Theme: 環～Connecting our "Wows!"

*English follows Japanese.

テーマ：「環（わ）~ Connecting our "Wows!"」

「環」は 「（驚いて）周囲をぐるりと見渡す」様子を表す「睘」と
「宝石、玉器」を表す「王」から成る 「輪の形をした玉（ぎょく）」を意味する漢字です。 輪になっている様子が「つながり」「絆」「調和」を想起させてくれます。

新型コロナウイルスの世界的大流行によって私たちの生活は一変しました。それでも私たちは変化を受け入れ、一歩ずつ確実に前へと歩み始めています。

その源となる力、不安や恐怖を希望や勇気に変え、前へと押し出してくれる原動力―それを私たちは「Wows!」という言葉で表わしました。

喜びや驚きを表す「Wow!」 、好奇心でワクワクする「Wow!」
あなたが「Wow!」と感じるとき、 そのパワーがあなたを動かします。
あなたが「Wow!」と声を発すれば、そのパワーが周りを動かします。

「TEDxAnjo2022」は価値あるアイデアの祭典です。
今こそ、悦びや知的好奇心に火をつける「Wow!」と叫びたくなる宝（価値あるアイデア）でつながりましょう！

あなたとともに今日一日が、平和で明るい未来につながるように祈っています。

TEDxAnjo Organizer 上田 由理

"環" is made up of two Chinese character parts: "睘" on the right side, which means "to look around (in surprise)," and "王" on the left, which means "jewel, jade instrument."
Together these parts of the Chinese character for "ring" means "jade in the shape of a ring," and it reminds us of connection, bond, and harmony.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has changed our lives forever.
Nevertheless, we have accepted the changes and are moving forward step by step.
The source of power that pushes us forward - the force that drives us to turn our fears and anxieties into hope and courage.
We express it as "Wows!"

"Wow!" is joy and surprise.
"Wow!" is curiosity and excitement.

When you feel "Wow!," its power moves you.
When you say "Wow!," its power moves those around you.

TEDxAnjo2022 is a celebration of ideas worth spreading.
Let's connect with treasures - valuable ideas - that ignite our joy and intellectual curiosity and make us want to shout, "Wow!"
We hope this day will lead to a peaceful and bright future with you all.

TEDxAnjo Organizer Yuri Ueda

Anjo Culture Center (HEKISIN GALAXY plaza)
17-11, Sakura-machi
Anjo, Aiti, 446-0041
Japan

Keita Komori

Nurse

Born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan in 1979. After graduating from junior high school, he worked as a construction worker when his colleague was involved in a traffic accident. Feeling helpless and unable to do anything about it, he decided to do something to help others and became a nurse inspired by encounters at work and a part-time high school. After working in the emergency ward of a university hospital, he became a visiting nurse because he felt a need for a specialist to support people before they came to the hospital. In 2016, he established Uchiet Inc. in Okazaki, Aichi. Currently, he visits users’ homes as a visiting nurse to face the end of their lives while running a medical care business. He is also a part-time lecturer at a graduate school of nursing and a vocational school to expand the possibilities of nurses.

Kenichi Mizuno

Designer

Born in 1970 Seto, Aichi, Japan. After graduating from the design division of Aichi Prefectural Seto Ceramic High School, Kenichi Mizuno worked as a designer in different industries like a store decoration company and an automobile-related company. At age 30, he went out on his own. In 2017, he started a project making new products collaborated with local factories and artisans to gain value of manufacturing and design. Awards around the world highly praise its design. Two of his works won the Grand prize and the Gold winner at the ASIA DESIGN PRIZE 2021. The German Design Awards 2022 ( four works nominations, including two won). The ICONIC AWARDS 2022 Innovative Interior category (two works nominations, both won).

Mitsufumi Nishu

Representative of Agri Park Anjo

Born in 1948, in Okayama, Japan. Graduated from Gunma University majoring in Engineering. He engaged 40 years mainly in manual transmission development in the automobile manufacturing industry. After retiring, he attended a course in Anjo City and became fascinated with growing vegetables. Then he organized “Agri Park Anjo,” a community connected by vegetable farming, which was successfully selected for the 2017 Anjo City “Kensachi Grand Prix.” In the five years since then, he has been providing many people who want to experience farming with a place where they can easily grow their own vegetables. He is currently living in Aichi and Okayama, and enjoying his life through university alumni activities, photography, painting, pilgrimage, and other activities with a strong sense of curiosity.

Oriha Kato and Eiji Sakuma

Flamenco dancer, choreographer / Guitarist

Born in Aichi, Japan, Oriha Kato studied ballet and rhythmic gymnastics at an early age and met flamenco. In order to devote more to flamenco, she mastered north Indian classical dance Cuttack, which is said to be its origin. Now she dances from the classics to new trends with her unique beauty. She has been invited to perform in France, the Netherlands, China, Korea as well as in Japan. She won the second prize at the Dance Grand Prix Europe in ITALY in 2012, the Nagoya City Art Encouragement Prize in 2018, and the Special Prize in the Dance Division at the Nagoya Citizen’s Art Festival in 2021. Eiji Sakuma started playing the guitar at 16, and after playing in a band and doing pilgrimage through Japan, he entered the Koyo Music Academy. He later switched to flamenco guitar and has been performing mainly in Nagoya with his impressive sound. His first album is “MANA” (2014). The two have been presenting works together since 2015.

Ryosuke Koike

Stand-up Comedian

Born in Nishio, Aichi, Japan in 1967. While studying sociology at Kansai University, Ryosuke Koike won the second place in All Japan Student Dance Championship. After graduating, he became a professional dancer, and in 1996 he moved to the U.S. dreaming for greater success. After winning the second place at the California Dance Open, he was discouraged and came back to Japan. But to pursue his dream, he flew to the U.S. again in 1998 and started his carrier as a comedian. In 2003, he was selected as one of the top 20 comedians in the U.S. by NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and became a regular performer at Broadway Comedy Club. Now he is one of the top comedians in the United States. He is also a licensed social insurance consultant in Japan for his family buisiness.

Sakura Hayashi

University student

Born in Aichi, Japan, in 2000, and living in Iwakura, Aichi. Sakura Hayashi is a senior at Nanzan University majoring in Global Liberal Studies. Born to contemporary artists’ parents, she grew up surrounded by modern art and performance. She started playing the violin at the age of three. From the age of four, her father, mother, and herself began visiting other families of artists. In 2016, she spent two weeks in Los Angeles to learn about El Sistema, which provides free music education to protect children from violence and delinquency. In 2018, she participated in an international training program for an NGO in Aichi Prefecture as an intern. In the spring of 2020, after graduating from a vocational school, she transferred to a university to study community development utilizing the arts. During the self-restraint period of the COVID-19 pandemic, she came into contact with cameras and became interested in video, and plans to work in the video industry after graduation.