My Journey into Happiness

From Flying Professor to Professor Happiness

By Tamaki Osumi

If you had asked me 30 years ago where my career would lead, I might have said “Corporate Strategy” or “Organizational Behavior.” I wouldn’t have guessed “happiness.” And certainly not “Metaverse & AI.” But life has a way of surprising us—especially when we stay curious.

The Question That Changed Everything

It all began with a student’s question. I had just started teaching at university, full of theories and frameworks, when a young face approached me after class and asked, “Professor, why do we have to study at university?”

I paused. I pondered. I philosophized.

A few weeks later, I returned with my answer: “To be happy—and to make someone else happy.”

That moment planted a seed. It grew into a lifelong inquiry: What makes people truly happy? And how can organizations support—not suppress—that pursuit?

From Management to Meaning

My early career was steeped in business administration. I was even featured as a promising young researcher in a Japanese magazine in 1997. But the academic climate back then was... rigid. Creativity was undervalued. Originality was suspect. Presenting on topics like “love” and “happiness” at a management conference earned me cold stares and polite dismissals.

“Those are themes for literature,” they said. “Not for social science.”

I disagreed. Quietly. Persistently.

In 2013, I found myself at the Academy of Management conference in Florida. To my astonishment, nearly 20% of the presentations were about happiness, well-being, and flow. I felt like I’d stepped into a parallel universe—one where my ideas had finally found a home.

Okinawa, Health, and the Pursuit of Well-being

Since joining University of the Ryukyus, I’ve collaborated across disciplines—from infectious disease control to digital education. Okinawa, with its rich culture and longevity, became my living laboratory for exploring well-being.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I served as both an infectious disease advisor and an online education strategist. But beneath the data and logistics, I kept asking: How do we stay emotionally healthy? How do we stay connected?

Discovering Positive Psychology

Back in Japan, I dove into the world of positive psychology. Dr. Martin Seligman’s work opened doors. Tal Ben-Shahar’s course at Harvard inspired me. Laurie Santos’ “Science of Well-being” at Yale—now taken by over 4.5 million people—showed me that happiness is not a luxury. It’s a skill. A science. A shared human pursuit.

And according to Harvard’s 70-year study, the biggest predictor of happiness is good relationships. Not wealth. Not fame. Just connection.

Age 65 and a New Chapter Begins

Last year, I celebrated my 65th birthday and officially retired from University of the Ryukyus. After many years dedicated to education, research, and industry-academia collaboration, my passion for inquiry remains as strong as ever.

Today, I’ve established a research institute in the virtual world, where I explore future-focused themes such as artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and brain–machine interfaces. My avatar is ready to welcome you—please feel free to visit my research space in the metaverse.

What’s Next?

As an independent researcher, I’m diving into Space Development, AGI & ASI, Physical AI, XR technologies, and Brain–Machine Interfaces. But no matter how futuristic the tools, my core question remains timeless:

How can we live well?

So if you’re reading this, I invite you to ask yourself:

What makes you happy? And how can you make someone else happy today?

Because in the end, that’s why we’re here.

Note: This article was created using generative AI, based on the author’s original ideas and notes.

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"Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to ‘be happy."

— Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor E. Frankl (1905–1997) was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor. He is best known for founding logotherapy, a form of existential psychotherapy that emphasizes the human search for meaning as the central motivational force.