TEDxKatano

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Atsuo Kumaki

  After graduating from dental university, Kumaiki gained extensive experience by working in 10 different dental clinics over the span of four years. On November 1, 2011, he took a significant step by founding ALBA Dental & Orthodontics. Over the next 12 years, Kumaiki's leadership propelled the ALBA Group to remarkable growth, expanding to 20 clinics both in Japan and internationally. Today, as the chairman of the ALBA Group, his influence extends far beyond clinical practice, with his activities encompassing media appearances, lectures, and various initiatives across Japan, Asia, and around the world. Kumaiki holds several prestigious academic positions, including Visiting Professor at the School of Dentistry, Indiana University, Special Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guam, and Special Professor at Kanagawa Dental University. His contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Golden Merit Award (2021), the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon (2021), the ASIA GOLDEN STAR AWARD (2022), and the International Prestige Brand Award (2023). Additionally, he received the JCI JAPAN TOYP 2023 Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman's Encouragement Award.

• Chieri Amano

  A first-class architect and feng shui master. After graduating from university, she joined a major house builder, where she was involved in interior coordination and design for 23 years. In the course of working on a total of over 3,800 homes and stores, she learned traditional Chinese feng shui over a period of 20 years from clients who wanted to "make a good home and improve their fortune" and "build a profitable store". She provides Feng Shui appraisals for new construction, remodeling, and current buildings such as stores, offices, clinics, salons, and residences. She also provides Feng Shui appraisal consulting and interior coordination services using Feng Shui for overseas properties in America, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. She has earned trust as a first-class architect who can provide authentic traditional Chinese feng shui appraisals, and is active in a wide range of activities, including appearances on TV programs, writing articles for magazines and the Internet, lecturing and supervising correspondence courses, and giving lectures at study groups and seminars.

• Eiko Komatsu

  Dr. Eiko Komatsu is a dentist dedicated to preventive dentistry and health education based on the concept of “ANSHIN,” meaning a state of safety that allows the body’s natural healing ability to function. After graduating from Okayama University School of Dentistry, she has spent over 30 years in clinical practice, working with more than 100,000 patients. Rather than relying on symptomatic treatments that involve cutting teeth, she focuses on reducing anxiety and supporting the body’s innate capacity for healing. Known as a “dentist who seeks to preserve natural teeth,” she emphasizes the connection between oral health and overall physical well-being. Her work advocates health approaches that respect the body’s natural functions, including physiological walking, nasal breathing, and breastfeeding, as essential foundations for lifelong health. Based on Iriomote Island in Japan, she continues to share her philosophy that ANSHIN is fundamental to human health, resilience, and potential.

• Hiro Abe

  Director

  After graduating from Tokyo Dental College, he completed training at various institutions including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Zurich, the University of Michigan, and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), thereby honing his knowledge and skills at the forefront of dental medicine. Between clinical work, he also pursued graduate research and was awarded a doctoral degree (PhD). In Japan, he served as the director or chief at multiple dental clinics, and in 2012, opened his own dental clinic. Today, while working as chairman and practicing daily clinical dentistry, he continually strives to acquire the latest medical knowledge and scientific insights. Furthermore, he carries out humanitarian assistance activities in the Dominican Republic for the purpose of giving back through implant treatment, providing medical care to local residents and training dentists from around the world.

• Hitoshi Tamaki

  With more than 12,000 dental implants placed on more than 5,000 patients over the past 27 years, Dr. Tamaki, a dentist, has played a role in providing a "zest for life". He says that through dental implants, he brings value to his patients that goes beyond mere oral care. Tamaki advocates the idea of "life implants," which allow patients the joy of eating with their own teeth and ultimately help them find a zest and inspiration in life. He also emphasizes that his treatment has the power to not only improve patients' quality of life, but also to give people hope and motivation. He further suggests that anyone can inspire a zest for life in others, not just through medical care but in many ways.

• KEIJI KASAI

  Chairman of the Board Medical

  In 2002, under the concept of “Creating a dental clinic that offers an unprecedented sense of inspiration,” he established the Medical Corporation Ohki-kai Ohki Dental Clinic in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. Currently operating large-scale dental clinics in both Suzuka and Yokkaichi, he leads a team of multiple dentists — each with specialized expertise, including himself — to provide high-quality dental care. Together with a staff of 75, the clinic practices team-based medicine, serving up to 300 patients daily. Treatments range from insurance-based services to advanced implant procedures, orthodontics, esthetic prosthodontics, and preventive care. By incorporating the latest digital technologies, the clinic realizes dental care that balances both aesthetics and functionality.

• Kunihiko Saji

  Reiko Nakauchi is an educator, author, business owner, mother, consultant and researcher with more than 30 years experience in education. She currently runs three bilingual schools in Silicon Valley (US), and one in Japan. She released her book "Silicon Valley Style: The World's Best Parenting," in 2020 which was ranked No. 1 in three education categories on Amazon in Japan. She also loves to travel and discover the educational needs of children around the world.

• Lykke Yuki-Alexandra Lafaye

  Born in Nagoya, Japan, and holding French-British nationality, Lykke Yuki-Alexandra Lafaye is a researcher, speaker, and advocate deeply committed to fostering understanding around identity, culture, and diversity. After completing her undergraduate studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, she continued into the Graduate Program in Global Studies, focusing on complex societal issues such as prejudice, discrimination, and intersectionality in modern Japan. Her insightful analysis and poignant storytelling led her to become a highly valued teaching assistant in courses addressing these critical topics. Lykke's journey is uniquely personal. Raised between cultures and navigating multilingual environments from childhood, she experienced firsthand the subtle yet profound impact of microaggressions and cultural dissonance. These experiences became foundational to her academic and professional pursuits, inspiring her to actively bridge divides through education and open dialogue. Beyond academia, Lykke is also a seasoned public speaker and has notably taken the stage at TEDx events, illuminating the nuanced ways microaggressions affect individual identity and resilience. Using innovative analogies—such as comparing emotional resilience to the process of smoothing crumpled aluminum foil—she passionately communicates strategies for empowerment and healing. Alongside her research and teaching roles, Lykke is actively involved in translation and cross-cultural communication, utilizing her bilingual proficiency in Japanese and English to enhance global dialogues on diversity and inclusion. She has also contributed to various seminars, workshops, and academic publications dedicated to promoting deeper intercultural understanding. Currently residing in Tokyo, Lykke continues to engage audiences worldwide, championing empathy, inclusivity, and mutual respect as essential tools for fostering meaningful human connections.

• Makiko(Lily) Uneda

  Developed the Japan-originated wellness method 'Ririnage®︎,' and has trained over 100 instructors in four countries to spread it. Inspired to overcome her personal concerns about her appearance, she pursued a career in esthetics, deciding at 13 and achieving international qualification by 20. After that, she worked in esthetic salons both in Japan and abroad for 10 years. From over 20,000 sessions of treatments and counseling, with approaches to physiological anatomy, exercise physiology, philosophy of success, and subconscious mind, she developed her unique method of deep self-massage for both mind and body, 'Ririnage®︎.' So far, she has taught this method to 90,000 people. With a mission to 'transform those who blame into those who Mederu (cherish in Japanese),' she conducts workshops both in Japan and internationally, trains instructors, develops products, publishes books, and works as a radio personality.

• Natsuko Takeo

  Representative Director, Quantum Leap Inc. Born in 1984 and raised in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Concerned about her tomboyish personality, her parents encouraged her to sit for elementary school entrance exams, leading her to enroll in the private Tokyo Jogakkan. However, she struggled to fit in and began rebelling around fourth grade, repeatedly running away from home. At sixteen, she moved to the United States on her own. Starting with almost no English skills, she graduated from a local high school with straight A’s, then went on to major in Spanish. She returned to Japan at age twenty. She began her career at the NOVA English conversation school. Within ten months, she became the top salesperson in her area and was promoted to store manager. Over the next fifteen years, she accumulated extensive sales experience in advertising agencies, modeling agencies, and local magazines. After having children, she started working as a remote sales agent and has now been teleworking for eleven years. Finding it too difficult to raise three children in Tokyo, she relocated at age thirty-five to Yamanashi and later to Ehime, both blessed with abundant nature. Wanting to support others who, like herself, struggled with a sense of unease or difficulty in life, she studied psychology, NLP, and counseling and decided to pursue a career in mental health. Through online consultations, she has offered counseling and coaching to over 500 people—those who say they don’t know what “being true to oneself” means, who want to live more freely, or who wish to achieve their dreams—all from her home. At thirty-eight, prompted by divorce, she reassessed her life and moved with her children to her beloved Okinawa. She is currently involved in organizational coaching, executive coaching, and corporate retreats, aiming to help business leaders restore their innate brilliance by balancing mind, heart, and body, thereby working toward a peaceful society filled with smiles. In 2023, she published her first book, Jiai ga 10-Wari (lit. Self-Love is Everything). questioning what it truly means to live authentically. The book reached No.1 in three categories on Amazon. She has also appeared in numerous media outlets, including Tokyo FM, TV Ehime, the Ehime Shimbun, and the magazine *Turns*. She was featured in a two-day, close-up segment on Nippon TV’s *Sukkiri* and had a discussion with Hiroyuki on AbemaTV. Continuing her pursuit of love and adventure in undiscovered corners of the world, she travels globally, drawing inspiration from her experiences and sharing her insights wherever she goes.

• Reiko Nakauchi

  Reiko Nakauchi is an educator, speaker, and author of “The World’s Best Parenting – Silicon Valley Method.” Her journey as an innovator began by questioning the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional education in her native Japan, leading her to create a new model in the United States. She is the founder of bilingual schools in Silicon Valley, USA and Tsukuba, Japan. Her unique "Sora Method" blends the best of Western pedagogical approaches with the Japanese cultural emphasis on harmony and teamwork. Through this, she fosters children’s creativity, emotional intelligence, and a global mindset—qualities vital in the age of AI. Her work explores how education must evolve in response to technological acceleration, with a deep commitment to nurturing the timeless human capacities of empathy, imagination, and purpose. Through her platform ravissante.world, Reiko curates transformative global learning programs for entrepreneurs and conscious leaders, integrating cultural intelligence, intuitive leadership, and spiritual alignment. She is also a trilingual mother of three, and a lifelong advocate for soulful innovation and East-West integration in leadership and education.

• Risa Tsuruoka

  Love counselor. She became deeply immersed in love from the age of three, started studying psychology and love techniques from elementary school, and has dated 100 men. After graduating from vocational school and while working at a company, she got divorced. This experience led her to realize the importance of loving herself. There, she began her career as a love counselor, teaching love techniques. Now, with the theme 'Everything starts with loving yourself,' she runs courses and online salons to help people love themselves as they are. She has consulted with over 10,000 women on love and partnership issues and has published three books, one of which has also been translated into Taiwanese. Born in 1990 in Iwate Prefecture. Representative of Cherime Corporation

• RURIKO SAKURABA

  CEO, Ruriko Co., Ltd.

  As a Japanese spirit producer based in Tokyo, she has been sharing the heart of Japan with people both in Japan and around the world. She has been guiding tours of Japanese mythology for about 30 years, allowing participants to not only learn the stories but also experience them. In December 2024, she and two companions born in 1958 founded a company, Ruriko Co., Ltd. Its activities are centered around the "Konohana Club," a Japanese cultural exchange group focusing on three themes: knowing about the culture and customs handed down in Japan from ancient times, how to preserve them, connecting them on to future. Their activities are based on a concept called "MANMARU-SUN," which represents a sphere with a warm, gentle nurtured by the richness through the spirit of "helping each other" and "thanking each other." she is committed to speak at events worldwide, and she and her co-founders aim to build "MAN-MARU-SUN" villages around the globe together.

• Ryu Julius

  “Happiness is not something to be found, but something to be created.” — An educator who lives by this belief. Ryu Julius Iwano is the founder of the R. Julius Educational Foundation and the creator of JF Education®, a philosophy-based educational system that empowers individuals to create their own happiness and live fulfilling lives. At the age of 12, Julius was introduced to a Jewish family when his sister married into their lineage. There, he encountered generations-old wisdom centered around the idea that “happiness is cultivated through meaning.” Inspired by these teachings, he went on to develop a unique educational framework that combines neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and cognitive psychology. At the heart of JF Education® are four core values: Love, Contribution, Gratitude, and Happiness. Through free schools in developing countries and corporate training programs, Julius is spreading a ripple effect of well-being—from individuals to society—through transformative education.

• SHUHEI NAMEKAWA

  Educator utilizing Eastern philosophy Business Advisor Entrepreneur Key Shareholder at Tamon Corporation President and CEO of Fincross digital Co., Ltd., a company jointly funded by eight regional Japanese banks After graduating from Urawa High School and enrolling at Waseda University, Shuhei Namekawa began his entrepreneurial journey early, launching a web marketing business shortly after starting university. Following his graduation, he joined Accenture, where he engaged in consulting for Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed companies. During his tenure, he achieved the globally prestigious "At the Very Top of Peer Group" recognition, awarded to the top 5% of high performers worldwide. After leaving Accenture, Shuhei embarked on a second entrepreneurial journey, founding over ten companies and serving as a strategic advisor to many businesses. In 2018, he was appointed Director at Fincross digital Co., Ltd., a company jointly funded by eight regional Japanese banks. In 2024, he assumed the position of President and CEO of the company. In his personal capacity, Shuhei also serves as a strategic advisor to corporations and financial institutions.In addition to his corporate leadership, Namekawa also serves as a strategic advisor to banks. At the core of his journey lies Eastern Philosophy. By studying and embodying Eastern Philosophy, he has achieved remarkable success and now shares these teachings as an educator.

• Sumiko Nobori

  She was drawn to natural therapies after experiencing childbirth with the care of a midwife in a maternity clinic.She then worked as an aromatherapist at an integrative medical clinic that used essential oils. Later, she became a licensed acupuncturist and established her own method by combining acupuncture with aromatherapy. Through her interactions with patients, she came to believe that everyone should know how to care for the state of “pre-illness” before disease takes hold. Motivated by this conviction, she founded the Japan Holistic Aroma Life Association, an organization that provides wellness education and human resource development, which has now grown to over 40,000 members. To train specialists in aroma-based health, she opened the Aroma Total Health Academy (ATHA). Currently, she dedicates herself to promoting wellness life advisors who utilize essential oils, and serves as a seminar and course instructor at locations throughout Japan.

• Takashi Sasaki

  Representative Director, Relive Co. Developer of " Relivewear," functional apparel that raises the body's functions just by wearing it. Obtained patents in Japan and the U.S. Obtained design rights in Japan, the U.S., the EU and China. RELIVEWEAR has sold 300,000 pieces in Japan. Relivewear did not sell for as long as three years because customers did not believe in it because it was too effective. The reason why he was able to continue his efforts even at the not-so-young age of 60 years old until Relivewear exploded in sales was four points of mental energy.

• Tokuko Nogami Nogami

  Dr. Tokuko Nogami is a physician and psychological counselor specializing in the scientific relationship between the mind and the body. After graduating from Kurume University School of Medicine, she trained in internal medicine at Okayama University and has spent over 30 years in clinical practice at major hospitals including Himeji Red Cross Hospital and Hiroshima City Hospital, treating more than 90,000 patients. From a medical perspective, she has studied the concept often described as “illness begins in the mind” through the fields of neurology and physiology. Her work focuses on how language, beliefs, and emotions influence physical health. Using scientifically grounded approaches informed by psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, she works with patients experiencing a wide range of conditions, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, gynecological disorders, and mental health conditions. She currently works at a hospital in Matsuyama, Japan, while also serving as an industrial physician and psychological counselor, contributing to a broader understanding of healing by integrating medicine and mind-body science.

• YOSHINARI ICHIMURA

  Future-Creation Consultant

  He began meditating at age three and launched his first business in elementary school. At ten, due to his father’s failed venture, his family fled overnight. Around the same time, he started an IT-related business and from 1997 onward ventured into IT consulting. Operating multiple companies not only in Japan but also in the U.S. and Singapore, he shares daily insights and eye-opening content on various social media platforms — such as YouTube and Instagram — reaching a total following of around 330,000 people. Additionally, he manages online communities that, combined, number over 70,000 participants, supporting and nurturing talent for the new era.

• Yuki Hokotate

  Yuki Hokotate is a female entrepreneur and USP producer as well as the founder and CEO of Rising Sword Co., Ltd. A holder of MBA from the University of Victoria, she is a business producer with experience of 7 years in head hunting and 12 years of being an entrepreneur. “What can I do because I am me?” This is the question she has been holding since she lost a job in February, 2009, because of her employer’s bankruptcy due to aftermath of the Lehman Shock. At that time, she witnessed numerous companies firing people in the name of recession. This led her to wonder about a life dependent on a company as its employee, and she came to start her own business although she had experiences working at Japan telecom, Dell, and a head hunting firm. There, she started her research to find the answer to the question, and reached to an answer as the system of “how to monetize one’s life and aspirations“. She’s dedicated to help as many people as possible enjoy financial and spiritual freedom. Her motto is “a person can change the world as long as they have a brain, smartphone and PC. She considers Victoria in Canada to be her home away home because she was fascinated by its beautiful city view, historic scene and her lifetime friends who studied together in MBA. She always remember the abundant love shown to her way more than her expectation.