Design Culture - [English]: John Maeda at TEDxTokyo

Summary

The speaker, a proponent of Japanese culture and art-science intersection, discusses his advocacy for integrating art into STEM education for national security and innovation. He shares personal experiences, including growing up in a tofu store and studying in Japan, emphasizing the importance of cross-cultural understanding. Drawing from Japanese folklore and popular culture, he highlights values like perseverance, technology, and benevolence, and how they've shaped his life. He concludes by expressing optimism in TEDxTokyo's potential to spread Japan's rich cultural ethos globally.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker is a strong advocate for the integration of art and science, believing they are not separate but intersecting fields.
• 🎨 The speaker has been lobbying in the US Congress to include art in STEM education, coining the term STEAM to emphasize creativity's role in innovation.
• 🗽 The speaker's personal journey from a tofu store in Seattle to MIT and Japan reflects a breaking of walls and an openness to cross-cultural experiences.
• 🎭 Japanese culture, particularly through common cultural elements like TV shows and movies, has significantly influenced the speaker's understanding of art and technology.
• 🤖 The speaker's early experiments with technology and art, such as 'reactive square' and 'tap type ride', demonstrate a lifelong interest in their intersection.
• 🏛 The speaker discusses the importance of leaders who are benevolent and caring, a concept he learned from Japanese folklore and culture.
• 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 The idea of brotherhood and deep bonds, formed in blood, is a Japanese value that resonates with the speaker and is reflected in Yakuza movies.
• 👨‍💻 The speaker's work in technology is driven by a desire to make a difference, echoing the Japanese concept of perseverance and hard work.
• 🎥 The influence of Japanese animation and storytelling, such as Studio Ghibli and Astro Boy, highlights the importance of everyday life and humanity in creative work.
• 👴 The character of Tauruson, always failing but getting back up, represents the Japanese spirit of resilience and curiosity.
• 🌟 The speaker concludes by emphasizing the values he's learned from Japan, such as perseverance, technology risk, failure, wonder, benevolence, brotherhood, mashups, and learning from new things.

Q & A

What was the main topic of the TEDxTokyo presentation?

The main topic was the intersection of art and science, and how these two seemingly different fields can connect and intersect.

Why does the speaker believe art education is vital to national security?

The speaker argues that art and design creativity, when combined with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), leads to innovation, which is essential for national security.

What is the acronym 'STEAM' and how does it relate to the speaker's advocacy?

STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. The speaker advocates for adding 'Art' to STEM to create STEAM, emphasizing the importance of creativity in innovation.

What is the 'reactive square' mentioned in the presentation?

The 'reactive square' is an interactive piece created by the speaker that responds to sound, changing its display based on the audio input.

How does the speaker's background as the son of a tofu store owner in Seattle influence his perspective?

The speaker's upbringing in a simple environment and his father's belief in education as a means to break out of the 'wall' of limitations influenced his drive to excel and his understanding of the importance of perseverance and hard work.

What is the significance of the character 'cocoros' in the speaker's life?

The character 'cocoros' represents the idea of being a warrior with heart, embodying Japanese culture's ethos. It was a value passed down from the speaker's father and later understood by the speaker as he learned more about Japanese culture.

Why does the speaker mention Admiral James Stavridis in his presentation?

Admiral James Stavridis spoke at TEDGlobal about the importance of nations building bridges instead of walls for security, which resonated with the speaker and his own experiences of breaking out of cultural and societal walls.

What is the significance of the 'tap type ride' in the speaker's work?

The 'tap type ride' is a monochrome typewriter-based artwork created by the speaker, showcasing his ability to blend art and technology, and his response to the limitations of technology at the time.

How does the speaker's experience in Japan influence his views on cross-cultural identity?

The speaker's experience in Japan, being both American-born and having Japanese heritage, led him to navigate multiple cultures and understand the complexities of being a cross-cultural individual.

What is the message behind the speaker's reference to 'Totoro' and 'Godzilla'?

The speaker uses 'Totoro' and 'Godzilla' as examples of Japanese cultural icons that have influenced his work and thinking, representing the blend of art, culture, and technology.

How does the speaker connect his personal journey with the broader themes of Japanese culture and creativity?

The speaker connects his personal journey with Japanese culture and creativity by drawing parallels between his own experiences of breaking barriers and the values and themes prevalent in Japanese art, folklore, and popular culture.