Kyoto's Cultural Power Master Plan

■ Kyoto's Cultural Power Master Plan

I am currently serving as a member of the Kyoto Prefecture Council for Creating a Future through Cultural Power.

This is the second phase of the Basic Plan for Cultural Power, following the first phase in 2019.

I expressed my opinion.

After the first phase, the Agency for Cultural Affairs is moving to Kyoto and the World Expo is being held in 2025.

For Kyoto, the Agency for Cultural Affairs is a national opportunity, while the Expo is a global one.

How can we make use of this?

The two unexpected changes are COVID-19 and technology.

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation around the world.

Both cultural expression and entertainment will be centered on digital.

Live performances will also be a hybrid of real and virtual.

Then AI, the metaverse, and web3, three major technologies that were originally separate, arrived at the same time.

A new cultural realm is born.

There is also a lot of debate in the country.

The Council for Cultural Affairs' report identified globalization and digital transformation as important themes.

How to deal with inbound and outbound

How can we develop new areas such as cultural digital transformation and the metaverse?

Kyoto Prefecture's next plan will also be a response to this.

I am active in three areas: human resource development, base formation, and events.

iU , creating a digital cluster in Takeshiba, Tokyo,

This is an art and digital activity at the Kyoto International Film Festival. 

We will also work in conjunction with BS Yoshimoto to lead up to the World Expo in 2025.

We are working to create a community of industry, government and academia.

I would like Kyoto Prefecture to cooperate with this community.

I hope you will make good use of it.

Turning the relocation of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the digital transformation caused by COVID-19 into an opportunity,

We will take advantage of the upcoming opportunity of the World Expo and the opportunities of new technologies such as AI.

I would like you to move on to creating the next plan.

Thank you very much. I look forward to it.

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Cool Japan: Buddhist cuisine

■Cool Japan: Buddhist cuisine

NHK Cool Japan: "Shojin ryori" (vegetarian cuisine).

The biggest factor behind the worldwide increase in vegetarians and vegans is health consciousness.

Lifestyle-related diseases are becoming more serious, and more and more people are trying to improve their condition through diet.

Japanese Shojin ryori goes even further, being a strict vegetarian diet that not only avoids meat, fish and dairy products, but also spicy vegetables such as onions and garlic.

It is part of Buddhist training, but it has been rediscovered by people overseas and is now attracting attention.

"These days"

Since it originated from Buddhism, Shojin ryori cuisine is found in all Asian countries, but there are very few Shojin ryori restaurants that are open to non-monks, and this is rare in Japan.

Since ancient times, Japan has had a diet of one soup and one dish, with many vegetable-based meals, and it was only after the Meiji period that people began to eat meat, later than the West.

We use plain vegetables to create a deep flavor, which is why it's so delicious.

The important thing is that it's delicious. I think that's what's popular with health-conscious Westerners these days.

"Temple"

I'll enjoy having this.

This is a uniquely Japanese expression, and it means to be grateful for the life of the ingredients.

Not only meat and fish, but plants also have life. We should be grateful to eat them.

And shojin ryori is made with great care, all by hand.

This effort is an important time to give thanks for the ingredients, to think about the Buddha to whom we are offering them, and to think about the people who will be eating the food.

Shojin cuisine embodies more than just not eating meat or fish; it also embodies that spirit.

"ramen"

This is a restaurant that specializes in Shojin ramen. It's in my hometown, the home of rich ramen, and a highly competitive area.

Pork bones, chicken bones, and bonito stock, which are essential ingredients for ramen, cannot be used.

Only kelp and shiitake mushrooms can be used.

Ramen and shojin ryori are polar opposites.

that has led to more than 10 years of research.

Ramen is now popular worldwide, and is also popular among health-conscious vegetarians and vegans.

This multiplication of ingredients in Shojin Ramen is a revolution. I hope it spreads throughout the world.

Even for Japanese people, shojin ryori is an ancient food and is not commonly known.

If foreigners discover it, we will be able to rediscover it and it could lead to new evolution and development.

thank you.

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iU President Gachon . Mr.Hiroki Kimura

■iU President Gachon . Mr.Hiroki Kimura

President of MIXI. The creator of Monster Strike. Without compromising on the philosophy of MIXI, which is to connect people online, he has grown the company into a four-digit billion yen business and expanded its focus from games to sports. And he is studying at graduate school. That's amazing.

◆ Mixi

The company name will be changed from Mixi to MIXI. While retaining the importance of communication that the social network Mixi has cultivated, we will work to enrich communication in various fields, not just SNS. Mixi in lowercase has a strong image of a service brand, but MIXI in capital letters is a slightly larger concept.

What we are focusing on now

Sports business. I think sports has the most room for growth from both a business and social contribution perspective. By stimulating communication within sports, sports funds will be created. Business will also grow.

They are particularly focusing on sports betting. Sports are the subject of betting. In Japan, publicly-run sports such as horse racing and bicycle racing are growing. In the United States, betting on major sports has been legalized. It's all the rage.

Betting alone is no fun, betting with friends is fun. I'm obsessed with trying to create new sports funding while having fun with everyone.

◆School/Learning

I was a dropout. I didn't fit in at school. I didn't attend sports days or school festivals in junior high and high school. I couldn't fit in with the others. I felt uncomfortable. I didn't skip school and stay alone, I played with my friends. I wasn't a delinquent or an honor student. I dropped out of college. Even at college, I couldn't get used to the school environment.

Two years ago ( 2020 enrollment), I attended graduate school at Waseda University. I wanted to learn properly as an adult, so I took a sports-related course. I was finally able to experience learning in a classroom with other students, something that normally happens at university level, even though I'm over 40 now.

Due to COVID-19, many of my classes were online. It was easy to juggle my work as a CEO and my studies. I was also able to submit my papers online. Thanks to technology, it was easier to learn than ever before.

years old and I am learning properly. I am grateful to be able to learn as an adult. It was a very good experience. I studied hard.

◆Message for you guys

If you can find something you want to do or something you can be passionate about, you will win in life. I 'm over 40 now, and I'm passionate about running a company and creating services. Take your time and look for something you can be passionate about and like. You'll be lucky if you find it while you're young. Even if you can't find it easily, you might find it while you're working. Please keep looking.

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World Digital Summit @ Nikkei Hall.

■World Digital Summit @ Nikkei Hall.

The first time I participated was 24 years ago.

This time, the final panel featured Taniwaki, Natsuno, Ishido, Suzukan, and myself.

I'll take notes on what was said.

◇Problem proposal

Japan has recognized that it has lost out in the digital era due to COVID-19, and has created a digital agency to push ahead with digital transformation. However, the next big wave, web3 and generative AI, is coming, and if we make a mistake, we could lose again.

iU, which was hit by COVID-19 when the school opened, say that COVID-19 is an opportunity. The challenge is how to entrust this generation with deciding their future career paths.

◇web3

I'm excited about the disruptive power of blockchain. The power of decentralization symbolized by the DAO. Just as the Internet has turned the media into a garbage dump, it may turn companies and governments into garbage dumps.

On the other hand, the spread of the Internet, which reduces communication costs to zero, was inevitable, but this is not yet evident for BC. Another issue is that energy-rich countries have an advantage.

◇The rise of GAFA

The economy and society have become more autonomous and decentralized. Giants have collapsed and dispersed in many fields, including media and finance. Individuals have also become more powerful. The nation vs. GAFA battle is also a decentralization phenomenon in which a power that rivals the nation has emerged.

Meanwhile, in the Internet itself, companies with business models that concentrate resources such as data have become powerful.

◇AI

The singularity has come. Things you think you can't do will eventually become possible.

People worry about losing their jobs, but production won't decrease. GDP won't decrease. There's nothing to worry about.

However, when that wealth is concentrated in certain countries or organizations, it leads to riots and war.

Distribution, rather than production, becomes the most important issue.

◇Government

I support the Digital Agency. It should be commended for making AI an important issue at the G7 Summit and playing a coordinating role.

However, it is questionable whether Web3 should be considered a growth strategy. Rather than increasing GDP, the Internet and SNS have brought about a convenient, comfortable and enjoyable social culture, and have increased consumer surplus. It would be better to position Web3 as a social and cultural strategy.

◇DX Human Resource Development

That's why I created iU . I take it personally and work hard.

The thing that will change the most with AI and web3 is universities. There is a theory that half of universities will disappear in 10 years because of the Internet and AI, but with the emergence of ZEN universities, it seems that this may happen even sooner. This is a chance to make a big change in education.

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NHK Cool Japan: "Swords" edition.

 ■ NHK Cool Japan: "Swords" edition.

The most common national treasure is the sword.

Japanese sword sections are also popular in art museums overseas.

Although there are swords overseas as well, Japanese blades are particularly popular.

There is a history boom in Japan as well, and the number of history-loving girls is on the rise.

His gaze towards the sword is heating up.

"Ginza"

The first sword specialty store opened in Ginza 40 years ago.

After that, the number of sword shops began to increase.

Ginza is a place where many people have money to spare.

During the peaceful Edo period, awareness of "what does it mean to be a samurai" grew, and the sword came to be said to be "the soul of the samurai."

Swords became gifts and beautiful works of art that expressed the soul of the samurai, and when a shogun took office or inherited the family headship, a valuable sword was presented to him. Shoguns also gave swords as rewards to daimyo when they returned to their home provinces on alternate attendance or when they made donations.

It's something that's been refined for a long time.

"Sword Girls"

The idea of becoming interested in history through games was also a hot topic when the Ninja chapter was released.

The program also discussed how Japan has created many different characters that don't exist overseas, such as mascot characters and monsters, but the personification of swords and fleets is particularly unique to Japan.

I don't feel strange about giving birth to living things and turning them into people, and I like it.

Moreover, Touken Ranbu is a game about raising characters, rather than fighting. Very Japanese.

"Impersonation sword"

Koshirae is a general term for the part of the sword that is held, the sheath that holds the blade, and the guard that connects them.

Since each sword has a different curvature and width, an original sheath is required.

The tsuba acts as a stopper to prevent the hand holding the tsuba from slipping onto the blade, and also serves to balance the weight of the blade and the tsuba.

These features, including both practical and decorative aspects, are important factors in determining the value of a Japanese sword.

When a sword changes hands, it is often remade to suit the new owner's preferences.

Since it deteriorates more easily than the blade, it is passed down through the generations while being frequently repaired.

"Higo Preparation"

In the techniques that artisans have passed down through the generations, every step and every material has meaning and is imbued with wisdom.

We create things with an understanding of that meaning, and find value in it.

Nowadays, it may be foreigners who can do that.

Foreigners will rediscover the value of cool and it will develop again in Japan.

Isn't this the formula for Cool Japan?

Whenever I arrive at London's Heathrow Airport wearing a kimono, I am always asked at immigration, "Are you carrying a sword?"

I think you wouldn't be able to get on a plane if you had it, and I don't know if they're serious or joking, but people ask me that all the time.

Swords are recognized as a fundamental part of Japanese culture.

We too would like to recognize the value of this.

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I went to the G7 Digital Ministers' Meeting.

■ I went to the G7 Digital Ministers' Meeting.

The G7 Digital Ministers' Meeting was held in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, where they discussed the development and regulation of generative AI.

The timing of the rampant AI threat sweeping the world is an important issue on which opinions differ between Japan, the US and Europe.

Japan will host this conference, which will serve as a link to the G7 Summit. This will have great significance.

(It seems to be Daruma, not Pigmon.)

I went to the venue.

Digital Policy Forum G7 Open Conference

"Achieving Global Collaboration in Digital Policy" was held.

Thank you to Docomo and au for your help.)

Greetings.

The Digital Policy Forum is a policy platform for industry, academia, and government launched in the fall of 2021 to coincide with the launch of the Digital Agency.

We have held various symposiums and made recommendations for a data-driven society and on the invasion of Ukraine.

We have also established an incorporated foundation called the Digital Policy Foundation to strengthen our activities.

In conjunction with the G7 Digital Ministers' Meeting, we will propose "Achieving global cooperation in digital policies," and will also liven up the ministers' meeting and send a message from the private sector to the leaders of each country.

https://www.digitalpolicyforum.jp/rgcidp_jp/

At the conference, I spoke at the first session, "The World and Digital."

Hirofumi Yoshida, Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, clarified the government's stance on "promoting the use of AI," he spoke with Gunma Prefecture Governor Ichita Yamamoto, House of Representatives member Takuya Hirai, and Keio University Professor Nanako Ishido.

It started with Governor Yamamoto introducing me as the "Producer of Shonen Knife" lol

The first Minister of Digital Affairs, Representative Hirai, has stated that he sees a winning strategy for Japan through the use of multiple AI technologies and is opposed to regulation.

Governor Yamamoto, a former Minister of IT, also takes the same stance.

On the other hand, Governor Yamamoto expressed concern about the delay in opening up data, and Councilman Hirai pointed out the power issues for AI and data, which are resources issues.

the former IT Minister and former Digital Minister are powerful and inspiring.

The ministerial meetings held in public tend to be low-resolution due to the exchange of official answers, but we would like to also convey the straightforward voices of politicians who are knowledgeable.

The national response to AI is a highly political issue. I felt that it was important for the government, industry, and academia to come together to tackle the issue.

Session 2: "Tech and Security"

Professor Esaki Hiroshi of the University of Tokyo, CSO Maeda Yoshihiro of Deloitte Tohmatsu, Professor Kokuryo Jiro of Keio University, Professor Sudo Osamu of Chuo University, Chairman of NICT Tokuda Hideyuki, Advisor to the Digital Policy Forum Taniwaki Yasuhiko, and Director of the Digital Policy Foundation Kikuchi Naoto.

Session 3: "Public and Future"

Professor Shishido Tsunehisa of the University of Tokyo, Professor Hayashi Hideya of Nagoya University, Professor Uchiyama Takashi of Aoyama Gakuin University, Sugawara Takehiro of SOKO LIFE TECHNOLOGY, Deputy Governor of Kyoto Prefecture Yamashita Akimasa, and Editorial Board Member of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Wakae Masako.

Closing remarks.

the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation around the world , digital has become the main battlefield in the war in Ukraine.

At the same time , AI is exploding and reshaping the world.

this moment to recognize the significance of Japan hosting the G7 Summit and use it as an opportunity.

I would be pleased if this symposium helps in that regard.

(An acquaintance from Rakuten and an acquaintance from NF)

The theories of civilization, publicness, and diversity. It was a big discussion.

The symposium also made us think about how we should approach solving global problems as the divide between democratic and authoritarian nations becomes more serious.

We would like to continue working together as a forum.

( Work I was previously involved in: NICT's automatic translation and Imagica's 4K8K transmission)

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President's Gachon . Mr.Kensaku Fukui

■President's Gachon . Mr.Kensaku Fukui

He is the head of an entertainment lawyer firm. He is also a New York State attorney, and is always there when we have big entertainment-related discussions, such as the copyright business related to Hollywood, and he is also in the foreground at government meetings and on TV news. I often work with him on issues such as copyright protection period extension, AI intellectual property issues, and anti-piracy measures.

◆Entertainment Lawyer

I was acting. I didn't want to get a job. It was hard to make a living from acting, so I wanted to have a side job as a freelancer. I thought being a lawyer was a good way to earn money as a freelancer. It would be a good way to continue acting.

of university . I went to a training center for two years. When I graduated, the theater company disbanded, about half of the members were replaced, and we co-hosted a new theater company. While I was at the training center, I performed about 100 times. During the training, I was on the scene. I interrogated suspects, drafted verdicts, and negotiated settlements. I saw firsthand how tough it is to do both. At the same time, I realized that being a lawyer is interesting. I quit acting when I registered as a lawyer.

I wanted to work hard as a lawyer, but I had regrets. My friends had become professionals. I felt lonely. At that time, I heard that many executives of movie and record companies were lawyers, and that there were many entertainment lawyers in the United States who supported artists, so I thought I would become one of them.

◆Study Abroad

There was not a single book on entertainment lawyers in Japan. I knew that America was flourishing, so I had been thinking about studying abroad from the beginning. The classes I took at Sundai when I was a repeater and at Columbia University were the most interesting classes I have ever taken in my life. I had been studying abroad for 4 and a half years, so I was craving knowledge. I was able to learn everything I wanted to know.

◆School as a place

I didn't really appreciate the classes at Japanese universities. They didn't suit me at the time. But the university environment was amazing. The Komaba campus was really interesting.

Elementary school was the most boring. It's not interesting to have to sit at a desk and listen to lectures all the time. In junior high school, I had a little more freedom, but it was still boring. In high school, it got more interesting. In college, I could do whatever I wanted. Every day was interesting. Everything I experienced there shaped me more than any class ever could.

Humans retain knowledge when their minds are working. When you are tied to a desk and thinking it's boring, but you're taking classes, your mind isn't working. It's better to make that time as short as possible. Some kids concentrate on reading manga, while others concentrate on soccer. It may be true that you can't appreciate the fun of something without basic knowledge, so I don't have the courage to say that primary and secondary education should be eliminated, but we need to increase the time when our minds are working at full speed. It's fine to go to college after working, but since we have become an affluent society, is n't it okay to have a few years of time to do what you like, whether it's high school or college? Also, if you start working and want to learn something, it will be good if there is a place where there are teachers who can give you the knowledge you want.

◆Message for you guys

For me, college was the most interesting time of my life. I want you to treasure that. Rather than focusing on grades, I want you to spend those four years in a way that you can say at graduation that you had the most fun. The winner is the one who has fun in college and in life.

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