Home Podcasts The Ikigai Podcast
The Ikigai Podcast

The Ikigai Podcast

Nick Kemp - Ikigai Tribe 130 episodes Latest Apr 14, 2026

Nick Kemp from Ikigai Tribe explores the true Japanese meaning of ikigai and how to apply it to find purpose, joy, and meaning in daily life. Through interviews with professors, authors, and experts, as well as case studies of people living their ikigai, the podcast covers topics like rituals, morning routines, confidence, relationships, and starting a meaningful online business.

Episodes

Reflecting to Thrive with Chie Sawa Apr 14, 2026 2439 On this episode of The Ikigai Podcast, I talk with Chie Sawa, founder of Thrive Life Design, about why all leaders need a sanctuary to pause and reconnect with themselves. We also explore reverse culture shock, the power of co-reflection, and how structured tools like Tarot readings for reflection can create clarity without crossing into therapy. We explore:• Chie’s journey from Japan to the US an
Reflections on A Year Of Ikigai with Nicholas Kemp Apr 6, 2026 3038 Caitlin Kight returns again to host the Ikigai Podcast to interview Nick on his new book, A Year of Ikigai. In this episode, Nick shares how Japanese voices, careful cultural research and daily prompts, helped him write a book that the reader can actually use. This epsidoe covers: • A 365-day reflective journey built around roles, relationships, rituals, contribution, and belonging  • How this boo
Unlocking Cross-Cultural Communication in Japan with Shohei Yoshida Mar 30, 2026 2609
The Power of Awareness: How Kizuki Moments Transform Our Lives with Mae Yoshikawa Mar 10, 2026 3760 What if the feeling you’re most afraid of could become your clearest compass? Our conversation with Mae Yoshikawa begins in the hard places—parental divorce, a mother’s early-onset dementia, and the sudden death of a spouse—and unfolds into a practical path for turning pain into insight. Mae introduces Kizuki, the Japanese idea of an awakening moment of clarity, and shows how these flashes can be
Aligning Work with Purpose: A Conversation with Tina Bagwell Mar 3, 2026 3208 What if the problem isn’t workload, but identity? We sit down with coach and HR leader Tina Bagwell to explore how many of us let a single role—the job—define who we are, and why that narrow frame leads to exhaustion, disengagement, and a loss of joy. Tina’s journey starts in Okinawa, where simple rituals, community, and omotenashi left a lasting imprint that later shaped her approach to leadershi
Expanding Your Inner Capacity: The Utsuwa Philosophy with Shigeki Nishimura Feb 24, 2026 3090 What if the key to better work and wiser leadership isn’t adding more tools but building a bigger vessel? Shigeki Nishimura—author, cross-cultural leadership coach, and former global executive—joins us to introduce Utsuwa, the Japanese concept of inner capacity. Drawing on two decades in Germany and a career bridging Japanese precision with European efficiency, Shigeki shows how a clay tea bowl ca
A Year of Ikigai Feb 16, 2026 723 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-cir
Turning Pain Into a Gift: The Kintsugi Life of Kiki Fukai Feb 10, 2026 2783 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 r
Anxiety as a Compass: Exploring Ikigai, Empathy, and Emotional Wellbeing with Catherine Deeks Gnocchi Feb 3, 2026 3008 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: an
Discovering Ikigai Through Art and Martial Arts: A Conversation with Baptiste Tavernier Jan 27, 2026 2567 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 l
The Transformative Power of Travel: Insights from Jake Haupert Jan 15, 2026 1984 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 c
Japanese Wisdom for a More Meaningful Life with Saori Okada Dec 23, 2025 3376 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 dee

Recommended

Playing