SPEAKERS

HIROKI The Masked Ninja

Nunchaku Artist
Founder of the Nunchaku Mukei Mugen Ryu

Fascibated by Bruce Lee in a movie at a young age, Ninja HIROKI aspired to martial arts. He underwent years of harsh training to master the nunchakus. With his authentic nunchaku skills and liberal ideas, he established a unique technique system. At his 25th year of training, he founded Mukei Mugen Ryu Style, which he is spreading all over Japan,

Using the body movements based on the Mukei Mugen Ryu martial theory, he also serves as an instructor for the easy backache relief and exercises for the elderly.

Some of his overseas achievements include being featured in an American documentary “Stan Lee’s Superhumans” in 2011, as well as performing at the stage show HYPER JAPAN 2014, the biggest Japanese culture event in the UK.

Hinae Niori

“Family Internship” Coordinator
Representative, manma

Hinae Niori is now a student in Graduate School of System and Design Management, Keio University. She was born in 1994 and established “manma” in 2014. Since then the organization has aimed at creating a good environment involving with a family.

“Family Internship”, which is a one-day hands-on program for young people, expands its reach across Japan as its main scope. Participants can get a chance to discover a way of their lives by spending time with a family who has children for a day. This opportunity helps them to realize what the various lifestyles are like.

She is a member of the “Board which works on exchanging views on the corporates’ and organizations’ initiatives to make the better environment for the marriage wishes” conducted by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan.

She was an adviser for World Assembly for Women: WAW! 2016 hosted by The Government of Japan.

She now serves as a professional picker on NewsPicks.

Hokkaido Sapporo Intercultural and Technological High School Band

Hokkaido Sapporo Intercultural and Technological High School Band is a wind orchestra club of Hokkaido prefectural high school with some specialized courses. It’s located in Kita Ward in Sapporo. This year is the 20th anniversary of the club.

They juggle to keep their club activities and their studies going for “lovelier performance” based on the autonomy and cooperation.

They have started “D’ply (Dance & Play)” as a new contents since 2013. Its birthplace is Hokkaido. They are developing this new field and presenting three elements to the world: “Full D’ply” which makes use of the advantages of a full band. ”Team D’ply” which is made up responding to the space of the venue and the organizer’s request, and “Original D’ply” that is instructed by the founder and current director.

They’re giving about 70 performances every year upon request. They visited various places in Hokkaido, Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo and Honolulu in Hawaii so far.

There are 110 members as the 23rd band.

Shunsuke Narisawa

Social Entrepreneur
Chairman of FDA

Shunsuke Narisawa was born in Saga Prefecture in 1985 with retinal pigmentary degeneration, an incurable disease that gradually degrades eyesight. In his university years, the sense of isolation and despair from the visual impairment made him withdraw from the society for two years. Once he overcame, he built his career by working as an intern at a management consulting firm, before going independent in 2009.

In December 2011, he became the secretary general of FDA (Future Dream Achievement), a nonprofit organization that assists job seeking and creates job opportunities for those who has difficulties in the regular employment. He focuses on their “strengths” and endeavors to create a better working environment for both the employers and the employees.

His sales copy is the “world’s merriest blind guy”. Being concerned with the employment issue for the handicapped, being a specialist in the field of welfare, and being the manager of his organization at the same time, he bustles about night and day.

Since August 2016, he serves as the chairman of FDA.

Mayu Shono

Parallel worker
President, Hapikira Factory Corporation / Sony Corporation

Mayu Shono was born in 1991. She practices a parallel career (having several jobs), using the trendy policy of the companies under the “Working Reform” to accept the employees’ side businesses. While she is a full-time employee in Sony Corporation, at the same time, she is the president of Hapikira Factory Corporation, which she established in her university days.

Balancing among several favorite jobs, she says, the experiences gained from a job can be applied to the others to produce multiple effects.

She promotes a new living and working style, in which people can pursue their dreams other than their main job.

She is also a member of “Association for Creating New Projects through Having Side Businesses” in the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, and a policy advisor for Teshio town, Hokkaido.

Mamoru Taniya

Investor
Chairman and CEO, Asuka Holdings Inc.

Mamoru Taniya built his career as an institutional investor for 30 years, and is working as an angel investor within the last 20 years. He is also active in funding various start-up businesses and supports NGO/NPO activities. After working for Salomon Brothers as the youngest Managing Director (MD) under their Investment Dept. responsible for not only the Japan region but all of Asia, he established his own company, Asuka Asset Management.

His style of “supporting business start-ups” is being involved from the first phase of company structure establishment, and works closely together with his clients from the development stage. Mr. Taniya has helped establish LIFENET INSURANCE COMPANY, studio yoggy, Campas for H, and Money Design Co.

As a part of NGO/NPO activities, he serves as a Representative of founding Japan’s first international boarding school, International School of Asia, Karuizawa (ISAK). He is also the Vice Chair Person of Human Rights Watch Tokyo Committee, Director of Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation, and Director of Endeavor Japan.

Hiroichi Ukegawa

Drone pilot

Hiroichi Ukekawa was born in 1961, Hiroichi Ukekawa has built his 30 year career as one of the leading experts in aerial filming with drones, unmanned aerial vehicles.

With delicate drone control skills and great sensitivity for images, he has taken a number of commercials and footages for TV programs. He also plays an active role in explorations in danger zones or restricted areas such as volcanic craters.

He has hosted workshops on drone control regularly to inform people of the possibilities and safety of drones, which are assumed by many to be dangerous. He has been tirelessly honing his controlling and filming skills to achieve both technical development and safety improvement, and tries to open up a new frontier in drone filming.

He is the representative director of Rave Project, Aerial Camera Systems Company. He was featured in a documentary TV program “The Professionals” on NHK, which was aired in Japan on May 23, 2016.

Hiroshi Tanigawa

Chairman, Asian Education and Friendship Association (AEFA)

Hiroshi Tanikawa was born in Fukui Prefecture in 1943. When he was five years old, his house was totally destroyed due to great earthquake in Fukui. He learned “consideration” and “good intentions” through how his mother cared and supported other people although she was suffering from the earthquake as well.

After retiring in 2004, he established a specified nonprofit corporation called Asian Education and Friendship Association (AEFA) in order to accomplish his goal, which is to contribute to the society. More than 250 elementary schools and junior high schools have been founded through the nonprofit corporation for minority ethnic groups in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. He has worked on creating school environments which are integrated in its local society, and has provided independence support as well.

Through cultural exchange projects with Japanese elementary and junior high school students, he teaches “zest for living” and “the core heart as human beings.”

He has wrote a book called “Old Person’s Efforts ~ Please Let Me Found Schools in Your Village” (POPLAR Publishing Co., Ltd).