by Lily Crossley-Baxter for BBC travel

While countless studies and articles mulled on its meaning in the public eye, the term was quietly being co-opted for the greater cause. Gordon Mathews, professor of anthropology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, notes that by providing certain limitations or rewards, societal institutions are able to “‘encourage’ the individual down one ikigai path instead of another”, thereby shaping their pursuit to fit the needs of society.

Read the article in BBC travel