Héctor García

Héctor García is a Spanish-born author and engineer who has lived in Japan for over two decades, and is known internationally for Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (2016), co-written with Francesc Miralles. The book explores what the people of Okinawa — among the world's longest-living communities — call their ikigai, or "reason for being," and became an international bestseller translated into more than sixty languages.

In Japan, García runs the influential "Kirai" blog that explains Japanese culture through a newcomer's eyes, covering everything from technology and food to the philosophy of everyday life. Ikigai grew out of interviews with centenarians and Japanese longevity traditions, distilling their habits and mindset into a practical blueprint for purpose and balance. He has since co-authored further books on Japanese approaches to well-being, and is celebrated as a bridge between Japanese wisdom and Western readers.