TEDxMarunouchi Event in Tokyo Explores the Theme 'Life is Beautiful'

The Feedforward Association announced that TEDxMarunouchi, an event it helps operate, was held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Marunouchi, Tokyo.

TEDxMarunouchi 2026, themed "Life is Beautiful," brought together speakers from diverse fields including neuroscience, artificial life, art, medicine, education, space, social entrepreneurship, and culture. With the keyword "Discover," the event shared profound questions such as "How should we live?" and "What should we believe in?" through the speakers' personal lives, research, and practices. The venue, Marunouchi Hall & Conference Square, was filled with attendees from various backgrounds, creating a day of cross-generational and cross-positional discovery through not only talks but also dialogue and interaction among participants.

Held in the heart of Marunouchi, one of Japan's leading business districts, TEDxMarunouchi posed a question that transcends efficiency and results: "What does it mean to live humanly?" Ideas from different domains intersected—a neuroscientist discussing "IKIGAI," an artificial life researcher questioning the nature of intelligence, the challenge of space exploration, healing through underwater photography, and the perspective of a high school student living in a multicultural environment. This created a space for each attendee to reflect on their own life and values.

TEDxMarunouchi was held not just as a speaking event, but as a forum for dialogue centered on "the meaning of being alive."

◆ Speakers and Talk Titles Session 1: Noticing What Lies Within - Yozuki Akasaka, Keigo Tanaka, Dragon Sound: Opening Performance - Hiromi Okuda: "Going to meet the me I left behind 30 years ago" - Seyoon Kim: "What is 'freedom of attitude' unbound by the eyes of others?" - Mitsuhiro Masuda: Polishing the Earth with the "Power of Cleaning"!

Session 2: Discovering Through Connection - Erena Shimoda: The Power of Total Immersion - Kozo Yamada: Sanpo-yoshi (triple-win) with Game-Filter Thinking - Aki Takei: I'm going to space - a strategy to make dreams come true - Kosei Nakamura: The prescription of knowing - Rola: Love yourself. And let's be barefoot on the soil!

Session 3: What It Means to Be Alive - Dorita Takido: Is nature something to be protected? - Hiroshi Yoshida: People who read books can be happy - Takashi Ikegami: Between humans and machines - Ken Mogi: Artificial intelligence and ikigai (a reason for being)

◆ After-Party & Networking Session Following the event, an after-party was held at the Marunouchi Building Hall Foyer. Approximately 90 people, including speakers, ticket holders, and core members, participated, creating a lively networking opportunity to discuss their impressions and thoughts.

◆ Organizer's Comment Kazutaka Kuno, the organizer of TEDxMarunouchi, commented, "I am delighted to have held the first TEDxMarunouchi in a place like Marunouchi, Tokyo. The theme was 'Life is Beautiful.' I believe this theme holds significant meaning for many people as the world continues to change dramatically."