Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, co-authors of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, bring diverse backgrounds and experiences to their collaboration. Héctor García, born in Spain, has a background in software engineering and spent time at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, where he has lived for over two decades. His experiences living in Japan and observing Japanese culture firsthand have greatly influenced his writing. García’s earlier work, including A Geek in Japan, demonstrates his keen interest in Japanese culture and lifestyle. Ikigai represents a progression in his exploration of Japanese concepts and their potential application to global audiences.

Francesc Miralles, born in Barcelona in 1968, has a varied educational background, having studied journalism, English, and German at different points in his life. His extensive travels, including time spent in Croatia and Slovenia during the Balkan Wars and his journeys to India, have significantly shaped his worldview. Miralles has a prolific career as a novelist, essayist, and translator. His earlier work included stints as an editor and translator of self-help books.

The authors’ collaboration on Ikigai combines García’s firsthand experience of Japanese culture with Miralles’s background in self-help literature. Both authors have continued to explore themes related to Ikigai in their subsequent works.