Yohei Nakajima
Venture capitalist, senior vice president of Scrum Ventures
I think it's about a sense of purpose, feeling a sense of purpose. I specifically say feeling a sense of purpose separate from purpose because it is used casually. I can imagine being on a fishing boat with a friend and seeing the waves and seeing the sun and catching a fish and looking over and saying, “Wow, this really gives me a sense of ikigai!”. It is this sense of purpose, of living in a moment that makes you feel alive. That's what I think ikigai is about. It's the sense of having a purpose and a sense of living, a sense of being present. I think for some people it can tie to your actual purpose in life if you do find one, but I don't think it has to be that by any means.
