The Ikigai Podcast

Nick Kemp - Ikigai Tribe
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Nick Kemp from Ikigai Tribe reveals what ikigai truly means to the Japanese and how you can find it to make your life worth living. Discover how you can find meaning, purpose, and joy in your day to day living, with this podcast. From interviews with professors, authors and experts to case studies of people living their ikigai, you'll learn about the power of rituals, why having a daily morning routine is vital, how to find your confidence, how to improve your relationships, and why you should start a meaningful online business. Hit the subscribe button, and get ready to find your ikigai.

  1. 18H AGO

    A Year of Ikigai

    Nick celebrates the launch of A Year of Ikigai and read the book’s introduction, separating myth from meaning and showing how purpose lives in daily moments.  Nick shares why Ikigai is felt more than defined, and how small sources of value build a life worth living. This episode covers: • what ikigai means in simple, daily terms • why popular Western takes miss the point • the problem with the four-circle Venn diagram • the kanji roots pointing to protection and beauty • intrinsic values like hope, growth and social ties • personal journey from Tokyo spark to research • sources of ikigai across roles, work, hobbies and memory • ikigai-kan as the felt sense that life is worth living • book launch timing across regions and preorder You can actually pre order the book on Amazon, but we hope you find it in your local bookstore

    11 min

  2. FEB 10

    Turning Pain Into a Gift: The Kintsugi Life of Kiki Fukai

    A single fall changed everything. When our guest, life coach and digital nomad Kiki Fukai, crashed into a tree on a routine run, she shattered her skull and—unexpectedly—found a new way to live. What followed wasn’t a quick comeback story. It was a careful rebuild guided by kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending with gold, and a daily practice of acceptance that turned constant pain into a steady reminder to live with intention. We start with the real texture of nomad life: the rush of open itineraries, the buzz of meeting new friends, and the hidden tax of shallow roots. Kiki names the missing piece as ibasho, the sense of belonging that only grows with time and return. From there, we step into the aftermath of her accident—emergency care, a 14-hour reconstruction, and months of rehab—and the quiet choices that followed: accepting what hurts, honoring what remains, and redefining identity beyond the mirror. Her story grounds big ideas in lived detail, revealing how balance, not bravado, sustains freedom. Kiki’s coaching grew from that crucible. She shares “turn pain into gift,” her approach shaped by Japanese concepts: ikigai (purpose in everyday living), wabi-sabi (beauty in the imperfect), and the layered language of acceptance—arugamama, ukeiru, uketomeru—that clears the path to action. We also dig into kotodama, the spirit of words, and yoshuku, celebrating future wins in the past tense, as practical tools that shift mindset and momentum. Along the way, Kiki opens up about an amicable divorce rooted in gratitude, a bold rebrand to Kintsugi Kiki, and new creative goals, from a book for Japanese readers to a YouTube channel bringing philosophy to life. If you’re navigating burnout, rebuilding after a setback, or simply searching for a steadier compass, this conversation offers both language and leverage. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What part of your story could become gold?

    45 min

  3. FEB 3

    Anxiety as a Compass: Exploring Ikigai, Empathy, and Emotional Wellbeing with Catherine Deeks Gnocchi

    Anxiety isn’t a malfunction to be silenced; it’s a message asking to be heard. We sit down with therapist and educator Catherine Deeks Gnocchi to rethink fear through the lenses of evolution, mindfulness-based psychotherapy, and Japanese ikigai—revealing how anxiety can guide you back to your values and toward a life that actually fits. Catherine breaks down the nervous system in plain language: anxiety mobilizes the sympathetic “protect” response, while empathy and connection restore the parasympathetic “recover” state. We trace how early defenses like fawning or avoidance become adult habits, why shame can freeze growth, and how healthy guilt, curiosity, and self-compassion help us update old patterns.  Catherine shares insights from her research on anxiety and empathy among university students, why these traits can rise together in demanding environments, and how lived experience of suffering often deepens compassion. From there, we get practical. We map values-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Self-Determination Theory into simple steps: clarify values, spot triggers, name roles, and take small, repeatable actions that honor who you are.  We explore ikigai as everyday meaning—not a grand purpose but a daily feeling found in small rituals, mindful walks, shared meals, and moments of real connection. Ibasho, a sense of belonging you can carry anywhere, becomes the anchor for authenticity across life’s roles. Along the way, two mantras keep us grounded: thoughts are not facts, and anxiety is your friend. If you’re ready to replace reflex with awareness and turn fear into direction, this conversation offers science, story, and tools you can use today. Listen, share with someone who needs it, and if it resonated, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.

    49 min

  4. JAN 27

    Discovering Ikigai Through Art and Martial Arts: A Conversation with Baptiste Tavernier

    Start with a vision, test it in the dojo, and forge it in a studio where code becomes sculpture. That’s the journey we explore with Tokyo-based French-Spanish artist and independent curator Baptiste Tavenir, whose life bridges Japanese martial arts, musicology, and 3D-printed fine art in ways that feel both unexpected and inevitable. We talk about the leap that changed everything: leaving a Paris lab for Budo University and discovering that discipline, patience, and community dynamics aren’t just for the mat. Baptiste shares how years of training in tankendo, jukendo, and naginata sharpened his focus and taught him how groups actually work—lessons he carried into his creative practice. When tinnitus undermined his work with sound, he translated composition into space, building a unique visual language from Polaroids, carved plastics, and modular 3D-printed forms. He explains why plastic can be beautiful, how open-source culture shaped his “modules” collection, and why he set intentional limits to keep quality high while still inviting others to play. We also confront the “made by a machine” objection to 3D printing. Baptiste unpacks the design decisions hidden inside CAD, the handwork that follows printing, and the broader history of tools in art—from cameras to presses—that mediate but don’t replace human intention. The thread running through everything is a grounded take on ikigai: the joy of making something uniquely yours, without compromising under pressure. His line lingers: fear is the enemy of ikigai. If you’re curious about where craft meets code, how martial arts can rewire creative focus, and what it takes to defend a niche against doubt, this conversation will resonate. Listen, share it with a friend who loves art or Budo, and leave a review to tell us what fear you’re ready to face. Subscribe for more stories at the edge of art, technology, and purpose.

    42 min

  5. JAN 15

    The Transformative Power of Travel: Insights from Jake Haupert

    What if your next trip did more than entertain you—what if it changed you? We sit down with Jake Haupert, founder of the Transformational Travel Council, to unpack how intentional journeys can help you stretch, learn, and grow into new ways of being. Rather than racing through bucket lists, Jake invites us to slow down, clarify our why, and design experiences that align with values, purpose, and community. We explore a practical framework built on the hero’s journey—departure, initiation, return—and show how it maps onto real travel. You’ll hear how to prepare before you go by naming the call to adventure, how to engage during the trip with reflection, play, and curiosity, and how to integrate after you return so insights become habits instead of fading with the jet lag. Jake introduces the Four Houses—introspection, bridging, expansion, integration—to guide travelers and hosts alike toward deeper connection with self, others, nature, and systems. We also tackle the hard truths: modern tourism can be extractive and superficial. Jake shares how regenerative, community-led design can align destinations, hotels, guides, and attractions around shared purpose so both places and people thrive. And we look at the role of technology, pairing AI with authentic intelligence to free up more human presence, empathy, and meaning-making in hospitality. If you’re a traveler craving purpose or a pro ready to build experiences that truly matter, this conversation offers tools, language, and next steps. Bring one guiding question to your next journey, and watch the map change under your feet. Enjoy the episode, and if it resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find it.

    32 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    Japanese Wisdom for a More Meaningful Life with Saori Okada

    What if the words you use could change the way you breathe? We welcome author Saori Okada back to share the heart of her new book, Wisdom of Japan, a collection of 60 concise concepts designed to calm a rushed life and rekindle everyday meaning. Saori opens up about crafting short reflections that still feel true, and the painstaking process of pairing each idea with a ukiyo‑e print so the art deepens the lesson on the page. We journey through kokoro—the Japanese view of mind, heart, and spirit as one—and how that unity reframes courage, intention, and integrity. From yutori (spaciousness) to the proverb isogaba maware (hurry slowly), we explore practical ways to escape the spin of constant busyness. Saori brings tenderness to setsunai, the ache of nostalgia that proves we have loved well, and shows how kachou fuugetsu—flower, bird, wind, moon—invites nature to become a daily mentor for perspective and creativity. The conversation also traces wisdom from martial arts. Bushido’s yu (courage) and gi (righteousness) remind us that strength without ethics is empty, while ki (energy) threads through language and training alike—think genki as “foundational energy.” Principles like shin‑ki‑ryoku‑no‑ichi (harmonizing heart, energy, and strength) and judo’s flexibility over force offer a humane blueprint for leadership and personal growth. Along the way, we unpack shoshin (beginner’s mind) and shoganai (acceptance) as tools for resilience that don’t require hardening your heart. If you’re craving a gentler pace with more clarity and depth, this conversation offers simple practices: a page each morning, a breath under the open sky, and a renewed respect for the space that makes meaning possible. Grab Wisdom of Japan at Waterstones, your favorite indie bookstore, or Amazon. If the episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what concept will you practice this week?

    55 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    Reflections from the Japan Leadership Experience: Live from Tokyo with Katie Anderson

    On episode 118 of the Ikigai Podcast, Katie Anderson and Nick Kemp reflect on a Katies's Japan Leadership Experience - a week in Japan exploring how kaizen, rolefulness, and community design create real leadership growth.  Katie and Nick share how relationships open doors, purpose fuels energy, and small rituals like greetings change how teams feel and perform. On this episode we cover: • connecting hearts and minds through leadership experiences • how trust-based relationships create rare access in Japan • kaizen at the gemba and doing things properly • rolefulness and finding a unique, purpose-fit role • being before doing, then doing right • sampo yoshi, sustainability and motainai in practice • omotenashi as mutual service, gratitude and presence • stepping away to learn, build community and return revitalized To reach out to Katie Anderson: https://kbjanderson.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/ @KBJAnderson To reach out to Nick Kemp: https://ikigaitribe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-kemp-author/

    43 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    Understanding Academic Yarigai with Yu Kanazawa

    Ever study hard and still wonder why it feels empty? We dive into academic yarigai—the lived, situational meaning that makes learning feel worth doing—and map out nine practical factors that turn study from grind to growth. With Dr. Yu Kanazawa, associate professor at Osaka University, we explore how a refined approach, adapted from the Ikigai-9 scale, unites engagement, curiosity, flow, social contribution, and purpose into a single, usable framework. We walk through each factor—intrinsic fulfillment, curiosity and intellectual stimulation, personal growth, social contribution, engagement and flow, recognition and appreciation, overcoming challenges, real-world relevance, and a sense of purpose—and show how they interact. Rather than treating motivation as fuel you either have or lack, we focus on lived qualities you can cultivate from different starting points. Maybe you’re not enjoying a subject yet, but you see its social value; maybe you love the topic but haven’t tied it to real problems. Each factor is a gate into meaningful study, and you only need one to begin. Yu shares insights from his study with Japanese undergraduates and explains cultural nuances like utori—mental space that makes flow possible—and how cramming cultures can crowd out deep engagement. We also unpack why recognition is more than reward; it signals that your work matters to others, which stabilizes effort. For teachers, coaches, and learners, the nine-item scale becomes a reflective tool to diagnose strengths, spot thin areas, diversify sources of meaning, and reduce burnout. Language learning shines as a case study, linking curiosity, connection, and real-world use in a way that naturally builds yarigai. If you’re ready to trade blunt motivation hacks for a humane, research-backed path to purposeful learning, this conversation offers a clear map you can use today. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a study reset, and leave a review telling us which “gate” you’ll try first.

    57 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Nick Kemp from Ikigai Tribe reveals what ikigai truly means to the Japanese and how you can find it to make your life worth living. Discover how you can find meaning, purpose, and joy in your day to day living, with this podcast. From interviews with professors, authors and experts to case studies of people living their ikigai, you'll learn about the power of rituals, why having a daily morning routine is vital, how to find your confidence, how to improve your relationships, and why you should start a meaningful online business. Hit the subscribe button, and get ready to find your ikigai.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Kemp - Ikigai Tribe
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    124
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Ikigai Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Ikigai Podcast