Hello everyone, I’m Eiko Kadono, the ambassador of the 2027 IBBY Asia Pacific Regional Conference.
We wish for world peace through books. And personally, I express myself through books.
Today, we are surrounded by so many convenient technologies such as AI, and it may seem that our ability to “read” is beginning to decline. But in fact, I’m not overly concerned, because ever since prehistoric times, human beings have created words from actions, forming relationships with others through those words.
I believe that human beings find joy in expressing themselves, and books give us
opportunities to do so, even in today's busy world.
Books will never disappear, and I’ve got a feeling that perhaps we are moving towards an era where people will say “AI is boring — human beings are more interesting.”
So, 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 enjoy your time fully here in Tokyo.
Come and join us, everyone.
Tokyo is fun. Japan is fun.