My Father's Hands, My Dance, and the Lion's Roar | Wakako Arima | TEDxInnovation U

Who can you make happy with a generous act? Wakako Arima first took the stage at age two, performing a Kabuki lion dance passed down through her family. Now a master of Renjishi (The Two Lions Japanese Kabuki Dance), she asserts that tradition doesn't survive behind glass. It survives by asking: who does this make happy? ??‍? She didn't choose Japanese dance; it chose her, flowing in her bloodline from her father, master Kanjiro Bando, onto the national stage by age two. Now, as a master renjishi (lion dancer) herself, she carries one of Kabuki's most iconic and powerful forms into the 21st century.

But her true artistry lies in a single, radical question that guides every performance, lesson, and project: "Who can this make happy?" For her, tradition is not a museum piece to preserve, but a living energy to share—a way to show love. Whether captivating international audiences with the lion's overwhelming power or guiding over 160 children to their own moment on a professional stage, she is on a mission to prove that culture only survives if it actively creates joy and connection in the present. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Видео My Father's Hands, My Dance, and the Lion's Roar | Wakako Arima | TEDxInnovation U канала TEDx Talks