Ikigai: Giving every day meaning and joy

Ikigai is a traditional Japanese concept that embodies happiness in living. It is, essentially, the reason that you get up in the morning. This book is about finding your ikigai - identifying your purpose or passion and using this knowledge to achieve greater happiness in your life. Your ikigai doesn't have to be some grand ambition or highly noble life's purpose - it can be something simple and humble, like tending your garden or walking your dog.

Having grown up in Japan, Yukari Mitsuhashi understands first hand what ikigai means to Japanese people. Now living in Los Angeles, she has written this book to introduce the traditional concept to a new audience. This is not a 'one size fits all' book. Instead, Ikigai encourages you to look at the details of your life and appreciate the everyday moments as you learn to identify your own personal ikigai. The book includes case studies from a range of people sharing their ikigai, from athletes to writers and business people.

With its refreshingly simple philosophy and liberating concepts, this beautifully presented book will be a guide you will return to again and again.

Yukari is a freelance journalist and writer based in Los Angeles. She grew up in Tokyo and spent most of her childhood in Japan before moving to New York with her family. After graduating from Keio University in 2012, she began working as a freelance translator and writer. At the same time she set up her blog, TechDoll.jp. While most of her writing is in Japanese, her work has also featured on the BBC World website.