Capturing ikigai-moments through the lens

Musings of an Ikigai Scholar

Kei Tsuda
6 min readOct 14, 2024

Do you remember that moment when you really felt ikigai? When was it, where were you, and what kind of situation were you in?

One of the moments when I feel ikigai is when I capture the feeling of ikigai in others. That might sound a bit confusing, but I’ll explain more in detail as we go along. I hope this blog helps you discover your own sense of ikigai-kan or feel it even more deeply.

Motivation of a photographer.

When I think about it, I’ve been interested in cameras and photography since I was a kid. I remember playing with my dad’s camera, ruining the film inside, and wasting the flashbulbs (the kind you could only use once). Those memories have been coming back to me lately. I took a camera on my elementary school trips (against the rules) and took pictures with my friends. Back then, cameras weren’t setup to help take selfies, so when I look through my photo albums, it’s obvious how few pictures there are of me! (Haha) But why did I want to take pictures in the first place? What was my motivation and my drive as a young photographer? That’s a question that only crossed my mind recently, something I had never really thought about before.

Capturing the feeling of Ikigai-kan

Since some of you may be reading my blog for the first time, I’d like to take a moment to briefly review the concept of ikigai-kan, focusing on the aspects most relevant to today’s topic.

First, ikigai-kan is something that can be easily felt, but it can also quickly fade. While there are rare individuals who are constantly driven by ikigai, for most people, it’s something we experience in small, simple moments, only for it to disappear again shortly after. And it’s a continuous cycle.

Next, ikigai-kan is often accompanied by what we refer to in Japanese as an “いきいき” feeling. In English, it would be something like “lively,” “energetic,” or “full of life.” So, for those who understand Japanese, when you feel “いきいき,” that’s the moment you’re experiencing ikigai-kan.

Capturing the feeling of Ikigai-kan in others

Looking back on my past as a semi-professional photographer, I’ve realized something. While I do enjoy taking landscape photos, I actually prefer photographing people. Even when I’m shooting landscapes, I often compose the shot to include people. Whenever I attended conventions or events for work, I always brought my camera with me. Why is that?

While there were practical reasons, such as using the photos for future promotional activities or showcasing the team’s contributions within the company, my photos weren’t just for documentation. Many of them captured the expressions of many customers, my colleagues, and leaders in genuine, unposed moments. Although I did take group photos, my real strength lay in capturing the authentic expressions that people showed when they weren’t aware of the camera. It seems that’s what I’ve been striving for all along when I press the shutter.

Just as a bird photographer captures the perfect moment of a bird in flight or a unique gesture, I’ve been chasing the authentic expressions and candid moments of my colleagues and customers. But why is that? The answer has only recently become clear to me.

My ikigai comes from capturing moments when others are likely experiencing ikigai-kan and sharing those photos with them whenever possible. In other words, one of the sources of my own ikigai is capturing and showing people moments when they were feeling ikigai — moments they may not even remember — through the photographed expressions and gestures.

Seizing the moment of ikigai-kan through photography

It’s nothing fancy. You don’t need expensive camera equipment. You can capture that moment with just the camera on your smartphone, which most of you probably have. In fact, since you always carry your phone with you, you can easily pull it out and snap a photo of that ikigai-kan moment.

So, here are two simple tips to help you capture more ikigai moments. First, set up a shortcut to quickly launch your smartphone’s camera. Second, try to focus on the subject’s eyes as much as possible. That’s it!

Today’s smartphones are amazing — they start capturing images even before you press the shutter, allowing you to choose the ‘best shot’ later, so there’s no need to overthink things. The same goes for ‘composition.’ With high-quality photos, you can always crop them later to match your ideal composition. The key is to focus on taking the shot. It’s like a lottery — you won’t win if you don’t buy a ticket. If you don’t take the shot, you won’t get the best photo or the perfect composition.” But the difference is, ikigai moments have a much higher chance of being captured than winning the lottery.”

The “Liveliness” Reflected in the “Eyes”

Why focus on the eyes? The answer is simple. When people are feeling ikigai, their eyes are full of life. And this isn’t just limited to people, right? Those of you who live with dogs know this well. Even when your furry friends aren’t wagging the tail, you can tell when they are happy just by looking at their expression — especially the eyes. Whether they’re doing something they love, something they’re good at, or when their actions align with their core values, their eyes are different, aren’t they? Capturing THAT in a photo is what leads to capturing ikigai moments.

Ikigai is more of a process, not just a goal or a destination.

Do you know the difference between photography and ‘shashin’? I’m sure you’re surprised by the sudden question, but I’d like to ask anyway.

The answer lies in whether it refers to a process or a result.

The word ‘photography’ comes from Greek, where ‘photo’ means light, and ‘graphy’ means drawing. So, it represents the ‘process’ of drawing with light. On the other hand, ‘shashin (写真)’ is Japanese, and as the kanji characters suggest, it expresses the ‘result’ of capturing the true appearance of something.

In a similar way, we can explain the difference between the Japanese term ‘生きがい’ (ikigai) and the English version ‘IKIGAI’.

Those who have spent a long time in Japanese culture may likely perceive ikigai as a process. Living itself is a process, and finding value in something is also part of that process. However, in English, IKIGAI is often explained as the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for — essentially, it’s described as a destination.

So, in Japanese, ikigai can be seen as a process, whereas in English, IKIGAI can be perceived as the desired result or the purpose.

You can capture both in a photograph, but I personally prefer to follow the process and capture the ‘decisive moments’ of more people’s ikigai. I would also love to photograph those who have reached the IKIGAI destination, but I don’t often get the opportunity.

Capturing Ikiga-kan in everyday life.

So, what are you seeking when you press the shutter on your camera or smartphone every day? And what drives you as a photographer, painting with light? What is the true essence you are trying to capture? Could it be the ikigai-kan of yourself or those around you? Why not focus on the eyes and start capturing the ikgai-moments from now on?

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Kei Tsuda
Kei Tsuda

Written by Kei Tsuda

Learning about ikigai is my ikigai. I'm here to share my musings as an ikigai scholar with others seeking their own ikigai.

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