In this article, we explore the relationship between love and ikigai through the life and work of Mieko Kamiya. Kamiya's experiences shaped her understanding of ikigai's seven dimensions. The article also connects Kamiya's ideas with those of Henri Nouwen, focusing on the "wounded healer" concept, emphasizing how personal pain can lead to empathy and self-realization. It underscores the importance of personal experiences in finding purpose and love, serving as a guide to discovering one's ikigai.

For us, Mieko Kamiya is a heroine. In Japan and beyond, however, she has remained largely unknown. This is also true of her work in the middle of the last century. Yet she laid the foundations of ikigai research and ikigai psychology.