TEDx Talk on Japanese Culture at Haneda Airport, Tokyo
Back when you still could, I gave a talk for TEDxTokyo in a hangar at Haneda Airport.
The topic was "Cool Japan." But this time I didn't talk about anime, manga, video games or fashion. Instead I focused on core cultural values expressed in Japanese words such as jishuku (restraint, discipline), gaman (endurance and perseverance amid adversity), ganbaru (to fight on, keep at it, stand firm) and wa (seeking and maintaining communal harmony).
I didn't know then that such values would serve Japan well during a global pandemic.
It was a remarkable event. At the reception there were canapes and wine and we watched a guitarist bring the sun down near the nose of a plane.
Now it all seems surreal and, sadly, would be impossible.
(Video of my presentation has been posted here.)
The topic was "Cool Japan." But this time I didn't talk about anime, manga, video games or fashion. Instead I focused on core cultural values expressed in Japanese words such as jishuku (restraint, discipline), gaman (endurance and perseverance amid adversity), ganbaru (to fight on, keep at it, stand firm) and wa (seeking and maintaining communal harmony).
I didn't know then that such values would serve Japan well during a global pandemic.
It was a remarkable event. At the reception there were canapes and wine and we watched a guitarist bring the sun down near the nose of a plane.
Now it all seems surreal and, sadly, would be impossible.
(Video of my presentation has been posted here.)
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