In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

KOEN Girls’ Junior & Senior High School
2-33-28 Koenji Minami
Auditorium
Suginami-ku, Tôkyô, 166-0003
Japan

Emiko Pygmalion

Education Consultant

When I started an English school after the birth of my children, I incorporated global education into the lessons, not just English. Then, a child who was exceptionally smart emerged from that English school. A child with an IQ of over 200 appeared, and they passed the entrance exam for elementary school without difficulty. After conducting research into why such an exceptionally smart child had grown up, the method that was born was the IQ200 Global Education Method, which allows parents and children to play together at home for 10 minutes a day and develop a genius brain. Growing up to be a smart child is a social contribution that mothers can make.

Kaho Takamatsu

Student

Kaho Takamatsu is a 15-year-old 9th grader. She moved to Minnesota, USA, at age four, then to Arizona at six, and returned to Japan just before turning nine. Moving at a young age brought both blessings and challenges, shaping her perspective on life. Through her speech, Kaho hopes to inspire others to cherish every day and every person they encounter—because you never know where life will take you. Making the world happier can feel like an overwhelming goal. But what if it’s simpler than we think? What if you could make the world happier just by being happy yourself? Are you happy right now? When are you happiest? Is it possible to be happy all the time? The truth is, happiness starts with you, and it becomes simple once you overcome the greatest enemy of all…

Kazuyoshi Hisano

Feedforward Developer, CEO Coach, Public Speaker, Entrepreneur

Kazuyoshi Hisano empowers senior executives and top-performing athletes to transform their desired future into tangible reality. Drawing on cognitive science, he helps individuals unlock their aspirations and achieve meaningful goals. Hisano serves as President and CEO of Connoway Inc., Representative Director of the Feedforward Association, and Vice President of the Cognitive Coaching Association. He also lectures in cognitive psychology at Temple University, acts as a representative partner of KOH LLC, and represents The CEO Magazine in Japan. Born in 1974, Hisano's global upbringing spans childhood in San Francisco and formative school years in London. He later earned his degree in Economics from the University of Tokyo and an MBA in International Business from Tsukuba University. After launching his first business upon graduation, he gained experience at large foreign-affiliated companies and innovative ventures before founding Connoway Co.

Koji Ikematsu

International Speaker

At the age of 26, Koji Ikematsu achieved his first success in the fashion industry. However, by 29, he was betrayed by a business partner and burdened with a debt of 300 million yen. Just when he was on the brink of giving up, a life-changing book inspired him, and within two years, he repaid the entire debt.Drawing from numerous experiences of failure and recovery, he developed his unique Success Achievement Program.His achievements in training over 500 millionaires through this educational system earned him an invitation to the National Achievers Congress, often referred to as the “Olympics of Seminar Speakers.”

Kotaro Tanaka

Representative director of TKC Co. Ltd

Representative director of TKC Co. Ltd. Chairperspn of Genius Kids Club. He operates 17 nursery schools and after-school facilities, mainly in Kanagawa Prefecture but also in Osaka. The followings are his educational mottos; “There are no bad children. “ “All children are geniuses!” “Learn while playing.” With the educational philosophy that children will grow if they are given an exciting environment, he operates Genius Kids Club that provides an environment where all children can bring out their God-given talents and superpowers to the fullest. Aiming to be the most exciting nursery school in the world, he also contributes to regional revitalization. At the apparel company he used to run, he provided Spartan training to his employees and maintained high performance of sales.

Manami Inada

Student

Manami was diagnosed with severe hearing loss at five months old. Completely deaf, she has been using a cochlear implant since age two and undergoing habilitation to maximize her hearing. After graduating from a local public elementary school, she now attends a private girls’ junior high. Among her many experiences, dancing became her passion. She has danced since childhood and is a member of her school’s dance club. Manami believes that while accessible facilities like ramps, elevators, and communication services have become more common, what’s truly needed is a “barrier-free mindset” to create a society where everyone can live comfortably. Dreaming of becoming an editor, Manami finds comfort in reading—an activity that helps her relax when she struggles with hearing. She reads about 100 books a year and participates in national “bibliobattles” (book discussion competitions). She is actively pursuing her dream through various activities inside and outside of school.

Nanami Oshima

Student

Most of us know the “Golden Rule”: Treat others how you want to be treated. But is that enough? When those closest to you have different personalities, embracing those differences can strengthen connections. How can we do that? Nanami Oshima, a 10th-grade student in Japan, explores this question. Having spent five formative years in Houston, Texas, before returning to Japan, Nanami’s cross-cultural experiences shaped her curiosity about why people think, feel, and perceive the world differently. An overthinker with a big-picture mindset, she approaches human behavior like a puzzle to solve. In her talk, Nanami shares how understanding personality types not only helps us appreciate our differences but also creates stronger, more connected relationships.

Rie Geale

Dietary Lifestyle Specialist,CEO of Tenpu Inc.

Born in Kyoto, currently living in Tokyo. Married to a British husband and son.Born as the third generation in a Kyoto-based family of kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine) chefs. At the age of 42, Rie transitioned from being a full-time housewife to an entrepreneur. In an effort to improve her infertility, which doctors had given up on, she explored various methods including Traditional Chinese Medicine, medicinal cooking, yoga, Ayurveda, macrobiotics, molecular nutrition, and cellular environmental studies. Despite trying to improve her diet, her lack of cooking skills made it difficult to achieve success. As a result, she developed a method for effective eating called “Tabetore Meal Method”®️, which can produce results even for those who are not good at cooking..

Ryuzo Kumei

Founder of Nigiyaka LLC

My journey began with a simple question in high school: “How many of you have done laundry before?” Majority not responding shocked me. From this, I founded Kumei Academy, a program empowering children with life skills through household chores. As a founder of Nigiyaka LLC., I’ve seen firsthand how chores create opportunities to say “thank you”, which build confidence, foster independence, and strengthen family bonds. My work has taken me to schools, municipalities, and national conferences (including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ WAW! and the Cabinet Office’s National Conference on Gender Equality), sharing the transformative power of household chores. Keio University Law graduate, recently joined DeNA.

Shunichi Karube

Student

Shunichi is a 4th grader at a public elementary school in Tokyo. Although he has never lived outside Tokyo or learned English, a trip to Phuket, Thailand, during his 3rd-grade summer vacation opened his eyes to the joy of communication. Playing with people from different countries, he discovered how fun it is to connect, even without speaking the same language. This experience inspired him to believe that learning English could help build even stronger friendships. That’s why he challenged himself to give an English speech. Around the same time, Shunichi was deeply moved by learning about the many lives lost during World War II through a TV program. This sparked his thoughts about peace. For him, this speech marks the beginning of his personal journey to promote peace.

Tetsuro Nishiyama

An actor / A learning designer / An English designer

English teacher at Todaiji Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, Principal of Kori Nevers Gakuin Elementary School, and director of the international course establishment office at Showa Women’s University Elementary School.Completed the SLA (second language) course at Temple University Graduate School. Co-representative of the Akatsuki no Kai, a grassroots English study group. Xford University Press ORT Extensive Reading Seminar Instructor, Shizuoka City English Education Advisor, TEDxOshikaPark Representative, HPDU High School High School Improvisational English Debate West Japan Representative, Author of “English Grammar for Speaking”. Education will change as more teachers embrace diversity communicating with people outside of school and experiencing a wide variety of opportunities outside of school. By meeting people from various genres, we can become a hub or platform of encounters for children.