The Ikigai Podcast

On episode 59 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with director Yujiro Seki about his film and the importance of craftsmanship in Japan.

Yujiro Seki is a filmmaker with a BA in Film from the University of California, Berkeley. After obtaining a permanent US residency, he studied full-time in the Cinematography program at the UCLA Extension. 

Upon graduating, he embarked on the journey of making his first full feature documentary, “Carving the Divine: Buddhist Sculptors of Japan.” The film has been selected as an official entry in 30 film festivals across the globe, showcased in 22 countries, and earned 13 awards from various festivals worldwide.

In episode 58 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick welcomes back Sachiaki Takamiya to discuss how Ikigai bio-hacking can benefit both personal well-being and the environment.

Sachiaki Takamiya is an author and sustainable life coach. He is the author of the Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking: Bio-Hacking Based on Japanese Natural Health. He was a guest on episode 3 of the Ikigai Podcast - “What Ikigai Means to Japanese'' and episode 57 “The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 1”.

On episode 57 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Sachiaki Takamiya about applying ikigai bio-hacking to our daily lives to improve our quality of life.

Sachiaki Takamiya is an author and sustainable life coach. He is the author of the Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking: Bio-Hacking Based on Japanese Natural Health. He was a guest on episode 3 of the Ikigai Podcast - “What Ikigai Means to Japanese.”

On episode 56 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Jamila Rodrigues about the deep connection between our bodies and our ikigai.

Jamila Rodrigues is an anthropologist focused on well-being and crisis management. She completed her Ph.D. in Dance Anthropology and Sufism embodied ritual practice at Roehampton University in London in 2017. She worked as a professional dancer and traveled to different countries, such as the UK, South Africa, and many other countries for 12 years.

She is a visiting researcher at the Marine Climate Change Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Her current research is on Embodied ikigai: Japanese women’s narratives on well-being in times of crisis.

On episode 55 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick talks with Dr. Ariadne Maria Ferro Bahuelo about the beneficial effects of ikigai on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Dr. Ariadne Maria Ferro Bahuelo is an adjunct professor at IE University in Spain. She has experience teaching at numerous universities in the United States and Spain. Her previous research examines languages in contact, particularly Spanglish as it is spoken by Cuban U.S. Americans in South Florida, USA.

She is also the executive director of APUNE (Association of North American University Programs in Spain), an intercultural and inclusion facilitator, and an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator.

Moreover, Ariadne is a certified ADHD coach, a board-certified ADHD educator who coaches clients through her consultancy, The Zunzun, and a member of the Ikigai Tribe coaches.

On episode 54 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Natasha Randall about how technology can support people in feeling more ikigai in their lives.

Natasha Randall is a Ph.D. candidate in the Informatics Department at Indiana University. Her work focuses on human-robot interaction, specifically consumer-oriented social home robot design where she fuses elements of design, user experience, and market research. 

Her interest lies in applying a strategic design approach to use cases meant for individual growth or social good, such as applications for improving mental health, social isolation, nutrition, habit information, and education. Additionally, she’s interested in how personal robots can be used to teach foreign languages, especially within the home.

On episode 53  of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Kiku Day about the beneficial aspects of playing the shakuhachi and how it is more than just a musical instrument. 

Kiku Day is a shakuhachi player, a Ph.D. ethnomusicologist, and a world traveller from Copenhagen, Denmark. Her work lies at the intersections of performance of traditional shakuhachi music, contemporary music and improvisation, ethnomusicology, history, politics, meditation, and writing. 

She studied shakuhachi with Okuda Atsuya, one of the foremost performers of jinashi shakuhachi, in Tokyo, Japan for 11 years before returning to Europe to study ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. 

Kuki is also a founding member of the European Shakuhachi Society (ESS) for which she served as a chairperson from 2009-2019. She is dedicated to performing on jinashi shakuhachi, both honkyoku and contemporary music, and also teaches the shakuhachi online.

Benjamin Boas is an American author, translator, and contemporary Japanese culture consultant. He is both the Cool Japan Ambassador for the Japanese government and a Tourism Ambassador for the Nakano ward in Tokyo. He is the author of From Cool Japan to Your Japan and two other Japanese-language books about intercultural education and has written for Studio Ghibli, The Japan Times, and many other publications.

On episode 52 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Benjamin Boas about the global visibility of Japan’s unique culture.

Giving a voice to ikigai researchers, authors and Japanese, Motoki Tonn and Nick Kemp discuss the virtual ikigai summit they will be hosting in February 2023.

Ikigai has become one of Japan's most misunderstood words and culturally appropriated concepts. It’s not a word from Okinawa. It’s not the Japanese secret to longevity. It's not a Venn diagram showing you how to find your bliss or become a successful entrepreneur. And it’s not the pursuit of a single life purpose. 

The Ikigai Summit will bring together the knowledge of researchers, authors and speakers to offer various perspectives of ikigai while remaining respectful to Japanese culture and ikigai's origins. 

On episode 51 of the Ikigai Podcast, Nick speaks with Jennifer Shinkai about being one and included in Japanese society.

Jennifer Shinkai is a facilitator and executive coach living in Japan. Originally from the UK, Jennifer holds an MA (Oxon) in English Language and Literature from St. Hugh's College, Oxford University. She is an ICF Associate certified coach, Points of You® Expert, and Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching ORSC® Practitioner, and coaches individuals and corporate groups around their ikigai. 

She also has her own podcast and YouTube channel, “Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai.”