EXPO PLL Talks
EXPO PLL Talks
<Archive video released>
TOYAMA Masamichi takes the stage at EXPO PLL Talks
"Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-EXPO World with Innovators" vol.13
This was the 13th time the event was held, and this time the guest was TOYAMA Masamichi (CEO of Smiles Co., Ltd. and CEO of The Chain Museum Co., Ltd.), who explored the theme of "Toyama's artistic roots as an artist while also being active as a businessman."
You can watch the event on the official YouTube channel.
<Excerpts from TOYAMA Masamichi's comments at the event>
About "Replacing Business with Art"
"In the initial business plan for Soup Stock, I wrote that we would limit ourselves to 50 stores. As a result, we are still stuck at around 50 stores. I think that we could open 200 or 500 stores if necessary, but for some reason that hasn't happened. At Soup Stock, we don't have the image that the more stores we have, the better. It's the same with art; one-of-a-kind items are best, and the more you have, the more the value depreciates. I started out in art, so I find it easier to explain various things by replacing the various events in business with art."
"Expectations for After the Expo"
"There are many directors involved in the Expo this time, so it's a chance to see their ideas up close. I want people to look at the Expo from the perspective of what it would be like if they were a director. It's also interesting to think about what you would do if you were given the amazing stage that is the Expo. Even if it's not on the scale of an Expo, even if it's something small like your own personal Expo, like maybe trying to do it in your parent's backyard, I want this to be an opportunity for each and every person to come up with their own ideas. I think this is the best way to do that."
Event Overview
Date and time: January 21, 2025 (Wednesday) 19:30-20:30
Venue: Gallery & Bakery Tokyo 8 minutes
Guest: TOYAMA Masamichi (CEO of Smiles Co., Ltd. and The Chain Museum Co., Ltd.)
Moderator: SUZUKI Daisuke (CEO of ARTLOGUE Inc., General Producer of Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival)
Organized by: 2025 Japan World Exposition Association, Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (ARTLOGUE Inc.)
Profile
TOYAMA Masamichi
Smiles Co., Ltd. Representative
CEO of The Chain Museum Co., Ltd.
Born in Tokyo in 1962. Graduated from Keio University, after working at Mitsubishi Corporation, he founded Smiles Co., Ltd. in 2000, developing projects such as "Soup Stock Tokyo," "PASS THE BATON," and "Brush Soy Sauce Nori Ben Yama Climbing." He also runs "The Chain Museum" and "ArtSticker." He is a professor at Joshibi University of Art and Design, and has participated in events such as the Tokyo Biennale as an artist, and is active on YouTube as "New Breed of Old Man," and at festivals and live shows with the poetry band "New Breed of ImmigrtionsB."
SUZUKI Daisuke
CEO of ARTLOGUE Inc., General Producer of Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival.
Born on Culture Day, November 3, 1977. After participating in a research project at the Global COE of the Osaka City University Urban Research Plaza, he started his own company. He won the Good Design Award in 2014, was a finalist in the 2015 Kyoto University GTEP Program (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), and won the OIH Award for global innovation at the 2016 Miraino Pitch (business contest: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Kinki Regional Bureau of Telecommunications).
"Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" will be held from 2022, with the aim of creating the world's largest "Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" on the occasion of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
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