Ikigai is a Japanese concept that is typically taken to mean life’s purpose.

It is not a concept unique to the Japanese. The Costa Ricans have a similar phrase plan de vida. Plus, the word "profession" in Estonian is elukutse which literally translates to "life's calling".

However, ikigai may set itself apart from plan de vida and elukutse because of the egoless aspect it encompasses. I only realised this recently because I reread The Little Book of Ikigai recently. Several examples were provided, in which the Japanese involved didn’t feel that they have to put a face to their endeavour.

We are familiar with cosplayers who wear astonishingly identical outfits with the manga/anime characters they seek to portray. At cosplayer conferences, they delight adoring fans with impressive poses and mannerisms, never once needing to reveal their identity. The book gave at least two other examples of faceless, egoless Japanese. Court musicians playing to an empty space in the Imperial Palace (except for the dearly departed spirits which may come to visit). Monks who have been subsumed into the transcendental vibes of Eihei-ji Temple, giving up their individuality, existing to ensure the smooth operations of the temple. They have transcended earthly concerns.

I doubt that Satoshi Nakamoto had knowledge of Japanese, Costa Rican and Estonian cultures and consciously chose a Japanese nym to associate himself with ikigai. But what if he wanted to use a name that would symbolise his fierce desire to remain anonymous? Surely, a Japanese name would fit the bill.

Now, this doesn’t explain how he arrived at Satoshi Nakamoto, but the Japanese moniker may provide additional context. His life’s purpose (ikigai) was to create a permissionless currency. His cause was greater than his individuality, which motivated him to conceal his identity. It didn’t matter to him whether his name was known or not. More important to focus on Bitcoin.

I don’t know the extent to which my theory that Satoshi Nakamoto = ikigai = life’s work = Bitcoin would hold weight, but I think it’s worth sacrificing half an hour of my sleep to articulate my thoughts here.