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Hello.

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This is a picture of me when I was young.

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From an early age I have loved
going on adventures,

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and I would often go
looking for new paths on my tricycle

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with my friend.

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I would look under bricks for bugs
and then take them home

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often making my mother angry.

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Occasionally, I would be overly-bold
and return home in tears.

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This is how I spent my early years.

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Although I grew up physically
during my school days,

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my love for adventure never changed.

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Throughout my 12 years at elementary,
junior, and senior high schools

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my best friend was always by my side
sharing in the adventures.

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This was the kind of conversation
we used to have.

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I would say in a Kansai dialect
"Shall we go somewhere?"

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to which he would reply, "Sounds great!

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Let's do this and that,
go along here and there,

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buy candy at that shop
and then do this and that."

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Then I would say "Good plan!"

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Please notice that
I only said two things,

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one at the beginning
and one at the end.

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(Laughter)

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All I said was, "Shall we go?"
and "Good plan!"

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My friend decided the rest for us.

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This was how we continued our adventures
for the next 12 years.

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We were separated after entering
different universities

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and I thought to myself, "What shall I do?
I have to go on solo adventures."

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But then I found a new friend.

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(Laughter)

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I would say to my new friend,

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"Shall we go somewhere?"

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He would say, "Sounds great!

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Let's go this and that,

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eat at this and that place,
stay here and there,

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and then do this and that."

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Then I would say "Good plan!"

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Did you notice the difference?

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My accent changed from
the local to the standard.

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(Laughter)

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That's the only thing that's changed.

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I hadn't changed at all.

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I only said the first and last words
in the conversation.

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My new friend decided the rest.

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So my adventures continued
into my university days.

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One day I said to my friend,
"Shall we ride the whole length of Japan?"

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But he replied in a shocked voice
saying, "Ohhhhh!"

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The length of Japan sounds pretty far,
so his reaction was to be expected.

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I always thought that if we talked about
an adventure we would go.

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I was really excited.

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Then my friend responded, "So I won't go."

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"What?" I thought to myself.

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I believed that if I said
the first and last words

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then an adventure would follow.

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"What the heck?" I thought

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but then I guess the length of Japan
really is a long way, even for my friend.

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However, I was so excited
and really wanted to go

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so I would have to undertake the
adventure alone or not at all.

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At that time, traveling across Japan
seemed like a large wall in front of me.

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I wondered what I should do
so I sought advice

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from my university senior.

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Then he said, "Noguchi,
you always go on adventures together

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but going alone will be a great chance
to break out of your shell."

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Even though I agreed with what he said,

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I had always left it up to my friends.

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I didn't believe I could do it by myself.

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Despite my feelings of excitement
I gave up on the idea of going

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until I recalled my father's words.

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He would often say to me,

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"Masayuki, if you live your life,
somehow things will work out!"

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He would often say vague words like this.

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"Somehow things will be OK."

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Those words have got me
through a few times in my life.

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They suddenly came
to my mind at that time.

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So I thought that whatever happens
things will work out.

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And believing this I made
my decision to go alone.

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Then I set off on my journey
along the length of whole Japan.

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It was my first time traveling alone,
my first solo adventure.

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This is what I looked like.

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(Laughter)

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Being somewhat reckless I set off
on my scooter in winter.

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(Laughter)

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On my first day, without being
able to read a map,

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I set off on my scooter in winter.

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Not being able to use read the map,

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I rode 300 km from Kanoya City
to Beppu City in Oita Prefecture.

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Not using the map, I asked people for
directions and somehow I got there.

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When I arrived, I looked for
somewhere to stay but couldn't.

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So I made the impulsive decision
to pitch my tent and sleep in a park.

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I fell asleep fearful,
but on the second day, when I woke up,

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I thought to myself
that I am surprisingly still alive.

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Somehow it worked out OK.

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At that time the large wall disappeared

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and a realistic wall appeared
in front of me.

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I felt like I had reached
the top of the wall with my hand

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and after that things would go
without a hitch.

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I started to understand the map, I could
buy tickets and find places to stay.

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I achieved my traveling across Japan.

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I overcame the wall.

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As I turned round
to look back at the wall,

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it was not the large wall
I had imagined but a small wall.

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By overcoming obstacles in this way,
I was prepared to take on challenges.

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Next I went alone to Canada to study.

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Studying abroad in Canada was
the largest wall for me.

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Furthermore, it was at exactly
the same time as my university's exams.

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Normally students would give priority
to their tests and delay going abroad.

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However, I once again believed
that somehow it would work out.

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I directly appealed to all professors
for supplementary exams

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and somehow, all of them
agreed to my request.

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So I was also able to achieve
my goal of studying in Canada.

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Once more, the wall which once seemed
so large disappeared.

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This time I felt like I jumped over it.

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(Laughter)

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Looking back again at the wall,
it was actually very small.

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This prepared me for my next challenge.

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In fact my next challenge is now.

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I am standing here
on the TEDxKagoshima stage.

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I am a big fan of TED
and often watch its videos.

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Many people share their great ideas.

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I have always wanted
to stand on this stage,

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it feels like a dream to be here.

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I had another large wall in front of me,

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but I am somehow taking
on the mental challenge this time too.

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I am somehow getting
through it now, right?

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(Laughter)

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(Applause)

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Thank you!

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I just reached the top of the wall.

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I still haven't completed
so I can't look back yet,

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but my hands are on the top now,

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and I think I'll be able to climb over it.

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After I am over the top and I look back,
I'm sure it won't look so big

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and again I'll probably think
it was actually quite small.

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Do you have a large wall
in your mind, too?

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For example, telling someone you love them
or starting a new job.

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I can tell you that it is
only a wall in your mind.

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It is only your mind
which makes the wall large.

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If it's only in your mind,
believe that you can work it out.

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If you think in this way,
your first step will always be made.

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With your first step made,
you can reach the top of the wall,

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and after that it's easy.

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When you look back at the wall
you have just climbed you will see

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it was smaller than you thought.

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Overcoming obstacles can make
the next challenge easier.

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Please try to overcome your obstacles
and expand your horizons.

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I will make these words,
"Somehow it will work out"

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my family motto,
but I still don't have a wife or children.

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I would show my appreciation to my
father for giving me the words today

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which is the mother's day in Japan.

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Thank you.