Studying Japanese through TED Talks (3): 10 Recommended TED Talks
In this article, I will introduce some TED talks that I recommend for Japanese study.
1. The Value of Movies (Kawase Naomi)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Culture/Film] (13 minutes)
http://archive.tedxtokyo.com/talk/naomi-kawase/
A talk by the filmmaker Kawase Naomi. In 1997, Kawase became the youngest person ever to win the Cannes Film Festival Caméra d’Or (best first film) award, for her debut movie Suzaku. In 2007 she won the Cannes Grand Prix for The Mourning Forest, and in 2009 the Golden Coach award, presented to directors who have made a contribution to the Cannes Film Festival. In this talk, she describes her upbringing and how she came to be interested in movies, as well as her commitment to filmmaking.
2. Beyond Sushi (Inoue Shuichi)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Culture/Food] (12 minutes 47 seconds)
http://www.tedxkyoto.com/events/tedxkyoto-2014/beyond-sushi-shuichi-inoue
A talk by Inoue Shuichi, the sushi maestro at the Ritz Carlton Kyoto. Sadly, Inoue died in a car accident in 2015, at the age of 35. In this talk, he expresses his passion for sushi along with breathtaking photographs of sushi.
Nippon-Ga (Yamamoto Taro)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Culture/Painting] (12 minutes 52 seconds)
Yamamoto is an associate professor at the Kyoto University of Art and Design (now Kyoto University of the Arts). While studying at a university in Kyoto, he came to realize that Japanese culture is composed of a blend of various components. He has created many artworks while advocating for “Nippon-ga,” paintings which use traditional Japanese techniques to depict modern Japanese customs.
4. Reasons for Religion--A Quest for Inner Peace (Matsuyama Daiko)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Culture/Religion] (14 minutes 32 seconds)
A talk by Matsuyama Daiko, the assistant priest at Myoshinji Taizoin, a Zen temple in Kyoto. Matsuyama says that Japanese religion is characterized by its respect for others and its tolerance in accepting differences. I recommend this talk to those who have wondered why the Japanese celebrate Christmas and visit shrines on the New Year.
5. Just Say What You Want to Do (Nakagome Takanori)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Society/Education] (13 minutes 43 seconds)
As a college student, Nakagome was shy and lacking in self-confidence. However, he had always loved dance, and the experience of teaching it to children led him to quit his corporate job and travel the world as a children’s dance teacher. Nakagome’s wide smile and the energy of his talk are sure to inspire you too.
6. Understanding Worldviews Changes People (Anne Crescini)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Society/Values] (12 minutes 01 second)
https://tedxfukuoka.com/ls/annecrescini/
Born in the United States, Anne Crescini is an associate professor at the University of Kita-Kyushu. She is also active as a bilingual blogger, author, and commentator. Appearing in a T-shirt printed with “I don’t speak standard Japanese,” she rattles off Hakata dialect to discuss the importance of understanding the worldviews at the base of people’s attitudes.
7. Creating a 21st-Century City of Diversity (Hasebe Ken)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Society/LGBT & Diversity] (14 minutes 49 seconds)
https://www.tedxtokyo.com/tedxtokyo_talk/creating-a-21st-century-city-of-diversity/?lang=ja
After leaving his job at a major advertising company, Hasebe Ken became the mayor of Shibuya Ward in Tokyo. His activities have been rooted in diversity, or the acceptance and respect of differences, and he passed the Shibuya Ward Ordinance for Promoting Respect of Gender Equality and Diversity in the Ward in 2015. This ordinance was the first in Japan to recognize same-sex partnerships, granting partnership certificates to same-sex couples aged 20 or older resident in Shibuya Ward. In his talk, Hasebe explains how he became interested in LGBT issues and what he thinks about diversity.
8. Barrier Value: Transforming Barriers into Value (Kakiuchi Toshiya)
[Intermediate to Advanced Level] [Society/Universal Design] (16 minutes 24 seconds)
http://www.tedxkyoto.com/events/tedxkyoto-2018/barrier-value-transforming-barriers-into-value-tos
Kakiuchi Toshiya is the founder and president of Mirairo, Inc. Born with brittle bone disease, he uses a wheelchair. He currently manages a company which handles universal design (UD) for buildings, products, services, communication, and so on. As the title of his talk suggests, his positive thinking will draw the listener in.
9. Rethinking the Power of Nursing in Areas of Conflict (Shirakawa Yuko)
[Advanced Level] [Society/Peace and International Cooperation] (15 minutes 28 seconds)
Shirakawa, who worked as a nurse for many years, took part in the work of Doctors Without Borders, providing medical assistance in conflict regions around the world. Her experience with people suffering serious physical and mental trauma led her to feel increasing anger and frustration. However, it was her encounter with these people which brought her to recognize the power of nursing once again as well.
10. Hope Invites (Uematsu Tsutomu)
[Advanced Level] [Society/Science and Technology (Rocket Development)] (20 minutes 42 seconds)
https://tedxsapporo.com/talk/hope-invites/
Uematsu Tsutomu is the president of Uematsu Electric, a company in Hokkaido. With just 20 employees, this small electromagnet manufacturer is also involved in rocket development. In his talk, Uematsu explains how he came to be interested in space and rocket development as well as the importance of facing new challenges without fear of failure, as we each get just one life.
I encourage you to try out any talk that sounds interesting to you!