TEDxSapporoSalon vol.05 was held on October 21 at ICC (Intercross Creative Center) in Sapporo. It was a chilly day, but our venue was filled with the great enthusiasm. We were able to welcome audience more than we expected. This number was the highest among previous salons we hosted so far. Thank you all for your participation. “Positive Innovation” was our theme of Salon vol.05; we have learned the importance of creative and constructive ideas and innovation from our three guests. I will summarize what I’ve learned from 3 main points.
“Local to Global, Global to Local”
Mr. Yoshihiro Kurashige (digital marketing produce) introduced us his current project called “Hokkaido Likers,” as one of the solutions to the problem that every regional community faces today. In this project, Mr. Kurashige focused on the revitalization of the communities in Hokkaido. With the power of social media, in this case, Facebook, he was able to promote Hokkaido globally. By providing impressive Hokkaido oriented contents in 3 languages (Japanese, English, and Chinese), “Hokkaido Likers” acquired 500,000+ users in just 6 months since its launch on February 2012. Mr. Kurashige explained with his passion the key factors for the innovation at the local level marketing, and “Hokkaido Likers” next step in its global business.
You can view Mr. Kurashige’s TEDx Talk from here
“Hokkaido Likers” Facebook page
“Presentation = Present=Gift”
As a surgeon, medical doctor, educator, and innovator, Dr. Sugimoto insisted that sharing “space, time, and environment” are important for us to establish the grounds of communication. In times of hardship, having a little courage allows us to spread the wonderful ideas. In the field of advanced medicine, Dr. Sugimoto is working closely with open-source software called, “OsiriX,” a medical imaging software. He is proposing new ways to its application that will benefit not just doctors, but patients, medical students, and great many others. “Visualization” is the foundation of the communication in order to share the idea among us. “Open-source” will accelerate the rate of the global spreading with free of charge. “Open-mind” is necessary to lead ideas to the next innovation. It also creates the strong bonding among us. Dr. Sugimoto’s philosophy directly reflects TED’s philosophy of “Ideas worth spreading.”
You can view Dr. Sugimoto’s TEDx Talk from here.
“Nature = Music”
KENJAH is a global music innovator, traveling around the world searching for music. “Music is born in nature.” he said. We are in close relationship with music since our birth. The audience had a chance to participate in his performance, united with the power of music. KENJAH’s music was filled with his energy and messages. Experiencing his music, we were able to feel the innovation through music,
You can view KENJAH’s TEDx Talk from here.
Although the 3 guests are specialists pursuing different fields, they all possess many similarities. For instance, they are optimistic for their discoveries, enthusiastic toward their innovations, and open minded to different views. Understanding the people’s needs, feelings, and eagerness to search solutions will lead us to the next step. As you know, it’s not an easy thing to tackle the hardships. Perhaps, I will start with a small step, making a step is a proof of my courage.
(Takaya Asai @TEDxSapporo volunteer)