The 2 Japanese Words Worth Learning

Forget Konnichiwa and Arigato. Kaizen and Ikigai Are the Most Useful to You.

The two Japanese words you should know are “kaizen” and “ikigai.” They are more useful to you because they can literally change your life for the better.

If you google either one of these words, you are likely to find countless articles laying out the “elements” of?kaizen?or a Venn diagram trying to define?ikigai. Indeed, it might be well worth your time to investigate both concepts further, but here I will get you started with the fundamental precepts of both.?Kaizen?means “constant and never-ending improvement.”?Ikigai?is your “life’s purpose.” Neither translates directly into English. We simply don’t have one word that carries the equivalent weight of either. So, it is worth exploring the depth of meaning implied to each. In so doing, you might get just a little better each day and have a sense of fulfillment while doing it.

You will find?kaizen?comes up a lot in business. It was popularized by Toyota many years ago and is undoubtedly why that company’s cars are often considered some of the most reliable on the market. They created a space for every employee to suggest improvements to the company – from manufacturing to marketing – no matter how small. The company even encourages it. But?kaizen?is also a philosophy of life. The essence is, that even if there is something in life you do well or that is going well, you can always make or do things better. Seems simple: try to be a little better everyday than you were yesterday, and hopefully improve on that tomorrow. Let’s say you feel overweight or unhealthy, it can be intimidating to see some exercise nut jogging or biking down the road, right? But what if today you just did one push-up or took a walk down the block? And the next day you did two push-ups or walked two blocks. You see where this is going. With an element of patience and a mindset of daily improvement, your physical and mental gains are almost limitless.

Ikigai?has been associated with Japan’s long life expectancy for many years (check out a book called?Blue Zones: Lessons on Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest). Sociologists, scientists and journalists have researched the phenomenon and derived many conclusions as to why this seems to be the case. I think it boils down to a sense of duty and fulfillment (which, in turn, generates happiness and a will to live). When I previously studied about?ikigai, I recall reading a story of a fisherman in Okinawa who, at over 90 years old, continued to get up everyday and go fishing to provide food for his family. The family had other means of providing food, but for him, it was his life’s purpose. His life’s enjoyment. Whatever your life’s enjoyment, get up and do it everyday. Cultivate a sense of “this is my life’s purpose” from that thing that you do, whatever it is. You will be glad you did and probably live longer too.