Necessities of Life: Food, Clothing and Shelter Week
Is It Possible to Balance Culture and Business? — Exploring the Future of Communities, Food, and Lifestyles Agenda 2025 Co-created Programme
Shape New World Initiative
What does the future of our communities, food, and lifestyles look like in 2050? Will efficiency lead to a loss of local identity and commodification? This talk gathers experts to discuss how we can balance culture and business, exploring the future we truly desire.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- Food culture
- Food education
- Ethical consumption
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Agenda2025
Co-created Programme
- Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.06.14[Sat]
17:30 ～ 19:30
(Venue Open 17:00)
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- Venue
- Theme Weeks Studio
Programme details
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Around the world local shops are disappearing, replaced by large franchises. Local produce is discarded if it doesn’t meet strict standards, with distribution causing environmental concerns. As we look toward 2050, food, community, and lifestyle must be considered together. This session gathers forward-thinking leaders to discuss the balance of culture and business, exploring how we can sustain local traditions while addressing global challenges.
Reports
【Reflection】
This talk session was a valuable opportunity for us to engage in a multi-faceted discussion on the theme, "Is It Possible to Balance Culture and Business?" with esteemed experts active on a global scale. A significant achievement was our ability to delve deeply into the concept of the "Culturepreneur"—individuals who create business while respecting culture, rather than solely pursuing economic efficiency.
The speakers shared a collective sense of urgency regarding the local cultures and traditional crafts that are at risk of being lost amidst the tide of globalization. At the same time, they presented a hopeful perspective: younger generations are leveraging technology and social media to rediscover the value of traditional culture and establish viable business models around it.
We also received an important insight that a physical venue like the Osaka-Kansai Expo plays a crucial role in fostering inspiration and human connection in a digital society. The observation that social media can, on one hand, undermine craftsmanship by demanding efficiency, while on the other, serve as a powerful tool to amplify the stories and passions of creators, provided us with a vital perspective for reconsidering the new relationship between culture and business.
We believe that this session was a great success in fostering a shared understanding that preserving culture is essential for maintaining identity and purpose. We are confident that we were able to provide concrete hints and a clear direction for the next generation on how to integrate traditional values into modern business models.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
The theme of "balancing culture and business" that emerged from this session is a crucial issue that we intend to continue addressing after the Expo. Based on the discussion, we plan to promote the following initiatives.
First, we will build a sustainable platform and community where global "Culturepreneurs," including the speakers from this session, can continue to collaborate. This will serve as a foundation for sharing knowledge from different cultures and fields, and for creating new co-creation projects.
Next, we plan to provide opportunities for artisans and business owners—the custodians of traditional crafts and local industries—to learn the mindset and skills of a "Culturepreneur." Specifically, we intend to organize workshops and mentorship programs focused on digital marketing and brand storytelling to build a support system that enables them to thrive in the global market.
Furthermore, we will launch specific projects aimed at rebuilding distribution systems that are more mindful of local culture and the environment. We are considering conducting pilot programs for new business models that do not rely on large-scale distribution, such as systems that complete the entire process from production to consumption within a local area, or models that utilize non-standard produce.
Through these initiatives, we aim to translate the issues discussed in this session into concrete actions, thereby accelerating the movement towards creating a better society for 2050.
*Part or all of this report was generated by AI.
Cast
Moderator
Ryo Iwamoto
CEO of TeaRoom Inc.
Japanese tea master and entrepreneur, recognized for his work in both the cultural and business sectors. serving as the Founder & CEO at TeaRoom Inc., an external director at Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, and Chairman of the Cultural Capital Lab.
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Speakers
Andrea Tan
World Coffee Championships Representative 2024
Andrea is the first National Brewers Cup champion of Singapore at the age of 20 and has since made a name for herself in the World of Coffee after transitioning to be a judge for Championships. She subsequently qualified as the youngest WCC Representative. As a Representative, she judges World Championships and oversees the running of competitions by sanctioned Competition Bodies.
In her daily job, she works with coffee at every part of the supply chain. Starting with sourcing and fermentation profiling at farm level, roasted coffee quality control at production level, and finally, coffee brewing ideology through courses she conducts or coordinates.
Andrea believes that education and working with intention will be the key to respecting the hard work of every person along the coffee supply chain and lift up the industry.
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Nick Kim
CEO of Archives Of Us and Timeshop Hospitality
Nick Kim is the CEO of Archives Of Us, a specialty coffee shop in Los Angeles, known for "Archives Of Us Matcha" with growing wholesale partnerships and e-commerce platform. Additionally, they lead Timeshop Hospitality, a company managing F&B ventures and offering consulting services in branding and hospitality. They have played a key role in shaping trends in U.S. cafe culture and their work bridges the gap between cultural authenticity and modern business strategies.
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Tina Koyama
CEO and founder of POJ Studio (Pieces of Japan Co., Ltd)
A designer by trade with roots in Japan. Serves as a bridge between worlds: Japan and the West, digital and analog, traditional and modern living. Leading the research & development of culturally embedded products, she drives new business initiatives that bring traditional Japanese goods and experiences to those who appreciate them.
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Necessities of Life: Food, Clothing and Shelter Week
Is It Possible to Balance Culture and Business? — Exploring the Future of Communities, Food, and Lifestyles Agenda 2025 Co-created Programme
What does the future of our communities, food, and lifestyles look like in 2050? Will efficiency lead to a loss of local identity and commodification? This talk gathers experts to discuss how we can balance culture and business, exploring the future we truly desire.
-
2025.06.14[Sat]
17:30～19:30
(Venue Open 17:00)
- Theme Weeks Studio
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
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Necessities of Life: Food, Clothing and Shelter Week
