Direct Talk - Season 1 / Year 2016

Takahiro Hachigo, who became Honda president in 2015, envisions a revival of "Honda-ism" with products that make people happy. He speaks about strategy evolution and quality management.

Kego is a accomplished Architect involved with Tokyo 2020: Designing the Olympic Stadium

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, led the country to become one of the richest ASEAN countries. This is the 1st part of an interview with Dr. Mahathir.

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the former PM of Malaysia, is known for his bold ideas. In this 2nd part of an interview, we hear his views on stability and security both in Asia and the rest of the world.

Having his books published in 97 countries, Jeffrey Archer is one the most reputed best-selling novelists. As a former politician, he retains a keen interest in Asia especially the Far East countries.

Yoshiharu Ueki is the president of Japan Airlines, and the company's first leader who started out as a pilot. In 2010, JAL filed for bankruptcy, and Ueki has been in charge of revitalizing the firm.

Living with Jazz tonight we look at the life of Jazz trumpeter Terumasa Hino

Rajeev Suri , the first Indian to become CEO of Nokia, tells us what makes the company different under his management and his vision for how future technology will change the world.

Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, grew up in India and is a long-term human rights activist. He worries that human rights around the world have been deteriorating recently.

Guo Pei, one of China's top designers, is fast becoming famous in the fashion world with her magnificent dresses worn by international pop stars. She talks about her passion for high fashion.

Nikon's president, Kazuo Ushida, is an engineer with a passion for optical technology. The rise of smartphones has hurt camera sales, but Ushida has a plan for the future of Nikon's business.

Creating New Kabuki in Las Vegas Ichikawa Somegoro

Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, one of the first female professional mountaineers in Nepal,talks about her challenge to climbing and her active support for the survivors of the earthquake in 2015.

Soren Hermansen, a pioneer of green movement from Denmark came to Fukushima in March. He talks about the potential of community power which has been gaining attention in Japan recently.

Legendary jazz pianist and composer Bob James taps the power of music to help the people of Tohoku recover from the tragedy of 3.11. He reflects on a 40 year love affair with Japan.

Peter Sutherland, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General: International Migration, talks that governments must share responsibility for resettling people affected by crises.

Ko Ko Gyi, one of Myanmar's leading pro-democracy activists for over 25 years, talks of the long road he has traveled along with Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and others in quest of full democracy.

As a Singaporean diplomat, scholar, and prolific author, Kishore Mahbubani suggests we can learn ways for people of diverse backgrounds to co-exist by adopting ASEAN approach.

TOTO is Japan's largest maker of toilets. This 100-year-old company strives to develop unique products that help people and the environment. We spoke with Toto's president, Madoka Kitamura.

Born and raised in New York, Ryu Goto is 27-year-old prominent violinist. He talks his belief in music, collaboration works with Asian artists, and his interests other than classical music.

Shigeru Ban, the 2014 Pritzker Prize winner, is an architect famous for works like the Pompidou-Metz. He also leads an effort to create emergency shelters out of paper in the world's disaster areas.

Bonsai is an art form where the work is never finished, and it fascinates people around the world. Master bonsai artist Kunio Kobayashi speaks about how bonsai encapsulates life and death.

Thailand's pioneer in mega solar farms, Wandee Khunchornyakong looks at Southeast Asia as a region with huge potential for growth in renewable energy which she believes can tackle climate change also.

Hans Blix led the search for weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq war. Join Direct Talk to hear the former head of IAEA discuss world security, disarmament, nuclear power and global warming.

Former Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan developed an influential meditation program for tech workers. He reveals how Silicon Alley has turned to Eastern philosophy to cut stress and boost creativity.

Kumon, a tutoring company that began in Japan in the 1950s, currently has over 4 million students in 49 countries and territories. We speak with its president, Hidenori Ikegami, about how it succeeds.

The advent of smartphones and smart watches makes life difficult for the timepiece business. Toshio Tokura of Citizen Holdings, a long-established watch firm, discusses this challenge and the future.

Mahabir Pun, Founder of Nepal Wireless Networking Project, is connecting remote villages in the Himalayan region to the internet. He talks of his hope to change rural people's lives with technology.

Robin Rowland runs the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain and is one of Britain's leading food entrepreneurs. Join Direct Talk to hear him talk about his plans to bring Japanese food to a global audience.

Toshiko Akiyoshi, Berklee-trained jazz pianist and composer, celebrated her 70-year career earlier this year. She talks the long path she had taken in American Jazz and her emotional ties to Asia.

Working across academic disciplines, Jared Diamond has spent decades observing human societies with a broad perspective. He talks about one of the biggest issues facing the world today, polarization.

Jung Chang's family story, immortalized in her book Wild Swans, brought 20th Century China alive for millions of readers around the world. In Direct Talk Chang discusses her books and China today.

ANA Holdings is the parent company of All Nippon Airways, now in its 30th year of international flights. We speak with ANA Holdings CEO Shinya Katanozaka about effective risk management.

Yamaha is one of the world's best known makers of musical instruments, including pianos and synthesizers. We speak with Yamaha's president, Takuya Nakata, about how it creates innovative products.

Vikrom Kromadit is the founder of Thailand's largest industrial estate developer, recognized as a leader in his field. He talks of his experiences that lead to success and his visions for the future.

Lang Lang is a Chinese pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in Europe, the United States. He hopes to inspire kids to explore the piano and celebrate the wonderful world of music.

Komatsu is the world's No. 2 manufacturer of construction equipment. Its president, Tetsuji Ohashi, talks about the company's groundbreaking technology, and the global challenges it works to solve.

Asahi Group Holdings has the largest market share for beer in Japan. In March 2016, CEO Naoki Izumiya also became chairman. He wants to use Japanese strengths to be globally competitive.

Jay Rubin has translated many novels by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He shares his insights into the appeal of this bestselling writer and explains his own universal outlook.

Wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago has captured lions battling for supremacy…and his work has appeared on the cover of National Geographic twice. He tells us the secret to photographing animals.

The heavily autobiographical movies of Naomi Kawase have won many awards, including the Grand Prix at Cannes. Now she sits on film festival juries. We speak with this leading filmmaker.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is known as the wealthiest man on the planet. In recent years he's focused on philanthropy, teaming up with his wife to launch the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is an internationally acclaimed film director and screenwriter, a pioneer in Thai 'New Wave' cinema, credited with reviving the country's film industry and drawing in new audiences

Jose Ramos Horta is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and key figure in the history of East Timor. He discusses the lessons of that history and his philosophy of conflict resolution through reconciliation.

Legendary Japanese actress Sayuri Yoshinaga has made a life's work of highlighting the suffering of Atomic Bomb survivors, and now the victims of the Fukushima Disaster, by reading their poetry.

The paints and coatings made by Kansai Paint are used in a quarter of the world's vehicles. Its current president, Hiroshi Ishino, has been instrumental in the company's bold global expansion.

The Japanese "way of tea" dates back 500 years, and Genshitsu Sen is the previous head of the Urasenke tea tradition. He survived World War II, and believes tea can be a powerful force for peace.

Venture capitalist Dave McClure provides seed money and mentoring to startups in Silicon Valley and beyond. He talks about his passion for entrepreneurialism and assesses the East Asian market.

New York-based political scientist Ian Bremmer is the founder of Eurasia Group, a global political risk research firm. He gives us his analysis of geopolitics in a leaderless world.

Cai Guo-Qiang is a Chinese artist who currently lives and works in New York City. While living in Japan, he explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings. We ask his belief of art.

Tomotaka Takahashi is a renowned creator of humanoid robots. He envisions a future where everyone will own a robot, and where these robots will be able to communicate effectively with humans.

Bunraku is a traditional form of puppet theater with 300 years of history. One of its foremost practitioners today is Kiritake Kanjuro III. He tells us how he makes his beautiful puppets come alive.

Lord David Howell is a Conservative British politician. Having been Secretary of State for Energy, he talks about prospects regarding low oil prices and the global future of energy.

Bridgestone is the world's No. 1 tire maker. How will it grow going forward? By focusing on creating tires that are good for the environment. We speak to Kazuhisa Nishigai, the company's COO.

An interview with Masayoshi Son, Chairman&CEO of SoftBank Group, about his plan,"ASIA SUPER GRID." He aims to create a renewable energy network to connect countries in Asia to supply cheaper, environmentally friendly electricity.

With antibiotic resistance continuing to threaten world health, Direct Talk meets the Nobel Prize winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan, whose discoveries provide the key to new drugs.

Bandai Namco creates over 200 character themed products annually. As anime's popularity grows across Asia, Mitsuaki Taguchi shares his thoughts on the business of characters and plans for the future.

Celebrated cinematographer and director Daisaku Kimura has worked on many classic Japanese films. Having honed his skills under Akira Kurosawa, he discusses what keeps him going now at the age of 77.

Babatunde Osotimehin is executive director of United Nations Population Fund. Being a specialist in human health, he talks about how the global community should prevent epidemic of Ebola and Zika.

David Nussbaum is the Chief Executive of WWF in the UK. He is passionate about the role of sustainable business as well as government leadership to solve the environmental issues facing the planet.

Midori Goto, who made her debut at age 11, has been called the greatest violinist of her generation. She is also a UN Messenger of Peace. We speak to this virtuoso about a career of giving back.

Joanne Liu, International President of the humanitarian organization, MSF – Medecins Sans Frontieres – discusses the challenges of providing emergency medical care in war zones and natural disasters.

Shyam Badan Shrestha is a pioneer in producing and marketing Nepalese handcrafts using natural fibers from plants native to Nepal. She has built on traditional skills of women, to empower women.

Sir Paul Smith is one of the most successful fashion designers across the world, and has been creating clothes for 40 years, with stores in 73 countries. Now 70, he is still working as hard as ever.

Benjamin Law is a Sydney-based writer. The Family Law, the first Australian TV drama focusing on an Asian immigrant family, is based on his book. He talks of his insights as a minority writer.

Kartika Jahja is a singer songwriter - Indonesia's 'hottest diva' aiming to 'uncool patriarchy'. She's known for her originality in music as well as her eye-catching advocacy to bring gender equality.

After the 2008 financial crisis, many electronics companies fell into the red, but Mitsubishi Electric successfully stayed the course. CEO Masaki Sakuyama talks about strategy and technology.

Gagaku is a type of traditional music that originated in the imperial court 1,300 years ago. For the past 20 years, Hideki Togi has been combining gagaku and modern music for a global audience.

Susi Pudjiastuti is Indonesia's star Fisheries Minister known for sinking illegal fishing boats. Her tough policies have rocked the nation and its neighbors. She talks of her mission with a passion.

The swift rise of digital imaging represented a crisis for Fujifilm. In response, the company underwent a "second founding," and bounced back strongly. We speak with Shigetaka Komori, Fujifilm's CEO.

Hardlock Industry is a firm of about 50 employees that makes a revolutionary kind of hardware nut. We speak with its president, Katsuhiko Wakabayashi, who has been called the "Edison of East Osaka."

Australian architect Peter Stutchbury is leading "sustainable architecture". He designs houses based on respect for nature and the needs of residents. He tells us his philosophy of architecture.

Oh Jun-ho is South Korea's leading robot researcher. In 2015, he won an international contest in making disaster droids. He talks about the potential of robots and how they can co-exist with humans.

Shunji Iwai's films are known for their unique beauty, and they have a passionate following across Asia. Iwai says the inspiration for his work comes largely from his childhood and adolescence.

Paul Keating, the former prime minister of Australia, tried to expand regional cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific. He talks about how the Asia-Pacific region will influence the globe.

Richard Dawkins is one of the most famous evolutionary biologists as author of ‘The Selfish Gene'. He is also controversial and has upset many people with his outspoken atheist views.

The father of modern linguistics, Professor Chomsky is renowned as a critic of US foreign policy. He talks about the decline of democracy and what linguistics can tell us about human society.

Peking Opera actor Shi Yihong is known to be as good at performing action roles as she is at singing. She's also bringing Peking Opera to a new generation of audiences.

Filled with Japan's top firms, Marunouchi is the country's economic heart. Facing competition throughout Asia, how does Mitsubishi Estate CEO Hirotaka Sugiyama keep the business district evolving?

Famous for his Seascapes series, Hiroshi Sugimoto has been pushing photography to the level of high art since his debut in the1970s. We ask Sugimoto about the message behind his newest work.

Being the creator of Airtasker, an online and mobile marketplace for task sharing, Mr. Fung talks about the future of community-based share economy which is significantly growing in Australia.

New York-based multi-organ transplant surgeon Dr. Tomoaki Kato talks about saving lives on the operating table and his tireless advocacy for transplant surgery and organ donation worldwide.

In 1998, Takayuki Ohira created a planetarium that displayed over 100 times more stars than other models, and he did it alone. We ask Ohira about his current projects, his passion and his vision.

Australian restaurateur Bill Granger is an all around food guru who owns 16 restaurants across the world. He tells us his philosophy regarding food and restaurants.

Yoshiyuki Sankai is the CEO of Cyberdyne, a firm that is developing robotics for use in the field of medicine. One of its inventions is HAL, a wearable robot for people with disabilities.

Naoyuki Kawahara is a physician who was sent by Japan's foreign ministry to Sudan. There, he was inspired to start his own NGO, which travels the country providing medical services to people in need.

Adnan Topan Husodo leads efforts to bring transparency to public spending and accountability to those in power. He says active public participation is essential in fighting and exposing corruption.

New York based celebrity chef David Bouley tells how his discovery of Japanese kaiseki fine dining has turned him into an advocate for making haute cuisine a healthy art form.

Kyogen is a Japanese form of comic theater with 650 years of history, and Mansai Nomura is one of its brightest stars. We speak to him about his efforts to bring Shakespeare into the world of kyogen.

Hiroshi Senju is a Japanese artist based in New York who paints in the Nihonga tradition. In 2015, he was commissioned to create 42 sliding door paintings for one of Japan's most historic temples.

Tri Mumpuni has helped communities build micro-hydro power plants across Indonesia. She believes empowering local people to manage natural resources will lead to sustainable development for all.

Omron developed the world's first automated ticket gate. Under CEO Yoshihito Yamada, the company is tackling many of today's important issues, including how people and machines can live in harmony.

The novels and short stories of Banana Yoshimoto are available in over 30 countries, and she has "Banana fans" around the world. We speak with her about how her writing has transcended borders.

Christiana Figueres was playing key role in Paris agreement Dec.2015 for limiting the increase in global temperatures. Why were these talks successful after years of Controversy?

Spring Airlines is the first privately owned Chinese budget airline company. Chairman Wang Zhenghua's concept of charging budget rates, have put him at odds with the aviation authorities.

Gallery owner Tim Blum put cutting-edge artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami on the international art world map. He talks about his passion for contemporary art and Japanese culture.

Kunihiko Shimada is a professional negotiator. He has negotiated and mediated around the world, including in Kosovo and East Timor, and is currently involved in discussions related to Syria.

Calligraphy has a long history in Japan, and Sisyu is currently one of the country's most prominent calligraphers. She is taking calligraphy beyond the page to create modern art with global appeal.

Christopher Patten is the last Governor of Hong Kong. He is a close China watcher. We asked Lord Patten what he thought of the recent Hong Kong elections and political situation.

Morita Holdings is a top maker of fire trucks. Masahiro Nakajima, its chairman & CEO, talks about how the company learns from major disasters, and the secrets of developing firefighting vehicles.

Drum Tao, a group that puts an entertaining twist on taiko drumming, has performed in front of over 7 million people in 23 countries. Its director, Ikuo Fujitaka, talks about the group's appeal.

Angel Gurria is challenging to find an economic solution while some of the world's economies are slowing down with trade and investment. We hear how to stimulate the world's sluggish economy.

Harvard Professor (Emeritus) Ezra Vogel has authored numerous bestselling books analyzing Japan and China. He outlines the current challenges to cooperation between the two countries and the US.

Jia Zhangke is known as the "Sixth generation of Chinese filmmakers". His films are shot in a documentary style to help illustrate the intense emotional changes faced by ordinary Chinese citizens.

Yoichi Takahashi created the world-famous soccer manga "Captain Tsubasa," which started in 1981 and is still running today. His work has influenced many people, including famous soccer players.

Fu Yiyao, a Chinese artist who learned Buddhist art in Japan, is now well known for capturing the essence of traditional festivals by vividly drawing dancing and playing participants.

The choreographer Mikiko was recently tapped to oversee the performance of the official handover of the Olympics from Rio to Tokyo. She talks about how she uses technology to make humans shine.

Yin Myo Su is a successful entrepreneur from the Inthar tribe of Inle Lake in Eastern Myanmar. She's a passionate advocate for ethical standards in business, and conservation of nature and culture.

With her hi-tech installations and videos, Japanese / British artist Sputniko! envisions the future of society and leads the next generation of feminists in challenging the gender gap.

World-renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has long been passionate about music and bringing together young musicians from around the Asia-Pacific region. He hopes this passion will lead to closer ties between Russia and Japan.

The conductor Toshio Yanagisawa helped found the Balkan Chamber Orchestra. It brings together musicians from different countries in the former Yugoslavia, a region that has faced ethnic conflict.

Eddie Jones is the rugby coach who led the Japanese national team to historic victory over South Africa in the 2015 World Cup. Now he's pursuing a new challenge as England head coach.

British architect Richard Rogers is behind many of iconic buildings of the last 45 years, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris. He has won countless awards and has campaigned for sustainable cities.

Yuichi Mori has been researching films and membranes for over 30 years. At age 53, he started Mebiol, a company that applies this technology to agriculture through what it calls "film farming."

Kazuyuki Ishihara is a Japanese landscape artist who has been praised by Queen Elizabeth II as a gardening magician. This year, he won the President's Award at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

Mireya Solis, Senior Research Fellow and Japan specialist at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, talks about the structure of Japan's labor force, the role of women in the economy and the TPP.

Pichet Klunchun has won international acclaim and domestic notoriety with his contemporary interpretations of Thai classical dance-drama, Khon. He talks of his passion to keep the art alive and free.

Trend Micro is a major computer security firm. How can we defend against the hackers attacking businesses, governments, and even home appliances? We asked Eva Chen, Trend Micro's CEO and co-founder.

Ezaki Glico is one of Japan's leading confectionery companies. Its hit products include Pocky, 10 billion boxes of which have been sold worldwide. We speak with the company's CEO, Katsuhisa Ezaki.

Helena Norberg-Hodge is a Swedish author and environmentalist who has been advocating "localization." She talks about protecting and developing local economy and culture versus globalization.

Kevin O'Hare is Director of The Royal Ballet in London. He was a dancer for 20 years, performing all the leading roles. Now he's trying to find ways for ballet to be relevant to a new generation.