'A timely and moving pilgrimage through Japan's spiritual
traditions' RUTH OZEKI, Women's Prize-winning and Booker
Prize-shortlisted author
'A fascinating dive through hidden layers of the Japanese worldview' KATHERINE
MAY, author of Wintering
Find your way to happiness with this wise, inspiring journey into the
spiritual heart of Japan.
In Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko Yoda invites readers on
a transformative journey into the traditions that shape Japanese life. While
millions have found inspiration in ideas like ikigai or The
Courage to Be Disliked, Hiroko reveals the deeper traditions that quietly
infuse Japan's culture, drawn from Shinto, Buddhism, and the mountain mysticism
of Shugendo.
These aren't abstract philosophies. They are living practices that integrate so
seamlessly with modern secular life, even natives can forget they are there.
Reconnecting with them helped Hiroko find light after profound loss – and
realise that they offer powerful tools for anyone seeking meaning, connection
or peace in their own life.
Through vivid storytelling and immersive experiences – dancing at Shinto
shrines, climbing sacred peaks, and meeting mystics – Hiroko shows how Japan's
flexible approach to spirituality helps kindle gratitude, connection and
kinship with nature. What emerges are practical insights and gentle guidance to
spark joy, find balance, and discover what truly matters.
Whether you're grieving, searching, or simply curious, this book is a reminder:
there are millions of ways to be happy. You just have to find yours.
About the Author
Hiroko Yoda was born and raised in Tokyo. She is
a certified cultural historian, a former Tokyo editor for CNN Go and a field
producer for National Geographic TV.
Over two decades she has assisted countless Japanese
creators in the video game, manga, anime, toy and film industries convey their
artistic visions abroad.
She has written popular pieces for the New Yorker, Vice and Wired,
and has also appeared on CNN, PBS, BBC, and 99% Invisible. She lives in Tokyo.
