POD Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/dp/4991064899

Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBDC5H4N

For a while now, I’ve been trying to figure out how to create YouTube Shorts using my PC instead of a smartphone. It took some time, but I’m happy to share that I’ve finally learned how to do it successfully!

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Have you had the chance to check out this podcast interview?

58 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 2

During the interview, I discussed the concept of Taru wo Shiru, which I also shared with you in the last post.

This term represents the philosophy of being content with what you have. In essence, Taru signifies adequacy, and Shiru is the verb denoting knowledge – thus, acknowledging that what you have is enough.

Although commonly used in a business context, suggesting that one doesn’t need to pursue further growth once a certain level of success has been reached, this philosophy is versatile and can be applied to various aspects of life.

Consider health, for example. Some individuals constantly strive for progress, attempting to perfect their methods. Biohacking has evolved into something of a competitive sport. The very notion of lifespan extension is rooted in this growth-driven mentality, isn’t it?

What else could motivate the desire to live until 150?

I have yet to hear a compelling argument in favor of living beyond 120 years.

Intriguingly, this competitive, growth-oriented mindset has become deeply embedded within us, often unconsciously driving us to seek continual growth, be it in the pursuit of greater wealth, improved health, or extended longevity.

The realm of technological development is no exception – in fact, it is central to this mode of thinking. We spent much of the 20th century striving to reach new heights with our skyscrapers, eventually realizing our limitations. However, this lesson seems to have been forgotten in the current culture of relentless technological advancement.

It’s as if our intelligence is diminishing as our civilization advances.

Now is the time to embrace the philosophy of Taru wo Shiru and elevate our consciousness.

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Natto Naengmyeon, Korean chilled noodles. It is time to start eating cold noodles, and natto goes well with them since you can eat it cold to get the benefits of nattokinase.

57 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 1

58 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 2

The forecast for the Singularity, the point where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, is set for 2045, a prediction becoming increasingly likely given the current boom in AI technology.

Yet, the pressing question remains – will this bring about a positive or negative outcome?

This outcome, I believe, is contingent on the emergence of EI, which, in this context, does not refer to Emotional Intelligence. I’ll delve into this shortly.

Should we maintain our current mentality, a negative outcome seems inevitable. This mentality sees dominant AI companies vying for supremacy, while consumers consistently expect and demand technological advancements, never content with the existing innovations.

This mentality might seem normal due to our familiarity with it, but from a child’s perspective, it’s quite absurd. Imagine looking through the innocent eyes of a child. Would it seem normal that a handful of companies monopolize most industries and amass 80% of our wealth? Would it seem normal that people are seemingly addicted to incessant technological advancement?

Remember the lessons of contentment we were taught as children. In Japan, we have a saying, “Taru wo Shiru,” which encourages knowing your limits and finding joy in what you already have. This mindset fosters a sense of shared happiness.

In order to steer towards a positive outcome, both technology developers and users must embrace this fundamental principle of contentment.

A significant shift in mindset to the Sanpo-Yoshi philosophy could spark dramatic change:

Jibun-Yoshi: Happiness for oneself

Aite-Yoshi: Happiness for others

Seken-Yoshi: Happiness for society

Envision a world where our actions are guided not only by personal happiness, but also the happiness of those around us and society as a whole. In this world, AI isn’t just a tool but a partner, aiding in creating an environment where happiness is accessible to everyone. Balance between the natural and technological realms will be achieved, allowing for a harmonious blend of human wisdom and artificial intelligence.

This is where EI, or Enlightened Intelligence, comes into play. It is the collective consciousness of humans and AI working together intelligently. This shift in consciousness could turn the Singularity from a possible threat into a force for widespread happiness and prosperity.

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This is natto koso genmai fried rice. Another superfood mashup combining the power of natto bacteria and brown rice bacteria.

Now that part 2 has been released; you can listen to the entire interview here.

57 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 1

58 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 2

In the previous post, I made the following statement:

Nature teaches you a lot. It gives you wisdom to truly transform your consciousness that I call EI, which I will talk about some other time.

Today, I would like to begin discussing EI. EI isn’t Emotional Intelligence, by the way.

The buzz surrounding AI continues with the introduction of new features in ChatGPT, Bard, and other AI platforms. While many people are incredibly excited about it, do you feel a disparity between their experiences and yours?

Undoubtedly, it is a fabulous tool, and these new features bring forth new possibilities. Nevertheless, there are several limitations to consider.

One major limitation is accuracy. As acknowledged from the beginning, it is not always correct, and I don’t believe it has made significant improvements in recent weeks, as some claim. It is advisable to double-check the answers.

Additionally, as a Japanese speaker, I have noticed that both ChatGPT and Bard are not as proficient in Japanese compared to their abilities in the English language. When I asked them to translate sentences from Japanese to English, they did a decent job. However, when translating from English to Japanese, their performance fell short.

Furthermore, it’s not just about language proficiency. These models also become less effective when searching for information related to Japan. For instance, when I inquired about Atsuhiko Nakata, a well-known YouTuber in Japan, they confused him with Hidetoshi Nakata, a former soccer player. It appears that AI models are still influenced by information that is more prevalent in English.

Another observation relates to creativity. Some people claim that AI can write novels, but as a novelist myself, I don’t share that sentiment. While AI may be able to produce stories with conventional plots, such as a protagonist being a former special forces member facing off against a gang, similar to movies like “Equalizer” and “Transporter,” I still believe they fall short when it comes to original and innovative plots. This is because our experiences, rooted in our five senses and memories, play a significant role.

For example, when I asked them about a cowboy school that was organized by a steakhouse in Tokyo during the 1970s, they were completely off the mark. In fact, I couldn’t find any information on it using Google search engines either; the information was outdated. However, I have personal knowledge of it because I attended the cowboy school as a child, and I have a vivid memory of it.

So, if we were to write a story based on the cowboy school, who do you think would do a better job, me or an AI model?

Certainly, things will improve in the near future, and we will witness a different reality in a few years, I suppose.

However, we must exercise caution as there may be an influx of misinformation generated by individuals who simply copy and paste whatever the AI has said and upload it to various platforms.

It is crucial to take a step back and slow down.

Now, what about EI?

Please be patient. I will address it in due course.

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The squash leaves are growing now as the temperature got higher.

Gardening is something I really recommend in the age of AI. It gives you the balance you need to gain the benefits of technology rather than being controlled by it.  Nature teaches you a lot. It gives you wisdom to truly transform your consciousness that I call EI, which I will talk about some other time.

But for now, please listen to the second part of my podcast interview; it has many clues for EI.

58 – The Benefits of Ikigai Bio-Hacking with Sachiaki Takamiya – Part 2

I talk about Shion Kansha, the secret Japanese way of praying at a Shinto shrine, Yoshuku, the Japanese law of attraction, Ima Iwai, an advanced version of Yoshoku I came up with, Zange, Shugendo’s spiritual practice, and Taru wo Shiru, a concept we need the most in this growth-oriented fast-paced culture.

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I am so happy to announce that my book, The Ikigai Diet: The Secret Japanese Diet to Health and Longevity, has ranked in the top five best sellers sold on Amazon among the Next Publishing authors.

Thank you very much for reading the book.

Next Publishing Authors’ Press is a Japanese paperback self-publishing platform that publishes POD books on Amazon’s KDP platform.

Because Amazon’s KDP didn’t deal with paperback books until the end of 2021, Japanese authors could only publish e-books. Then several Japanese publishers set up a system to help them publish paperback books on Amazon, and Next Publishing Authors’ Press has been one of the biggest ones.

Hundreds of authors publish books through Next Publishing Authors’ Press.

Every week, they announce the top five best-sellers among those books.

My Japanese book called Hyakusho Revolution has been ranked in the top five before. It has been ranked third and second. Not the first, unfortunately. There is one champion book that has been number one for over a year, and no other book has been able to beat it. The book won the Grand Prix in the Nekupabu POD Award 2022, which is an award given by Next Publishing Authors’ Press. The Ikigai Diet won the outstanding performance award in it.

212 people who have published a book through NextPublishing Authors Press participated in the Award contest,  and seven people won the jury’s special award, five people won the outstanding performance award, and among the five who won the outstanding performance award, one person was selected to be the Grand Prix winner.

The Ikigai Diet Has Won the Outstanding Performance Award of the Nekupabu POD Award 2022

So, that means I was among the five people who won the outstanding performance award, and Edit room:H won the Grand Prix, and her book, which is about investment, has been the number one bestseller for over a year.

The red book in the center is the one next to The Ikigai Diet.

And now, The Ikigai Diet has ranked fifth for the first time.

I wonder if The Ikigai Diet can break the record and rank at the top.  My other book Hyakusho Revolution hasn’t been able to do it, and Hyakusho Revolution is a very popular book. It has many more reviews than The Ikigai Diet, and it is selling like crazy with word of mouth. There is even a Facebook page, not the one I set up, but some of the readers did.

The Ikigai Diet is unique that it is the only book published in English, and the audience is different, which is disadvantageous when it comes to book promotion.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000004456.000005875.html

This press release page is in Japanese and targets the Japanese audience.

Winning the award was fantastic; I received the prize money, which was quite a large sum, showing the seriousness of the award, and the fact that my work was recognized, yet, since it isn’t known abroad, it didn’t help so much for the promotion.

On the other hand, the English-speaking market is way bigger than the Japanese market, so the book has so much potential.

As I said in this video, I am not so concerned about becoming number one.

Ranking fifth is already good enough, and I am so happy about it. That means many people have bought the book, and I deeply appreciate you for reading my book.

Yet, now I feel that I want the book to reach more people since I now know it offers benefits to many people.

The book can support the wellness of thousands of people worldwide, and unfortunately, information regarding Japanese dietary culture, you know, the healthy ones, there are healthy Japanese dietary cultures and unhealthy ones, hasn’t been published so much in English.

If the book is ranked top in Next Publishing Amazon’s best sellers, it will definitely reach a lot more people. It may not have a promotion effect overseas, but the fact that many people have bought it will definitely influence its future outcome.

Here are reviews on Amazon.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Amazon Customer
Perfect, Simple and an Easy Read.
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022

Sachiaki Takamiya does a great job of laying out the foundations of the blue zones diet, the traditional Japanese diet and his diet, The Ikigai Diet, in a way that is easy to read. It does not call for strict adherence to any one thing and allows for a lot of flexibility. His message is to bring vibrant health, happiness and hope to each person who reads his book and practices this diet. The book is not just about food and how we’ve damaged our bodies through improper consumption, it is about finding a meaning to our lives in a harmonious way. I have been through my own health journeys and have tried on many, many diets. It’s great to now have a concise guide and a relaxing book that I can read multiple times as I navigate my new habits. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

Sarah Hurton
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2022

I have been interested in health and diet for years now, and have tried many different paradigms. Some have had benefits but all seemed unbalanced in one way or another. The Ikigai Diet provides the balance I have been looking for! Finally! I am very excited to start putting these ideas into practice! ありがとうございます！

Rearden Steele
Well Worth Reading
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022

This book delves into the past of Japan and integrates all of it with modern life everywhere: eating, philosophy completely on the personal level.

Most specifically an important part of the book is giving each a reader a sense of what the significance and or consequence if any might be if he does not always do the right thing. The author is a good natured man pleasantly moving you along into a successful overall life as a centenarian.

Charles Nelson
If you absorb and “follow” the guidelines in this book, you’ll definitely become a Centenarian!
Reviewed in Japan on May 24, 2022

This book NEEDS to be on your Longevity/Bio-hacking bookshelf.

Written by the author Sachiaki Takamiya, this book gives you a rare glimpse of the “Traditional Japanese Diet”, focusing on “Longevity” and what Japanese Centenarians consume in Japan. The author also dives into Biohacking concepts that where extremely informative. Definitely a must read!

J. H. van Straten
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020

I’ve been informally reading up and following research about health and nutrition for many years now (I must own in excess of 100 books on the subject at this stage). It is fair to say that the vast majority of dietary advice/literature pick one of the major modern trends and then try to put a fresh spin or emphasis on the chosen dogma. So it was with very little expectation that I bought (the 1st edition of) Sachiaki Takamiya’s book when Amazon suggested it after another purchase.

To my surprise the little book offered a significant departure from the usual trends. In fact I was so impressed by the 1st edition that I quickly acquired this 2nd (expanded) edition when it became available.

The Ikigai Diet shows a fresh (from a Western cultural point of view) perspective on diet and lifestyle. This unique Japanese approach focuses on practicality and details a new take on the traditional Japanese diet without compromising current scientific consensus.

While exploring many interesting lifestyle issues, the thinking of the Japanese natural food movement and differences in diet and lifestyle between long and short lived populations in Japan, the main focus of the book is on Ma-Go-Wa-Ya-Sa-Shi-I, an acronym to describe the ideal composition of a healthy meal.

If you are tired of complex dietary advice and wish for someone to just-tell-me-how-it’s-done-already (in a fresh new way), then this is the book for you.

Amazon Customer
I like this book
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2022

I am vegan for a couple of years. I learned something new from this book. I practiced intermittent fasting with more or less of a success. I find it interesting the way author practice it. I will try it too.

Ren Dechen
Fantastic book
Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2021

Just loved this book, read it in one sitting.

The author, in an enthusiastic and easy-going manner, gives a comprehensive overview of the way he and his community live this very healthy, happy lifestyle. He explains the history of all the regions in Japan that are feted in the West as being Blue Zone, ie active centenarians.

He also references the dietary and movement experts of this lifestyle in both Japan and in the West, as well as presenting a nice summary at the end of each section so the reader can keep track of all his great recommendations.

He has lived in western countries, so understands how we live differently. Thus he gives helpful recommendations for people living different lifestyles and/or in different regions.

I will be recommending this to all my friends and family.

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Ikigai Summit

It is Setsubun in Japan today.

Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan.

The name literally means seasonal division, referring to the day just before the first day of spring in the traditional calendar.

Though previously referring to a wider range of possible dates, Setsubun is now typically held on February 3 with the day after – the first day of spring in the old calendar – known as Risshun.

So, in a way, it is new year’s eve today and tomorrow is new year’s day.

We usually eat these kinds of sushi rolls called Ehomaki. This year’s good luck direction is south, so it is good to eat Ehomaki facing south.

We also throw beans. For details, please read this post.

Setsubun, Ehoumaki and Bean throwing

In many ways, I feel very special about this transition from winter to spring. As I said before, after the winter solstice in 2022, the energy has changed, and that new energy has even more accelerated at the Chinese New Year, the new moon in Aquarius on January 22, and this Setsubun and Risshun is the third shift.

This Year’s Winter Solstice is Special: 12. 22. 2022

The big change will occur on the spring equinox but before that on February 23 since it is 2, 23, 2023. So the whole transition is a gradual process.

Do you know why we celebrate spring now not at the spring equinox when the real spring begins?

This is because there is a shift in the energy earlier than the shift in the material level.

By recognizing the energetic shift and appreciating the subtle change, we can accelerate the materialization process.

The same principle as Yoshuku.

Yoshuku: a Japanese method of Manifestation

Things will get better and better from now on.

Happy Setsubun!

Ikigai Summit

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It is a full moon tonight, and in Japan, it is Jugoya, which is a special moon-viewing night. On August 15th in the lunar calendar, we celebrate Jugoya and it is September 10th in the Gregorian calendar this year.

Jugoya is held around harvest time, and it is a time to celebrate our prosperity. In Ikigai Bio-Hacking, I introduced Ima Iwai, which is a celebration of the here and now. You celebrate what you have and what you feel grateful for. It is an extension of Shinon Kansha meditation, but this time you are not just appreciating the here and now, you are rejoicing it with a drink.

I recommended that you do Ima Iwai on every full moon, but this full moon during the harvest season is especially appropriate to do it.

I celebrated all the great things happening in my life. First, I celebrated this beautiful full moon. I was so happy to be able to see it so clearly. I appreciated that I lived in the countryside and was able to go Nordic walking along rice paddies. I appreciated that I had a garden to grow vegetables. I appreciated that I had a flexible work schedule to fill all my biohacking activities in my daily routine and many more.

In Japan, we decorate Japanese pampas grass because it looks like rice, and in the past, rice was not harvested yet at this time, so we used it instead. And we offer Dango to the moon. It is called Tsukimi Dango. Tsukimi means moon viewing. After offering it to the moon, we eat it.

It is very blessing to absorb the moonlight on this night, so we take some things we want to be blessed with outside, as well.

I took out my two books, and a new computer I just got. I will be using it a lot to write blogs and make YouTube videos, so it is a significant item to carry out my mission.

Jugoya in 2022 is a regeneration period, just like autophagy. Old cells die and new cells are born. The old order ends and a new era begins.

As you can see, many things are happening symbolically, and unconsciously I have been preparing for it. I spent the entire summer migrating my websites and renewing them, throwing away a lot of data that I no longer use. I changed my computers. And for some reason, my wife spent the last few weeks cleaning up our house. I mean doing a spring cleaning of the entire house.

I feel new and fresh, ready to act, to create a new world.

Happy full moon.

https://ikigaidiet.com/webinars/

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The Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking

On Saturday, I had my 60-year-old birthday lunch with my family.

We went to a natural food restaurant in Otsu. The restaurant was located at the lakeside of Lake Biwa, the lake I cycled around 2 weeks ago.

https://ikigaidiet.com/biwaichi-a-60-year-old-japanese-biohacker-challenges-cycling-around-japans-biggest-lake-in-one-day/

Since I had already completed two of my 60 years old commemoration challenges, Hinoichi Nordic walking and Biwaichi cycling, I could relax on the actual birthday.

We had lunch at the restaurant on the right. Then, later we had coffee and cake at the cafe on the left.

The Lake Biwa was just in front of them.

We could play football a little in the yard and my son found a four-leaf clover for me. I found four-leaf clover on my 55th birthday, too and I wrote a blog post about it.

What is the chance of finding many 4-leaf-clovers on your birthday?

So, this is the second time to find a four-leaf clover on my birthday.

Later, he found more. He found two more four-leaf clovers and one six-leaf clover.

I had a very lucky birthday. It was a great Kanreki birthday.

What does Kanreki mean? Why is it related to longevity? This is another secret to Japanese longevity.

For details, please watch the video.

https://ikigaidiet.com/webinars/

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The Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking

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The Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking

I have decided to use Twitter actively. Well, I did have an account in Japanese and my Japanese blog post was automatically linked to it, but I didn’t post anything directly.

This time, I opened an account in English with Ikigai Diet.

I don’t know. I have a feeling that Twitter will be popular again with the recent move by Elon Musk. It will be spotlighted as a social media different from others.

One of the reasons I hadn’t tweeted actively before was I wasn’t good at expressing myself with a few sentences, yet, now this regulation might change, plus it will be a good practice to simplify your thought. People can’t remember long sentences anyway. If you can express yourself in one sentence, it will be remembered more.

Here is my Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/@IkigaiDiet

https://ikigaidiet.com/webinars/

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The Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-Hacking