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Speaker · Coach · Author · Organiser
Kouji Miki
Zen and IKIGAI in the Age of AI
Consulting
Expand your wellbeing vision to Japan
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Schedule a consultationAbout me
About Me
I am Kouji Miki, Representative Director of enmono Inc., Co-Representative of the Zen2.0 General Incorporated Association, and founder of ZenSchool®. I am a part-time lecturer at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, and live in Kamakura.
My work sits at the intersection of Zen practice, innovation management and artificial intelligence. For more than 20 years I have supported the management of small and midsize Japanese manufacturers. Drawing on visits to more than 250 factories, I have developed a methodology for drawing out the tacit knowledge of craftspeople and business owners. ZenSchool®, a Zen-based innovation program I launched in 2011, has run for more than 65 cohorts. Its alumni include the developer of the lunar rover YAOKI, which captured the first lunar images taken by a Japanese private company, and the founder of the flying-car company SkyDrive. I am the author of True Innovation (CCC Media House).
After losing my job in the 2008 financial crisis, I rebuilt myself through daily Zen meditation. Out of gratitude to Zen, I launched Zen2.0 at Kencho-ji Temple in 2017. The conference has grown into one of the world's largest international gatherings on Zen and mindfulness, and will mark its 10th anniversary in November 2026. In 2024 I was invited to the World Marketing Summit and to the Co-IDEATION Summit in Stockholm, where I spoke on "AI and IKIGAI". I am now working with researchers in Oxford on "contemplative AI and superalignment", and aim to help realize Mindful City Kamakura.
The year after Zen2.0's great success in its first year, I faced troubles from both inside and outside the organization. The strain on my mind led to two heart attacks, and I felt death close at hand. Through that crisis I came to feel the importance of memento mori ("remember that you will die"), and I now make a point of sharing that message. I have practiced Zen for more than 17 years and Vipassana meditation for more than nine. In 2026 I completed the Omine Okugake, a Shugendo mountain pilgrimage. I keep up trail running twice a week, and at 58 I am often taken to be in my late forties. I am a descendant of Saint Paul Miki, one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan.
Roots & mission
Roots & Mission
At the heart of my work is the legacy of my ancestor, Saint Paul Miki, one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, who was executed in Nagasaki over 430 years ago. Born into a samurai family, he remained true to his convictions during one of Japan's most turbulent periods. His spirit continues to inspire my own path.
Guided by this heritage, I seek to preserve the wisdom of Zen while contributing to the realization of a Mindful City Kamakura—a society rooted in compassion, inclusion, and respect beyond all forms of discrimination.
My mission is to help bridge East and West, tradition and innovation, the individual and society, supporting a global shift toward ways of living and working that are more meaningful, sustainable, and deeply human.
Mindful City KamakuraCore projects
Core Projects
My work brings contemplative wisdom into dialogue with innovation, leadership and the possibilities of AI.
Zen2.0 & zenschool
My work began in 2011 with a simple question:
"Can Zen practice transform the way we innovate and do business?"
This experiment evolved into zenschool , where I developed the concept of True Innovation—an approach that starts not from analytical thinking, but from Hara, the Japanese understanding of intuition, embodied awareness, and inner knowing.
This exploration expanded further with Zen2.0 , an international conference launched in 2017 at Kencho-ji, Japan's oldest Zen training monastery. In 2026, Zen2.0 celebrates its 10th anniversary under the theme:
"Wa — Resonating with All Existence."
Organizing Zen2.0 as a holacratic organization has also taught me the value of leading by letting go of control.
AI × Hara (Contemplative AI)
My current primary focus is the integration of AI with contemplative practice.
Artificial intelligence is exceptionally good at gathering information, recognizing patterns, and optimizing decisions—but it does not possess Hara, the embodied intuition that enables human wisdom.
I propose a human-centered decision-making model:
Hara → AI → Hara
Humans begin with intention and embodied wisdom, AI assists with analysis and possibilities, and humans ultimately return to Hara to make the final decision.
I am currently writing a book on this topic, tentatively titled:
The Hara: Samurai Intuition in the AI Era
Global Market Entry Consulting
Drawing on my experience as a Visiting Lecturer at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, together with an international network spanning the UK, Italy, and beyond, I help overseas organizations in well-being, mindfulness, and nature-based retreats successfully enter the Japanese market.
Deep Industry Expertise
Having organized one of the world's leading international Zen conferences for nearly a decade, I understand both the global well-being movement and Japan's contemplative traditions. I have supported European and international organizations in building meaningful and culturally authentic connections with Japan.
Exclusive Network & Unique Experiences
Through long-standing relationships with temples, shrines, and cultural institutions, I can arrange access to exceptional venues—including historic sites that are generally not open to the public—for workshops, retreats, and special events.
Bridging Cultures
I help bridge the gap between international business practices and Japan's unique cultural landscape, enabling organizations to enter the Japanese market with authenticity, sensitivity, and lasting impact.
Areas of expertise
Areas of Expertise
- Global Market Entry Consulting for well-being and mindfulness organizations
- AI & IKIGAI Coaching
- Contemplative AI and Hara-centered decision making
- Zen Philosophy & Mindfulness
- Inner Development Goals (IDGs) and Zen
- Resonance Marketing & Ikigai 2.0
- Zen-based Business Innovation through zenschool
- Executive coaching for True Innovation
- Mindful Leadership
- Conscious Innovation
- Human flourishing in the age of AI
Behind my activities
Public speaking, organised events, books
About my ancestor, St. Paul Miki:
My ancestor, St. Paul Miki , the son of a Japanese samurai, was martyred 430 years ago in Nagasaki, Japan, as one of 26 saints , after Christianity was banned and suppressed by the then shogun Hideyoshi.
I have been invited by the spirit of my ancestors to build a “ Mindful City Kamakura ,” a world free from any kind of discrimination, while cherishing the Zen tradition.
- Speaking on AI and IKIGAI
- Introducing
- Zen Culture
- Network Weaving
Public speaking
2024 Dec.
Online · 7–8 December 2024 · 100+ countries · 150+ speakers
"Hello to Digital Business Transformation and Artificial Intelligence"
Talk: “AI and IKIGAI”
2024 Mar.
Keynote speech · Stockholm, Sweden
Topics included:
- AI / IKIGAI
- Strategic planning for the Modern Workplace
- Workplace design – Global solutions
- Sustainable workplaces and solutions
Talk: “AI and IKIGAI”
150+ talks and lectures in Japan
Topics have included:
- AI and IKIGAI
- Innovation based on Zen philosophy
- Zen, mindfulness and technology
- Innovation using the metaverse
- Other
Organised events
Since 2017 Zen2.0 The world's largest international conference on Zen and mindfulness
Co-Founder of Zen2.0 The Zen2.0 Conference Zen2.0 is an international conference on Zen and mindfulness held in Kamakura, Japan, every fall since 2017 at Kenchoji Temple in North Kamakura, Japan, with an amazing lineup of speakers, including Zen and mindfulness leaders and scientists from Japan and abroad, to learn about our mind and consciousness through Zen, meditation and mindfulness. Zen2.0 is based on the 3 jewels in Buddhism, "Buddha, Dharma, and Samgha," and aims to connect activities such as "technology and spirituality," "thought and physicality," and "the universe and the individual." The mission is to create a mindful planet where all humankind can share the earth in a spiritually rich way, transcending all borders and differences. This is a very essential theme for people who are busy in the current age of digital technology, and where the value of diversity is increasing. With participants from Japan and other countries, the group is expanding its activities both online and offline as a global effort to spread Zen and Zen culture throughout the world.
Books & writing
Books
Inner Development Goals: Stories of Collective Leadership in Action, Volume 1: From “I” to “We” · De Gruyter · 2025
I contributed the chapter “Zen wisdom: When the Ten Bulls encountered the Inner Development Goals” to Inner Development Goals: Stories of Collective Leadership in Action, Volume 1: From ‘I’ to ‘We’, published by De Gruyter in 2025.
The chapter reflects on the launch of Zen2.0 through the Ten Bulls and the Inner Development Goals framework.
CCC Media House · 13 June 2018
Based on my experience supporting innovation at small and midsize manufacturers, I outline a dialogue-based approach to developing products and new businesses. The book explores how Zen-inspired questions can help people clarify what they genuinely want to create.
Let's start Micro manufacturing
Ten books · Apr 1, 2013
It presents a lean approach to product development for makers and small manufacturers, using social media and crowdfunding to bring original products to market.
The method brings together Zen-inspired reflection, lean product development, and crowdfunding.
Blog, YouTube, Interview
Education
Education
1997-2004
Completed the doctoral course, withdrew before completing the required credits
Keio University
Innovation management, research into innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises, B2B e-commerce, Strategic procurement and purchasing, Strategic business management Sakakibara Lab. Strategic management
1995-1997
Master Degree
(Media & Governance) Keio University
Innovation management, research into innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises
1988-1993
Bachelor Degree (International Relations)
Meiji Gakuin Univ.
Research on the mass media in Japan-US relations. Belongs to the laboratory of Dr. Robert Sward. Bachelor's degree thesis written in English
Download my CVLet’s connect
Contact us
If you are interested in mindful leadership, conscious innovation, the future of humanity in the age of AI, or bringing wellbeing initiatives to Japan, I would be delighted to connect.
Let’s explore how we can turn meaningful ideas into lasting impact—together.
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