Ikigai 生き甲斐 According to the Japanese culture, one way to a more meaningful and purposeful life is to discover your ikigai. Ikigai is a combination of the Japanese words iki meaning ‘life’ and gai meaning ‘worth or value’. Together this roughly translates as ‘the reason for being’, your purpose in life. Finding purpose in life […]

Oubaitori (桜梅桃李) I am captivated by ancient wisdoms and this has to be one of my favourites. Although it isn’t spring in the Northern Hemisphere, I think that we can all learn something from the Japanese idiom, Oubaitori, for ourselves and for our children. Oubaitori comes from the kanji for these four trees that bloom […]

I recently came across a Japanese phrase, Shikata ga na (仕方が無い) translating as “it cannot be helped” or as we say in English “it is what it is”. After the Covid years and other events in my life, this principle really resonates with me. Rather than being a purely passive process, shikata ga na encourages […]

The limited time I have had in Tokyo has made me yearn for more time to explore this amazing rich culture. I think that the shrines and sacred forests that exist in the midst of the hustle and bustle say a lot about the culture. One particular art form that has long held an appeal […]