Hello, everyone.
I’m Eiko Kadono, the ambassador of the 2027 IBBY Asia Pacific Regional Conference.

We at IBBY wish for world peace through books.
And personally, I express myself through books.​

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Our world is now entering a period of great transformation. It is being driven by AI, a convenient technology. ​

Ask it a question, and it gives you an answer right away.
Some people may worry that this convenience could cause our ability to read to decline.
But I’m not overly concerned.

Ever since prehistoric times, we have created words out of our daily lives and found joy in expressing ourselves through them. We read books, and through them, we imagine and interact with one another. They give us the power to wish for world peace. That is what books are all about.
We have a power that goes far beyond convenience.
Books will never disappear, and I’ve got a feeling that we are moving towards an era where people will say, “AI is boring — human beings are more interesting.”

At this conference, let’s talk about a lot of things, exchange the stories of our countries, and yes, connect with one another as human beings, not only from the Asia-Pacific region but from all over the world.

I hope you will have a wonderful time talking together here in Tokyo.
Bring your friends and come join us, everyone.
Tokyo is fun, Japan is fun; they are full of stories.