New life for old towns through sustainable tourism: Alex Kerr at TEDxKyoto 2013

Old need not mean the end for countless aging Japanese towns as Alex Kerr fosters "sustainable tourism" one rejuvenated building at a time.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@ExJapTer]

Alex Kerr is a treasure, and is truly living the dream of Japan.

[@miladylondonlime]

brilliant. just finished Dogs and Demons and I loved Lost Japan (one of my all time faves). I'd never seen Alex on video, and this is a great talk. I didn't know about all this other work in restoration he has done, it's fantastic. what a hero!

[@agomuraful]

Exactly the kind of solution I was looking for, for Atsumi-onsen in Yamagata, where my Obaachan lives!

[@destructoblog]

These places are so incredibly beautiful. What a great TEDx.

[@bmarquet33]

This talk make me happy ! if everybody could understand the messageof Alex.

[@suginami123]

Superb. Sugoi. What a delightful transformation. I love the simple direct presentation too. Thank you.

[@owengusman4036]

Alex, your Ted Talk video here is amazing, i love it. Well done and keep up your great work. You are inspirational.

[@chetnathkanel4237]

Nice video Alex!! Thank you.

[@bjoerndickehut7890]

A wonderful solution to a very real problem. Good job!

[@brettjaye]

Love Iya. Was there and went to Chiiori house about 8 years ago. Stayed in that village for 6 weeks. Wonderful.

[@daveraveflava]

Very inspiring. Interesting to hear Alex speak after reading Lost Japan for the first time. Can't wait to visit Iya and Ojika one day!

[@jonensign]

Thank you for your inspiring work! I am very excited to stay at Chiiori in December! This is a model for anywhere in the world. I may consider doing something similar in Eastern Oregon.

[@alexakerr1]

Thanks Patricia, especially for the word "realistic"!

[@patryanmadson]

Brilliant brilliant sensitive realistic. Thank you for this.

[@alexakerr1]

Thanks Bjoern and Bertrand

[@BruceCarontoo]

You had me at the ofuro! Great work Alex.

[@LeonKenshi]

So simple, makes you wonder why it wasn't done before. Getting out of Tokyo was the best thing I ever did - Japan is such a naturally beautiful country.

[@DENSHO9BATO]

Wonderful !!! That is the way it should be in many places in such a beautiful country . Though in am a foreigner I live in a tatami room. Anyway it is a fantastic start and I hope that you will rebuilt many other houses like the ones I saw thanks to you a real dream comes true. おめでとうございます‼︎‼︎🌸🌸🌸🌸

[@chetnathkanel4237]

Good video, informative indeed. TED to share more such videos globally.

[@LuciaMarginean]

Great value!

[@sloggur]

Really wonderful accomplishment! What we leave behind should be beautiful and organic, keep up the good work! :)

[@nafania11]

incredible!

[@BradThePitts]

Taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo - the world's most advanced place - to Kyoto, a city frozen in time is an extraordinary experience! I've been to the Japanese countryside in both the Fall and Cherry Blossom Season (early Spring.) I hope that it's natural beauty is preserved but also hope that the cities continue to advance.

[@rewip]

Really great talk. Alex sensei makes us realize what we Japanese should care for future.

[@kinmokusei2222]

You are my inspiration sir Mr.Kerr. As Japanese I thank for your project you are endeavoring even though someone call you hypocrite gold digger or whatever. I hope our government put large amount of budgets on your next projects instead of pouring our tax payers money onto those useless vanity concrete ￥objects.

[@LordAmeth]

That one model of the seaside town where only 1/10th of the houses are still occupied... what town is that? I'm looking forward to visiting a few Inland Sea towns next year - including Tomonoura and Mitarai - and I'm excited and curious, but also concerned about what I might find there. Sure, times change, and nothing lasts forever, but, to see these bustling medieval / early modern port towns disappear entirely, is terribly sad.

[@alexakerr1]

Samuel Williams: People come to experience Japan's natural environment, old houses, village life, the mountains and the sea. And to see how these houses and lifestyles can be brought into the modern age too.

[@alexakerr1]

***** １２月１０日まで海外（タイ、ミャンマー、オーストラリア）にいます。会えなくて残念です。

[@VocalBear213]

Alex Kerr have you considered developing Villages around Baikal Lake?

[@alexakerr1]

I've always wanted to visit Baikal Lake! Do you live there?

[@VocalBear213]

Alex Kerr, no, unfortunately, I don't. I live in Moscow. But i write my master's work in tourism about Buryatiya. Can you please write me an email? [e-mail]

[@limbodog]

Well damn. Now I want to go stay at one of those places.

[@catandpiddle]

thank you so much for doing this. each time I take a train ride down to kochi and see the little hamlets high up on the hillsides, I think about how they will survive?

[@chetnathkanel4237]

यस्ता भिडियो हेरेर नेपालीले पनि लाभ उठाउन सक्नेछन् । विश्वका अन्यत्र ठाउँमा भएका पर्यटन, वातावरण र विकासका गतिविधि हेर्न र सुन्न "टेड टल्क" (#TED Talk) को भिडियो अति उपयोगी हुने कुरा मैले अनुभव गरेको छु । (Chet Nath Harit)

[@armlu]

講得很好耶，推薦

[@avsusky]

Damn, after reading Dogs and Demons I was expecting some fire and brimstone from this guy haha what beautiful houses he's restoring and recreating

[@larbarosaliemombidja2536]

Very nice idea, I am fascinated by your achievements. Here in my country, Togo, we have so many assets to develop retirement corners that are quite liveable, but often the problem lies in the financial resources to do so. Would you please suggest alternatives to acquire financial resources and invest in this area?

[@hyimnida5121]

The appeal of nothing special. So inspiring. Kerr san seems to find his ikigai early in life, blessed.

[@JapanMonAmourTheJapanHouse]

But how expensive is it to renovate an old minka?

[@cmhonsu33]

this is a very sad problem, Alex Kerr is a very good writer, read his book called lost Japan.

[@olafurssonkyllian8153]

come on Kerr your father and grand father were laughing and dancing when the two bombs were dropped (working for the military at that time , and your father worked on the Yokosuka american military base , and you fucking dare writing books or commenting about how japan has lost his identity . Please how hypocritical can one person be. You want Japan to get his culture back, you get the fuck out of the country, you make sure that you take those stupid useless american military bases filled with pedophile rapists along with you and then you can talk about giving japan its own identity back. All you care is making money, and Japan is richer than Bangkok so you know which cow to milk ,but you don't give a flying fuck about helping Japan , everybody knows it . You're like the kid of a nazi acting pro sionism , please man , you might have earned some money but you look ridiculous . your country bombed Tokyo and destroyed it to the ground , man who the fuck are you kidding your country forced japan into modern economy and the new world order banking system, making it a slave nation. Your country forced japan to abandon its culture , and you dare coming here and talk about helping japan . When you say that you came here with your family , why don't you mention that your father was a fucking scum of a soldier working for the Yokosuka base, the american military base that japan wants to get rid of , because the guys there do nothing except raping young girls, and you know i am right , the last guy raped and killed a 12 years old only 2 months ago . That's where you grew up, on this base surrounded with those pedophiles. You wanna help japan , why don't you make sure those bases are closed . Japan and Japanese do not need you to teach them how to make their country better. Why don't you fucking start with your own country . At least in Japan i can walk down the street with my girls and nobody carries a gun and my girls don't have do be scared of getting killed or rapped unless it is by one of your compatriots supposedly here to protect the country . Japanese have succeeded at keeping their country safe and with a better economy than your own. So really don't dare trying to tell Japanese how to take care of their culture and identity . What better advice to follow than your own , go back where you came from, and teach americans how to protect their culture, oops , you don't have any , you took the one from the natives, murdered them , perpetrated the biggest genocide in modern history , then brought slaves from Africa , destroying yet another culture and continent, then yes your country dropped two atomic bombs over Japan and your family worked for the military at that time, and now you come here and want to teach jJpanese how to live and protect their culture, how about you didn't destroy it in the first place . Man you are ridiculous .

[@DSQueenie]

+olafursson kyllian you're not even Japanese! This man has lived in Japan for decades - he knows what he's talking about.

[@StacyIzhikova]

I'm still wondering about financial part of this problem. Was it purely out of his private funds?

[@andrewthompson10]

199 thumbs up, zero thumbs down.

[@GideonHaitis]

1500$...? Dear sir Alex Kerr, please find for me and my grilfriend such a lovely place.

[@peteropdahl7154]

Not to step on Alex's toes -- He was certainly one of our inspirations -- but we have a company that does something similar and then rents out the homes for long and short stays -- Anywhere from a day to a couple of months. Our model is not quite as, um, gorgeous, as what Alex does, but it is similar in that we keep the exteriors as authentic as possible (To the point where we talked with older people in the town to learn where the good clay was, went and dug our own, and then used that to restore the interior walls.) while integrating technology for weatherproofing, etc. Anyway, we like it. :-) www.inakahome.com

[@shizentimes]

I doubt you're stepping on his toes because he's not doing this for profit, he's doing it to save Japan from the corrupt concrete industry that has been ravaging every last bit of authenticity and nature in Japan's inaka. Whoever helps this cause by creating sustainable tourism in remote parts of Japan is probably not stepping on his toes, but is instead contributing to a much larger cause. Once you start doing this type of thing for profit, that's when you start expropriating locals of their land and doing a disservice to Japan and the local community. I'm not suggesting that's where you're headed, but unless your company is guided by a greater cause like Alex Kerr's, there's a danger your company attracts other undesirable "competitors" who only have profit in mind. When that happens, what could have been collaboration for a greater cause will turn into competition for land grab and house acquisition.

[@perrinpartee557]

Same problem in america

[@wsns5389]

Piao

[@bipinshah1959]

👌👎👌

[@morganolfursson2560]

Weeaboo central !