household word by revealing the secrets of the world’s longest-living people. A PENGUIN HARDCOVER ORIGINAL

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.”—Japanese proverb

According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. The authors of IKIGAI interviewed more than 100 residents of the Japanese village with the world’s highest percentage of 100-year-olds and found that their well-being was attributed largely to ikigai. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire: They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy.

IKIGAI reveals the secrets to longevity and happiness of the world’s longest-living people: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to grow old while being forever young?