02.02.05
NHK Refuses Apology to Asahi

From The Japan Times: NHK said Feb. 1 it will not apologize to The Asahi Shimbun for saying the paper "falsely" reported the broadcaster had buckled under political pressure and edited a controversial 2001 TV program. NHK wrote a letter to the newspaper refusing to apologize and restating their position saying, "We will reveal the truth by ourselves and fulfill our responsibility to explain to our viewers." The Asahi Shimbun said NHK damaged their reputation and threatened legal action if the broadcaster's response was unsatisfactory. The conflict stems from a Jan. 12 report in which The Asahi Shimbun said Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers Shinzo Abe and Shoichi Nakagawa told NHK to alter a program presenting a mock war crimes trial in which Emperor Hirohito was found guilty. Both men have refused to admit any wrongdoing.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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02.01.05
New Cell Phone Controlled By Shakes and Jiggles

From The Associated Press via Yahoo Asia News: A new cell phone from Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. comes equipped with a motion-control sensor that will allow Vodafone K.K. subscribers to use shakes and jiggles to control the handset, instead of pushing buttons. Starting in March, subscribers can program their cell phones for nine functions, such as e-mail, by mixing various patterns of moving the handsets from left to right, or up and down thanks to the sensor's computer chip, made by Aichi Steel Corp., that recognizes directional motion. Vodafone K.K., the Japanese unit of the British mobile phone firm, plans to sell the handset only in Japan, but has not disclosed the phone?'s cost or targeted demographic.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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02.01.05
DoCoMo Enables Text Messaging to 5 Asian Countries

From AFP via Yahoo News: NTT DoCoMo announced its text-messaging service will be available in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand this month. The service will respond to the increasing demand from Japanese cell phone users to text message abroad. According to NTT DoCoMo, starting Feb. 15 a third-generation FOMA phone will allow users to communicate via text messages with specific users in the five Asian countries for 50 yen (48 cents) per message. The company will also introduce a new handset, 901i FOMA, with advanced ring tones and games. The company announced the new service features after predicting a bleak market outlook. While the net profit of the company between last March and December was 756.54 billion yen ($7.3 billion), a 53.1 percent increase, the company said its revenue suffered from the country's discount war.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.25.05
NHK President Resigns Amid Scandal

From Kyodo News: NHK CEO Katsuji Ebisawa resigned his post along with two other executives, due to the budget crisis created by the growing number of subscribers refusing to pay mandatory fees to the public broadcaster after last year's embezzlement scandal. Genichi Hashimoto, managing director and chief engineer, was promoted to president. The station's managing committee said it accepted Ebisawa's resignation so new leadership could help the company navigate "the emergency situation." NHK's 2005 budget shrunk from the previous fiscal year after more than 113,000 households ceased paying subscription fees. The country's 38 million subscribers supply 97 percent of NHK's revenue. Under Japanese law, every household in the country with a TV is required to pay NHK fees, though there is no legal provision for sanctions against non-paying subscribers. The July 2004 scandal came to light when NHK disclosed that a former chief producer and other staffers had defrauded the company 48 million yen ($462,000).
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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01.24.05
Experimental Tourist Info Available for Cell Phone Users

From Yomiuri Shimbun: On Jan. 15, an experiment sponsored by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry allowed research team members to add their own remarks regarding Kuwana, Mie Prefecture sightseeing spots to a digital map, while other members, role-playing as tourists, received the comments by cell phone. Six companies, including an aeronautical map manufacturer and a cell phone firm, helped conduct the experiment, which was supervised by Hyakugo Economic Research Institute. "If citizens start sending the latest data in real time, the system could provide tourists with new information that is not in guidebooks," said Hiroyuki Nakahata, chief researcher at the institute.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.22.05
Book Sales Rise; TV and Print Media Seen as Factors

From The Asahi Shimbun: Best-seller "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was one of several hits that helped bolster the Japanese book market this year. Book sales from January to November 2004 rose 4.1 percent over the last year, with five books selling more than 1 million copies and two others surpassing the 2 million mark. The Research Institute for Publications, the research division of the All Japan Magazine and Book Publisher's and Editor?' Association, said TV was most likely responsible for the rise in sales among young people because it disseminates book-related information to them. The institute also said use of print media increased sales among the middle-aged and elderly.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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1.21.05
TBS Apologizes for Mistaken Photograph

From The Japan Times: Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. apologized to relatives of two missing Japanese believed to be abducted by North Korea, after misidentifying the abductees in a photo provided by a North Korean defector. The Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to North Korea obtained the photo of a man and woman, thought to have disappeared more than 20 years ago, from TBS. Yet, after the broadcast of the investigative group's news conference, TBS was notified that the two pictured were not abductees. The defector who provided the photo then put TBS officials in contact with the photographed couple, who told TBS they were North Koreans who escaped to South Korea. The broadcaster acquired the photo in November but did not disclose its cost.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.19.05
Asahi Shimbun Defends NHK Story

From The Asahi Shimbun: The Asahi Shimbun announced it is standing by its Jan. 12 story which asserted that NHK cowed to partisan political pressure. The paper ran a special page in its Jan. 18 morning Japanese-language edition. The article, which the paper says was based on "interviews with key people involved," alleged that NHK edited a program on Japanese involvement in World War II after meeting with Liberal Democratic Party members Shinzo Abe and Shoichi Nakagawa. According to Asahi, Abe and Nakagawa found the program biased and pressured the network to alter it. Abe admitted on Jan. 10 that he met with NHK officials, but denies telling them to edit the program. He maintains that he only reminded NHK executives of the importance of neutrality. Masahiko Yokoi, city news editor for The Asahi Shimbun's Tokyo office, explained that the paper reported from the perspective of "what the appropriate distance should be between the public broadcaster and the political establishment." Abe has asked for an apology for the report; NHK has demanded an apology and a printed correction. Earlier in the week Abe said he will not testify before the Diet regarding the controversy, according to The Japan Times.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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01.17.05
Fuji TV Bids For Nippon Broadcasting

From Reuters via Yahoo News India: Fuji TV announced Monday it offered $719 million for the controlling stake in radio company Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. Fuji said it plans to raise its shareholdings from 12.4 percent to over 50 percent in order to compete more effectively in the dynamic Japanese broadcast market. Nippon Broadcasting said it agreed to the offer of 5,950 yen ($58.30) per share. Nippon Broadcasting founded and currently owns a percentage of Fuji TV, the largest private TV broadcaster in Japan. Fuji's offer would move current top Nippon Broadcasting shareholder MAC Co. into second place, with a 16.6 percent interest.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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Monthly Pressnet Bulletin
Tax Hike Could Jeopardize Papers

From the January Pressnet Bulletin: A rise in Japan's consumption tax, expected to take shape after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi leaves office, will harm the newspaper industry, said NSK Chairman Shinichi Hakoshima in his New Year's message to Japanese journalists. An NSK task force released a report on the issue in December after consulting with scholars, tax and constitutional law experts, media executives and Western officials. The task force concluded that the people's access to the variety of information found in newspapers is crucial to maintaining a democratic society, and raising the tax would deter consumers from subscribing to newspapers, potentially resulting in a declining literacy rate. The task force also pointed to the example of European nations and U.S. states that do not tax or have a reduced tax for newspapers.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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Monthly Pressnet Bulletin
New Privacy Laws Threaten Media Access

From the January Pressnet Bulletin: Several recent laws and regulations could inhibit access to public information, according to NSK. The Personal Information Protection Law and the Basic Law for the Protection of Crime Victims could give the green light for law enforcement officials to refuse journalists access to information about crime victims and suspects. The news media is also fighting the possible resurrection of the Human Rights Protection Bill, which was dropped in October 2003 after receiving sharp opposition for its unfair interference with reporting. There has been no progress in talks with the Defense Agency about widening media access to Japanese soldiers in Iraq, although most media organizations have moved their reporters out of Iraq. Although the European Union did not make a second call for the abolition of press clubs in its latest report on proposals for Japanese government reform, NSK also acknowledged that more must be done to create greater access for foreign reporters to attend press club news events.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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01.14.05
10 Years After Quake, Multilingual Emergency Info Still Lacking

From Yomiuri Shimbun: More foreign-language information should be provided by the media during a disaster like 1995's Great Hanshin Earthquake, said representatives of non-Japanese residents in Hyogo Prefecture at a December meeting hosted by the prefectural government. Non-Japanese residents could not get enough information about shelters, transportation and hospitals after the deadly quake, which struck Kobe on Jan. 17, 1995. To prevent a similar situation in the future,  Hyogo Latino in Kobe started publishing a free monthly magazine including Spanish information. FM.CO.CO.LO in Osaka, the nation's first multilingual FM station, now broadcasts disaster warnings in not only Japanese but Chinese, Korean and other languages. Japanese-Peruvian Roxana Oshiro, a Spanish-language coordinator at World Kids Community and a radio personality at FM.CO.CO.LO, said the efforts have brought secure feelings to non-Japanese people. But she pointed out that they need more Spanish radio programs and the magazine needs to increase its circulation.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.13.05
Lawmaker Admits Pressing NHK to Edit Coverage

From The Japan Times: A Liberal Democratic Party legislator admitted on Jan. 12 that while deputy chief cabinet secretary he told NHK to edit its coverage of a 2001 mock war crimes trial that found Emperor Hirohito guilty of allowing for the sexual enslavement of women during World War II. Shinzo Abe said after viewing the program he found the coverage biased and told the public broadcaster to present a more balanced perspective. His admission followed a report by The Asahi Shimbun alleging he and LDP member Shoichi Nakagawa (now minister of economy) both told NHK executives to edit the January 2001 program. The segment in question was part of series on Japanese responsibility for World War II. The mock trial resulted in a guilty verdict, which was cut in the program's final edit. Violence Against Women in War-Network Japan said the verdict was censored due to pressure from the political right and called it a "grave violation" of free speech and a free press. The group has demanded a public NHK investigation. NHK maintains the editor removed the footage on his own.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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01.13.05
Sony's 'Creation Box' Clears Distorted TV, Video

From The Associated Press via CNN.com: Sony is boasting a device that adjusts TV signals to sharpen TV images and zoom in while editing home video. The Creation Box, unveiled Jan. 12 and priced at $4,800, has a remote control and hooks up to a separate TV and tuner provided by the user. Sony said the Creation Box renders images on any TV model clearer and enables zooming-in on high-definition video without the usual distortion. Sales of Sony's latest product, limited to Japan, will begin this month with no current plans for sales overseas, though the company promises the technology will be integrated into their new TVs.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Erica Ogg
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01.12.05
Report: Market for E-pay Technology to Double in '05

From AFX via Yahoo U.K. Finance: The Japanese market for mobile platforms that allow electronic payment and security functions will double this year, according to a report by researchers at Nomura Securities, Japan's largest brokerage firm. The market for mobile electronic transactions is estimated to hit 52.2 billion yen (nearly $510 million), up from 29.8 billion yen (about $291 million) last year when NTT DoCoMo launched handsets with virtual wallet functions. The phones also function as smart-card electronic cash, ID cards and train passes. In addition, the company introduced handsets with fingerprint authentication for security in electronic transactions. The report also indicates the mobile content market will rise to 275.3 billion yen (nearly $2.7 billion) in 2005, an 8.8 percent increase from last year.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.11.05
Psychiatrist Advocates Online Forum to Prevent Suicide Pacts

From The Asahi Shimbun: Takeshi Tamura, a psychiatrist and an associate professor at Tokyo Gakugei University, insists online suicide pacts should be prevented by offering safe Internet forums where desperate people can find consolation with the aid of experts in suicidal psychology. Many have blamed online suicide bulletin boards for encouraging people with suicidal impulses to find company in a pact, although Tamura acknowledges that Web sites with suicide-related information cannot be regulated. Organizations such as public broadcaster NHK and the Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs of the Tokyo metropolitan government are providing online counseling for people withdrawing from society, but not for suicidal people. Tamura, who has offered online counseling since 1997, points out that public organizations with specialists or private organizations with volunteers can offer suicide prevention services online. Most Internet suicide pacts are performed by young people, and less than 50 people a year commit suicides by finding company online, he said.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.09.05
Sony Mum on U.S. Debut of Popular Media Console

From Chicago Tribune: Japanese consumers are snatching up the Sony entertainment console PlayStation Portable, but the company has remained coy in releasing details about the PSP's launch in North America, set for an unannounced date in March. Since the device's debut in Japan last month, Sony has sold more than 500,000 of the units notable for playing movies and music as well as games. The PSP goes for about $190 in Japan, but upstart sellers have sold them for up to four times the price. At the PSP's unveiling during last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony suggested it may be sold in the States at the Japanese price.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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01.07.05
Scandal-plagued NHK President Announces Resignation

From Yomiuri Shimbun: NHK President Katsuji Ebisawa revealed his plan to resign in March during a regular press conference. Sounding weak-voiced during the announcement, the 70-year-old Ebisawa said he would like to "pursue (his) future after sorting out business plans and the budget for fiscal 2005." A series of scandals involving NHK employees caused about 113,000 households to turn down paying their NHK viewing fees as of the end of November. The president and executives at NHK were punished when the public learned of the scandals. Around 27,000 viewers, who watched an NHK-broadcasted apology in December in which Ebisawa made an appearance, sent comments to the station, including some insisting on Ebisawa's resignation. In the press conference, the three-time NHK president admitted that the televised apology did not help stem the number of households refusing to pay the viewing fees, putting more pressure on him to step down.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.06.05
Walk a Robot With a Cell Phone

From The Asahi Shimbun: The first cell phone-controlled walking robot will be up for sale online in February. The cell phone, manufactured by Toshiba Corp. and marketed under KDDI's brand name Au, operates the robot through Bluetooth wireless communication within a 10-meter range. The user must log onto a Web site from the phone to download instructions for robot commands such as walking and waving hands, then transfer the commands to the memory of the robot. The robot will cost around 200,000 yen (over $1,900), and the cell phone is sold at about 20,000 yen (about $193). Co-developers KDDI and I Bee KK said they plan to expand its functions to the home security realm, adding a video camera for surveillance purposes.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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01.05.05
Free Papers Attract Young Readers

From Kyodo News via The Japan Times: While the market for mainstream magazines is heading downward, free newspapers and magazines are thriving, according to the Japan Free Newspapers Association (JAFNA). There are 225 million copies of these ad-crammed publications found nationwide, mostly distributed at train stations and mostly read by women. In an effort to gain male readership, the publisher of monthly Hot Pepper launched another magazine aimed at men between 25 and 35, an age group with a lot of money to spend, but also difficult to corner. Another free magazine, the weekly R25, contains original articles about entertainment and politics, each written in 800 characters to allow a reader to finish between train stops. R25's circulation soared from 100,000 to 600,000 since its start in July. Editorial director Daisuke Fujii says one purpose of R25 magazine is to help prevent young people from fleeing paper media, essentially becoming a "portal" to the print world. The popularity of free papers among young generations is related to consumption patterns often associated with the Internet, adds JAFNA senior managing director Akira Tsukamoto. "Young people are living in a world where information can be obtained freely using mobile phones and personal computers," he says.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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12.31.04
Japan Wants More Workers to Telecommute

From AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer's INQ7.net: Japan's telecom ministry launched a pilot telecommuting program on the Internet with the goal of getting 20 percent of Japan's workers doing their jobs from home by the end of the decade. Four million Japanese currently telecommute, or about six percent of 63.2 million workers in the nation. A increase in telecommuting would improve workplace efficiency, allow for more family time, and even reduce overcrowding on the country's trains and roads, said Taketo Deguchi of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In the pilot program, six telecom ministry workers will telecommute via high speed Internet at least once a week and will later report their experiences. Deguchi said the ministry plans to have a fifth of its 2,500 workers telecommuting by 2006, and hopes to "(encourage) the sharing of know-how about telecommuting with the private sector."
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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12.30.04
DoCoMo, NEC Among Companies Developing Advanced 3G

From Reuters: A "Super 3G" mobile phone standard capable of transmitting high resolution video 10 times faster than current 3G services will be developed by the world's leading mobile phone carriers, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported. Japanese wireless carriers NTT DoCoMo and NEC are among 26 companies said to be on board to launch services for the improved standard by 2009, although DoCoMo had no comment on the newspaper's report. Demand will likely be high for large-screen mobiles suitable for movies and games, and DoCoMo may invest nearly $1 billion on infrastructure improvements for the new service, the paper added.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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12.27.04
DoCoMo, NEC Turn to Wireless Opportunities in China

From AFP via South Africa's Business Report: Japanese electronics corporation NEC wants to create an infrastructure in China for 3G mobile services. The company said it has communicated with Chinese telecom operators about selling 3G equipment. "We are ready to enter the 3G market in China," said NEC spokeswoman Akiko Shikimori. "Since China is the world's biggest mobile phone market, we expect its demand for the next-generation services to grow sharply." Although 3G has enjoyed great popularity in Japan, concerns over its high costs have stalled a similar welcome in other countries. And according to Forbes, NTT DoCoMo said it is also investing in Chinese mobile services, putting away $4 million in a mapping and location service and another $4.2 million in a digital media group.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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12.11.04
Music Seen as 'Killer App' for Cell Phones

From The Japan Times: Japanese wireless company KDDI has launched a wireless music download service that works with certain next-generation handsets. Unlike similar services that allow subscribers to download 30-second clips for use as ring tones, KDDI's Chaku-uta Full service will offer complete songs in the popular MP3 format. Songs cost 300 yen ($2.86) apiece, and the library now consists of some 10,000 tracks. KDDI officials say technical limitations of current handsets will keep the service from posing a serious challenge to Apple's market-leading iPod digital music player for the near future. "But unlike iPod, users can download very easily," said KDDI's Tatsuo Yagi. "And if the handsets' memory capacity increases, cell phones may become a significant presence as portable music players."
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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12.07.04
Yahoo Japan to Feature Quake Reports

From Kyodo News via Yahoo Asia News: Yahoo Japan said it plans to offer real-time earthquake data on its Web site and via its wireless service, including information on the time, location and size of temblors measuring 3 or greater on Japan's seven-point intensity scale. When a seismic event occurs, the front page of Yahoo Japan will include information on the quake for about a minute, and banner ads on interior pages will turn into bulletin boards with additional info. Sources at the company, Japan's largest Internet portal, said the decision to offer comprehensive earthquake information resulted from an unsatisfactory experience with a temporary service following the recent Niigata quakes.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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