Kintsugi & Ikigai - Finding Stability When It Trembles

When we sense danger, we look around - we try to spot it in the visible.

However, much transpires beneath the surface.

"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is a famous woodblock print. The artwork by Hokusai dates back to the early 19th century and has found its way onto T-shirts and images in various forms. It depicts a wave, and upon closer examination, one can discover several fishing boats with people attempting to cross the wave. It's stormy, the waves appear massive and menacing. The image remains static - it's not clear how the boats can cross the enormous wave.

The painting primarily focuses on the waves and the events on the water. In the background, Mount Fuji can be seen. It towers majestically. Nothing seems to disturb it. It exudes a sense of calm in the picture, as if it were the center of the storm. Aside from the rising sun, the image of Fuji with its white snow-capped summit is a central symbol of Japan. The Japanese hold great reverence for the mountain, which is why it is also referred to as Fuji-san.It embodies a beauty that many people consider sacred.

According to legend, Fuji-san represents "immortality." Perhaps this is its symbolic meaning in the famous "Great Wave off Kanagawa" painting.

When we look at pictures or videos of Fuji-san, it's not difficult to recognize its grace and beauty. The mountain has a majestic quality in every season, especially when its reflection graces one of the five great lakes.

This is its external beauty. Inside, danger lies dormant.

The mountain is a volcano and is still active. It has erupted more than 15 times since 781 AD. However, since an eruption in 1707, Mount Fuji has been dormant, with the last signs of volcanic activity occurring in the 1960s. Due to the extensive damage an eruption would cause, Fuji is monitored 24 hours a day.

When hiking in Japan, warnings about sulfur emissions are common in many volcanic regions. Staying on safe paths is crucial - and it can be somewhat eerie knowing that the danger lies beneath the surface.

Japan is home to approximately 40 active volcanoes. Considering its size, there are few other countries, apart from Indonesia, with such a high density of volcanoes.

Even more perilous are the events beneath the surface. Many volcanic eruptions occur underwater. Japan borders the Pacific Ring of Fire. Near the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan, the Pacific Plate is moving westward at a rate of 70 mm per year, colliding with the North American Plate. This minimal movement has significant consequences: the Earth shakes in Japan up to 5,000 times due to the collision of these tectonic plates.

The largest earthquake in 2011 led to the Fukushima disaster. The initial earthquake lasted only 150 seconds but forever altered the region. It had consequences for the entire country - and for the world.

The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami, with waves over 10 meters high, inundating large parts and leading to the Fukushima disaster. The effects are still not fully resolved today.

What is your reference point when you are faced with troubled waters? 

While writing the book about ikigai and kintsugi, I kept coming back to the iconic century woodblock print of 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'.

It never ceases to inspire me. You can learn a lot about:

• resilience

• perseverance

• direction 

The image was not about the wave – it was part of a series of woodblock prints about Mount Fuji, the mountain the Japanese people honor as "Fuji-san".

It is amazing how calm Fuji-san remains in the midst of the storm. 

According to legend, Fuji-san represents immortality.

The waves look huge and threatening - it is not clear how the boats can cross the huge wave.

I imagine that Mt. Fuji gives them guidance, like a lighthouse.