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CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
 I

IKIGAI
The Characters Behind Ikigai
 II

ANTIAGING SECRETS
Aging’s Escape Velocity and the Rabbit
 III

FROM LOGOTHERAPY TO IKIGAI

Something to Live For
Ten Differences Between Psychoanalysis and Logotherapy
“I Feel Empty Inside”
The basic principles of Morita therapy
The four phases of Morita therapy
 IV

FIND FLOW IN EVERYTHING YOU DO

The Seven Conditions for Achieving Flow
The Archer’s Secret
 V

MASTERS OF LONGEVITY
“Eat and sleep, and you’ll live a long time. You have
to learn to relax.”
“I’ve never eaten meat in my life.”
“Everything’s fine.”

“If you keep your mind and body busy, you’ll be

around a long time.”
“I just haven’t died yet.”
Never Stop Learning
Longevity in Japan
 VI

LESSONS FROM JAPAN’S

CENTENARIANS
The Bunagaya Spirits of the Yanbaru Jungle
Mabui
A Declaration from the Town Where People Live Longest
1. Don’t worry

2. Cultivate good habits

3. Nurture your friendships every day

4. Live an unhurried life

5. Be optimistic

Keys to the Ogimi Lifestyle

 VII

THE IKIGAI DIET

Source: World Health Organization, 1966; Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare,
2004; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/CDC, 2005
The Antioxidant Canon, for Westerners
 VIII

GENTLE MOVEMENTS, LONGER LIFE

As Easy as Getting out of Your Chair
Styles of yoga
Styles of tai chi

The ten basic principles of tai chi

Imitating clouds
Benefits of qigong
Methods for practicing qigong
The five elements of qigong
 IX

RESILIENCE AND WABI-SABI

Step 1: Create redundancies
Step 2: Bet conservatively in certain areas and take
many small risks in others

Step 3: Get rid of the things that make you fragile

EPILOGUE
NOTES
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
ABOUT THE AUTHORS