The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is one of the most iconic artworks in human history. The rowboats face the fury of the sea, with Mount Fuji watching from the horizon's depth. What happens seconds after the wave crashes? Will they shipwreck? Will they manage to change course skillfully overcoming the wave? The only chance to survive is not to remain still and to row, hoping they can float over the great wave until they leave it behind. 

The Great Wave off Kanagawa represents the Japanese spirit of ganbatte: the sailors do not give up, they row with all their strength to continue their journey, to live. The sea waves are a wonderful metaphor for life.

• Because waves can resemble life.
• In the sea, we cannot stop the waves, and in life, we cannot stop the events that time brings as it passes.
• If we remain still in the sea, the waves will swallow us.
• If we remain still in life, apathy will devour us.
• If you can't stop the wave, become the wave.
• Ganbatte!
• Do what you can, as best as you can.

The fifty chapters of the book are the steps to learn the Japanese art of perseverance and adaptability, which is also the art of overcoming every adversity in life.

In our difficult and fluid times, we increasingly feel that we must rebuild our lives from scratch. This is what the Japanese have always done, after horrific wars and incredible natural disasters.

The secret of this people to constantly be reborn from their ashes, like the Phoenix, lies in the philosophy of ganbatte, a Japanese term that could be translated as "do your best, never give up, keep trying."

Where we wish "good luck!", the Japanese say "ganbatte!" to encourage someone to do their best. This is the big difference in attitude. Good luck depends on external factors, placing fate beyond and outside of the person. Ganbatte invokes the internal strengths and capabilities of the person, meaning that whatever happens depends on individual effort.