Title: The importance and difficulty of communicating in multiple languages to find the goodness of the local communities in Japan
Lecturer: Mr. Aoki Yu (President, MATCHA Inc.)
Date: November 15, 2019, Friday
Location: University of Tsukuba Administration Center 5F Main Conference Room

As “Central Eurasia and Japan’s future” public lecture, we invited Mr. Aoki Yu, president of MATCHA Inc., to talk about “the importance and difficulty of communicating in the multiple languages to find the goodness of the local communities in Japan” on November 15, 2019, Friday. Mr. Aoki went around the world with his backpack, taking a year’s leave of absence in college, and then launch a company after his graduation. He runs the company with the belief that no matter how good the culture is, there must be someone who can offer it properly. He is aiming to make MATCHA the most popular Japanese tourism media in the world by visiting the local places and finding characteristics of them as deep as possible, and translating it in ten languages including Yasashii Nihongo (Plain Japanese). He explained the reason why he launched MATCHA and what his business is. The lecture by Mr. Aoki who wants to do what he wants to do, what he can do and what meets the needs of the times was convincing. It was a lecture not only that we can feel his passion from his vision that “Tourism is to see the light of the country, and I would like to transmit information how Japan is unique and charming”, but also that was very interactive as the audience had opportunities to join the discussion with him.