This year’s TED Prize is not for a person but an idea: City 2.0.
At TEDxSummit in Doha, I shared “a question worth asking”, instead of an idea worth spreading, with the TED global community.
I have freaking no clue. No idea worth spreading… I simply wanted to toss my question to the world as Japan needs help devastatedly.
I and most of Japanese just do whatever they can right now. Even if we envision something for the better future in a positive manner and create strategies, everything is uncertain.
The issues in Japan truly throw a philosophical question to us.
“What do we live for?”
Is it really important to rebuild the city 2.0 or 3.0 whatsoever in the Tohoku region that will always be affected by tsunami and quake every hundreds years AND is being damaged by radiation? (note: as long as we live on this planet, natural threats occur to us anywhere in any cases. I believe each of us can choose where to live, from the coastal area to high mountains to the desert.)
Does it really matter to increase job opportunities and revitalize economy for us humans to live happily?
Isn’t there REALLY a way of living besides what we do now with money, education system, food chain, etc…?
Nevertheless, we do what we can do for Tohoku and our country, building new communities, inspiring each other, launching new projects.
That’s life. I’m optimistic, but facing the question.
Everyday is A Piece of Art 
Well, coming from a development perspective, I don’t think that development for development sake is worthwhile. GDP going up for its own sake isn’t worthwhile. But on the other hand, I think for many countries in the world, it’s gaining access to many basic necessities (from water, to food, to family planning), which is reflected in growing economies.
Speaking for the Tohoku region, I’m excited to see what Japan does with it. To me, it was one of the few countries that went from (basically) undeveloped after WW II, to a fully developed nation (with lots of issues of course :P). It has produced so much innovation in the past, and continues to do so – but it is so centred around itself that it doesn’t know how to market it to the world. It still has a lot to share, and I hope recent shake ups will lead to a new generation pulling Japan out of its indecisiveness. 🙂
I wouldn’t have an answer to your question, but I think we create the meaning in our lives, first by dealing with what we have and setting a direction that we want to head. Whether we get there or not isn’t as important.
Naho, your voice must be heard! Wish you much inspiration and inexhaustible energy for realization of your initiatives! Evgeniy from TEDxKharkov (Ukraine).