Ikigai and Yarigai

Ikigai and Yarigai

Ikigai /Ikigai/ 生きがい is a Japanese term that brings satisfaction, happiness, and meaning to our lives. That is one of the concepts of Japanese life. Meanwhile, there is another term which is called Yarigai /jaɾiɡai/やりがい. Some parts of Ikigai and Yarigai overlap in meaning, but they are different in usage.

Ikigai

Ikigai refers to a sense of purpose or meaning in life. It is the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning and motivates you to keep going. It is often described as a combination of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

While the “what you can be paid for” aspect of ikigai is often emphasized, it is not always necessary for something to be considered part of one’s ikigai. Some people may find meaning and purpose in activities or pursuits that do not generate income, such as volunteering or pursuing a hobby. In these cases, the focus is more on what brings personal fulfilment and a sense of purpose rather than what can be monetized.

Examples

“I wake up earlier, and try to finish working quickly, also, I eat vegetables every day to keep my health for posting on my blog constantly.”

In this context, Ikigai is “writing blog posts.” You can say like below:

“My ikigai is writing blog posts.”

私の生きがいはブログを書くことです

/wataʃi no ikiɡai wa buɾoɡu o kakukoto desu/

As another example, “I wouldn’t mind working so hard every day for my family.” In this context, you can say:

“My family is my ikigai”

家族は私の生きがいです

/kazoku wa wataʃi no ikiɡai desu/

Yarigai

Yarigai, on the other hand, refers to a sense of usefulness or value in your work. It is the feeling that what you do is important and makes a difference. It is often described as a combination of what you are good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs.

Examples

“I really don’t enjoy this job, but I can’t quit it because my job helps many people.” In this case, you can say:

This job is really tough, but there is Yarigai (worth doing) in this job.

この仕事は辛いけど、やりがいがある

/kono ʃiɡoto wa tuɾai kedo jaɾiɡai ɡa aɾu/

While there is some overlap between these two concepts, they are not the same thing. Ikigai is more about personal fulfilment and satisfaction, while yarigai is more about contributing to society and feeling valued by others.

Yarigai sakushu

There is another word used Yarigai, that is yarigai sakushu /jaɾiɡai sakuʃu/ やりがい搾取. It is important to exercise caution when it comes to yarigai sakushu, a Japanese term that refers to the exploitation of one’s sense of value. It refers to situations where employers or organizations take advantage of employees’ desire to feel useful and valued in their work to make them work longer hours, take on more responsibilities, or accept lower pay.