logic ba

How the Concept of “Ba” can be applied to FCs?

Future Center Summit Tokyo 2010

Noboru Konno 2010.11.24

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An open stage for “Noh” play

“Ba”

• Place (where) you are

• Place for events, atmosphere

• Situation, moment

• Scenes

• Stage

• Stock exchange

• Conditions, affordance

• Field

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ba

“Noh” stage and “Ba” Open, flexible platform with embedded routines and processes

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Funa benkei is a Japanese Noh play written by Kanze Kojirô Nobumitsu, eventually adapted to Kabuki by Kawatake Mokuami in 1885. It was staged for the first time in November that year and starred Ichikawa Danj r IX.

Minamoto no Yoritomo, seeing his younger brother Minamoto no Yoshitsune as a rival power, excludes him from the royal family despite his loyal performance in battle. Yoshitsune decides to escape and meet up with his retainer Benkei at the Ômo-no-Ura port. (1)While at a hotel en route, his girlfriend Shizuka dances for him, and her headress falls off during the dance. It is a bad omen, so she leaves it and returns to Kyoto. (2)Yoshitsune continue the next day and board the boat, where they are stuck by a dangerous storm. (3)During the storm they are attacked by ghosts of the sea, among them Taira no Tomomori. They fight the spirits, but to no avail. Eventually Benkei realises that the only way to defeat a vengeful spirit is through prayer, and the storm dissipates.

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“Kagura” and “ba” ancient rituals: sacred music and dancing

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“Kagura” and “ba” ancient rituals: sacred music and dancing

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“Shinto” shrine

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“Ba” as Culture

• In Japan, the nature of “basho” (Place) or “placelessness” has appeared more pronounced than in many other countries. It is because in Japan the experience of place before the industrial society is deep rooted and very old whereas the landscape influenced by urbanization and industrialization has only recently been formed.

• “Place and Placelessness” Edward Relph (1999)

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“Ba” and tea ceremony2010 (c)N.Konno, KIRO Please Do Not Copy.

東求堂同仁斎 Tou-gu-dou(1486)

Became the origin of the tea room, “tatami” “shosai”room that is the beginning of the space Japanese see the commonality in both the 15th century room and modern Japanese rooms.

荒川区　Ｈさま邸　戸建　フルリフォーム　2009 年 10 月 12 日http://www.l-up.jp/blog/?p=339

http://www.archi-miyata.com/database/database.cgi?cmd=s&sc=kouji

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“Ba” is Shared Context in Motion in tune with each other

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“Ba” is Shared Context in Motion “Becomes it” no separation of I and it

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“Ba” is Shared Context in Motion Devoting Mind

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So what’s “ba”?

• The concept is originally proposed by Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida: as foundation of existence is nothingness, only place or ba can define the own existence that “emerges”

• i.e. shared place for emerging relationships and meaning

• The place can be physical, virtual, mental, or any combination

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場の共有が関係性と意味を創発する

• No separation between you and I, nor this and that, through fusion of both--- or “pure experience” (cf. Cartesian dualism)

• Predicative logic vs. subjective logic

• Verb driven world=event-driven world

• Subject driven world = material driven world

So what’s “ba”?

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述語論理と主語論理

主客未分の純粋経験

Subject-Object Relationship and Nishida’s “Pure Experience”

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Experience, physical interaction, or inter-subjectivity, as elements to overcome gaps between logic and facts, rationalism and empiricism.経験、身体的相互作用、間主観性が論理と事実、合理主義と経験主義の狭間を埋める

Physical Ba

Mental/Cognitive Ba

Virtual Ba

Practical Ba

Ba Tacit k. Tacit k.

Individual context

Individual context

Shared Context

Ba= Shared context-in-motion, dynamic meaning space (topos)

Three Factors (functions) of Ba:

1.Essential dialog, reflective thinking

2.Communication/info sharing

3.Learning/collaboration

Explicit k. Explicit k.

(Nonaka,Konno 1998)

Tacit knowledge (physical, experience) is basis of knowledge, because it is directly connected to place/space/physical relationship.Sharing context (Ba) is origin of knowledge creation.

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Then why Japan needs future centers?

• 従来の「日本的経営」の限界

• イノベーション経営、創造経済の時代の到来

• 再構築、協業の要請

• 新たな創造的組織文化への転換

• 社会的知識資産への注目

• Limit of conventional “Japanese Management”

• The era of innovation management and creative economy

• Need for reconstruction and collaboration

• Shift to new, creative organizational culture

• Attention to social capital

FCと場への関心　 An interest to “ba” and FC

• Place for emerging relationships and co-creating of knowledge

• I=You relationship, collaborative actions, leadership

• Embedded process of knowledge creation (“kata” or creative routine)

• Dynamic networking with other “ba”

“Ba” and Future Center

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Give attention to sharing experiences, use predicative language to consciously create and establish “ba”, then develop it....

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Thank you.