TEDxSendai 2012 Theme:
Natural Disasters

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in Japan’s history, measuring a staggering 9.0 on the Richter scale, wiped out thousands of lives and erased entire communities. Almost 18 months later, in Sendai and the Tohoku region, people are rebuilding their lives, but the lessons from that time are still fresh and resonate across East Asia to countries in the Pacific Ring of Fire and across the world as people in communities rich and poor face similar cataclysms and extreme weather events.

TEDxSendai will focus on the theme of natural disasters. In a tightly choreographed 3 hours, TEDxSendai will bring together the most interesting thinkers and leaders from the worlds of business, art, politics and science to share a message about disaster recovery, resilience, and hope. This theme will be explored from multiple perspectives and contribute ideas worth spreading from Haiti to Japan.

Schedule of events

TEDxSendai Schedule, October 10, 2012 – Westin Sendai

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Registration opens in Lobby and Breakfast is served in Foyer outside Grand Ballroom
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. | Foyer outside Grand Ballroom

Grand Ballroom opens for seating*
Time: 8:15 - 8:30 a.m. | Grand Ballroom
*Note: Overflow seating will be available in the Hermitage Room on 3rd Floor.

TEDxSendai program begins in Grand Ballroom
Time: 8:30 a.m. | Grand Ballroom

• Introduction by Maya Brahmam, TEDxSendai Curator and Toshi Nakamura, Moderator
• “Kataribe” by Yoshi Tabata, Author of the Picture Story Show: “A Tsunami”

Session 1: Cherry Blossom - Indomitable in the Aftermath
Time: 8:41 - 9:40 a.m. | Grand Ballroom

• Lucy Walker, Director, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (By Video)
• Takeshi Niinami, CEO, Lawson
• Patrick Meier, Director of Social Innovation, Qatar Foundation’s Computing Research Institute (QCRI)
• Ola Orekunrin, Managing Director, Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd.
• Tomoko Kitagawa, Historian, Needham Research Institute

Interactive Break in Foyer of Grand Ballroom
Time: 9:40 - 10:20 a.m. | Foyer of Grand Ballroom

Session 2: The Bouncing Ball – Creating Resilience
Time: 10:20 - 11:30 a.m. | Grand Ballroom

• Michie Koyama, Pianist
• Rachel Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank
• Jun Iio, Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Study and Member of the Reconstruction Promotion Committee
• Mike North, Founder of Reallocate.org and Co-developer of Discovery’s Prototype This!