Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom from the Heart of Japan (UK Edition)

In Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko Yoda invites readers on a deeply personal and transformative journey into the spiritual heart of Japan. While millions have found inspiration in ideas like ikigai or The Courage to Be Disliked, Hiroko reveals the deeper traditions that quietly shape 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.

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Hiroko Yoda (Author)

Hiroko Yoda is a certified Shinto cultural historian, and a former Tokyo editor for CNN Go and a field producer for National Geographic TV. Raised in Japan, she earned her master’s degree from American University in Washington, DC, then launched the localization company AltJapan and embarked on a career of building bridges between East and West. Her writings have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Wired, and Vice, and she’s appeared on CNN, PBS, BBC, and 99% Invisible. She is the coauthor of illustrated books about Japanese folklore, including Yokai Attack! and its sequels. She lives in Tokyo.