Ikigai and Prevention: New Evidence from Germany
A 2024 study published in Preventive Medicine delivers remarkable findings:
People with a higher sense of Ikigai – an actively lived horizon of meaning and purpose – are significantly more likely to make use of preventive health services. Specifically, this includes flu vaccinations, cancer screenings, and routine medical check-ups.
What stands out is that this association remains stable independent of age, gender, or education.
The study is based on a representative sample of more than 5,000 adults in Germany aged between 18 and 74 years. Ikigai was measured with the validated German translation of the Ikigai-9 scale.
Results at a Glance
Individuals with higher Ikigai attend preventive screenings more regularly.
Vaccinations and health check-ups are taken up more frequently.
This association applies consistently across all age and education groups.
Why is this relevant?
Germany provides excellent access to preventive care, yet participation rates remain lower than they could be. This study opens up a new perspective:
Ikigai – understood not as a Venn diagram but as lived alignment and coherence in everyday life – can be a powerful lever to strengthen motivation and readiness for prevention.
In simple terms: Those who know why they want to stay healthy are more willing to take care of their health in time.
Implications for Practice & Organizations
Health communication: Integrate existential questions: “What do I want to stay healthy for?”
Corporate health programs (BGM/BGF): Include Ikigai-based practices such as reflection, micro-routines, and social resonance.
Medical consultation: Link prevention more strongly to personal values, roles, and future aspirations.
Relevance for Care and Leadership
These findings confirm what has guided our work for many years: Ikigai – when deeply understood in the tradition of Ken Mogi and Mieko Kamiya – not only strengthens well-being but also preventive behavior.
At Finde Zukunft, we have been translating this knowledge into everyday micro-routines, reflection formats, and leadership trainings that connect meaning orientation with concrete health-related questions.
We also train coaches, therapists, educators, and leaders in dedicated Ikigai programs.
Supplementary Information: The Ikigai-9 Scale
The Ikigai-9 is a psychometrically validated instrument that consists of nine questions on meaning, motivation, and orientation in life (e.g., “I want to learn or start something new”).
Scores range from 9 to 45, with higher values reflecting a stronger sense of Ikigai. Since 2024, a validated German version (Ikigai-9-G) has been available.
Supplementary Information: Ikigai in Japan – Mieko Kamiya
The Japanese psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya is regarded as the “mother of the Ikigai concept.” In her seminal book Ikigai-ni-Tsuite (1966), she described seven dimensions that make life worth living:
Life satisfaction
Growth and change
A good future
Resonance
Freedom
Self-realization
Meaning and value
This work laid the scientific foundation for Ikigai – long before its popularization in the West.
Supplementary Information: Comparing Ikigai-9 Validations
1. Japan – Original Validation (Imai, Osada & Nishi, 2012)
Sample: General Japanese population.
Structure: 3 factors – Emotions toward life, Attitudes toward the future, Acknowledgement of existence.
Special contribution: First psychometrically validated tool, moving beyond the simple Yes/No question (“Do you have Ikigai?”).
Impact: Became the foundation for all subsequent validations worldwide.
2. UK – English Validation (Fido, Kotera & Asano, 2020)
Sample: 349 adults in the UK.
Structure: 1 factor (global sense of Ikigai), not the 3-factor model.
Findings: Positive correlation with well-being, negative correlation with depression; no significant link to stress or anxiety.
Interpretation: In the UK, Ikigai seems to manifest more as a general feeling of meaning and purpose.
3. France – French Validation (Vandroux & Auzoult-Chagnault, 2022/23)
Sample:
Exploratory: 170 participants.
Confirmatory: 1,205 participants.
Structure: 3 factors (same as the Japanese original).
Strengths: Very robust internal consistency; strong support for Ikigai as a multidimensional construct.
Contribution: Opened the door for large-scale intercultural studies in the francophone world.
4. Germany – German Validation (Hajek et al., 2024)
Sample: 5,000 adults (ages 18–74), representative of the German population.
Structure: Adopted Ikigai-9 with excellent reliability (α = .88).
Novelty: First large-scale German validation, explicitly linked Ikigai to preventive behavior (flu shots, cancer screening, check-ups).
Findings: Robust effects, independent of age, gender, and education.
Summary of Cross-Cultural Findings
Japan, France, Germany: Confirm the three-dimensional structure of Ikigai – integrating emotions, future orientation, and acknowledgment of existence. This highlights Ikigai as a complex, layered construct spanning emotional, motivational, and existential levels.
UK: Suggests a one-dimensional structure, reducing Ikigai to a general sense of meaning and purpose.
Conclusion: Ikigai is culturally adaptable but its factor structure varies depending on context and population.
At Finde Zukunft, as Ikigai experts, we provide access to international and national studies on Ikigai and its connection to health, well-being, and prevention – offering resources for research, practice, and leadership development.
