About
History of New Context Conference
NEW CONTEXT CONFERENCE
NEW CONTEXT CONFERENCE (NCC) has been hosted by Kaoru Hayashi and Joichi Ito, co-founders of Digital Garage, since 2005. The conference brings together individuals interested in exploring cutting-edge internet technologies and the businesses that emerge around them. With a focus on the new contexts that contribute to the development of society, the conference aims to explore how digital technologies can be used to design a society based on global values such as equality, diversity, reflection, and sustainability. The event features speakers and participants who discuss and share their insights on these topics.
Theme
The Future Japan Envisions in a
Global Digital Society
A New Era of Digital Architecture Designed by Zen AI and Blockchain
The Internet, since its inception in the 1960s, has evolved into an innovative infrastructure connecting people and knowledge worldwide. However, today's digital landscape reveals growing divisions in technological standards and ethical approaches among nations and corporations. While technologies like AI and blockchain create unprecedented value, they also bring challenges including privacy concerns, hallucination, social polarization, and environmental impacts due to massive power consumption.
In this complex global context, Japan has an opportunity to present a distinctive digital society model. Drawing on its traditional values of “harmony”, “coexistence”, and “trust”, Japan can pioneer a sustainable approach that balances technological advancement with ethical responsibility.
In particular, the “Zen AI” concept—merging Japanese spiritual and natural perspectives with open-source principles—is gaining attention as offering a new direction for next-generation AI design.
Today's world needs more than technological innovation; it is calling for a new “Digital Architecture” encompassing philosophies and social frameworks. “NCC TOKYO 2025 Summer,” which marks the 27th event since its first launch in 2005, sets the theme 'The Future Japan Envisions in a Global Digital Society ~ A New Era of Digital Architecture Designed by Zen AI and Blockchain ~'. This year's NCC brings together experts to explore the integration of technology with spiritual culture, examining Japan's potential contribution to a more balanced global digital future.
Speakers
and more
We will invite more speakers and will update on our social media.
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Hosts
Agenda
10:00 am
Opening & Keynote
10:20 am
Session 1
“Zen AI” and Open Source
Since ChatGPT's release in late 2022, large language models have transformed daily lives while introducing significant challenges. This session explores a human-centered AI design philosophy rooted in Japanese “Zen” principles, moving beyond the technology expansion race to envision next-generation AI architecture.
1:00 pm
Keynote
1:20 pm
Session 2
The Future of Fintech Built on Blockchain
Blockchain technology holds the potential to complement existing centralized financial structures, bringing new transparency and reliability. Japan has established pioneering regulatory frameworks for web3 and digital assets, building foundations for a sustainable digital economy. This session examines Japan's leadership while providing diverse perspectives on blockchain's future impact on fintech and society.
3:05 pm
Session 3
How Technology Redefines Scaling
Technological evolution is fundamentally reshaping startup growth models beyond traditional constraints of time and capital. AI and blockchain enable new pathways for expansion that were previously unattainable. This session examines the core principles behind these emerging scaling patterns and their implications for business development.
4:05 pm
Session 4
“Moonshot” to “Earthshot”
The “Moonshot” spirit that guided humanity to lunar exploration is now evolving into an “Earthshot” perspective focused on planetary sustainability. This session convenes experts to discuss implementing transformative changes in technology, economy, and social systems centered on Green Transformation (GX) and environmental sustainability.
5:30 pm
Wrap Up
*Event agenda and speakers are subject to change without notice.
Register
Online Ticket (Free)
We will inform you of the viewing URL at a later date for those who have pre-registered through the Peatix website.
Simultaneous interpretation tools in Japanese and English will be available
Audience Voice Session
Have a question about the future of technology?
Share it in our pre-event survey — selected questions will be addressed by speakers during the sessions.
Be more than a viewer — help shape the conversation.
organizer
collaboration partners
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