The CiP Digital Special Zone ”Digital and Contents”

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a plan to construct a digital and content zone in the bay area of Minato Ward, Tokyo. Here is the second part of the launch announcement. It concerns the fields targeted by the CiP.

2)Digital and Content

Japan’s AV culture, which is represented by comics, animation, games, and J-Pop, composes one wing of global pop culture. Focusing on these areas is a given for a digital and content accumulation base. No explanation is required in enhancing production functions, cooperation, and transmission.

However, these will not necessarily play a leading role in 2020 content.

These fields have changed completely in the past five years. It’s “smartification.” Devices went from TVs, PCs, and cell phones, to smartphones, electronic signage, and other multiple screens. From packages to networks, as well as cloud migration, the world has become one marketplace. Social media service growth is striking.

The content business has become a borderless business due to multiple windows and the cloud. Spearheaded by overseas distribution of animation, the connection between live music performance evolution, the export of broadcast programs, food, fashion, and so on, is garnering attention. With social services, participatory communities formed, social games became one great industry, and everyone is creating content.

The three components of device, network, and service manifested in multiple screens, the cloud, and social media. Japan missed the bus to these global phenomena; however, we should not chase after it, but set our sights on the following stage.

The curtain is opening on the next act.

We must consider the new device environment that overtakes multiple screens. Square screens were overtaken by wearables and computers, which have become the norm. With 3D printers, content is becoming not more flat but more three-dimensional, not focusing on images but on objects. M2M (Machine to Machine) and the IoT (Internet of Things) are advancing. Cars, consumer electronics, and robots all connect to these through transmissions. Computers are embedded in all things, and all things are media.

The next generation of the cloud network will be constructed. Big data will be shared through the 5G communications network, A.I. will be enclosed therein, and networks will process work that is beyond people. No matter where you go in a city, even if your devices are turned off, it will be a ubiquitous computing environment where information passes before your eyes. Media will be minutely embedded in secure information cities.

Services will also leap forward. This does not only pertain to future content and social media.

　E-commerce has grown to account for 5% of all retail sales, but there is no doubt that it will expand into the remaining 95% to become the heart of lifestyle and economics. A good portion of education will become content, and much of medical care will be digitized. In the 2020’s about ⅕ of the cost of education, which climbs to ¥20 trillion annually, will be invested in the digital marketplace. What percentage of the ¥30 trillion medical care cost will be similarly invested?

The administration also affirms these things. The open data that that makes administrative affairs into content is advancing. The total annual budget of local governments is ¥80 trillion. What degree of it will be digitized? There is the latent potential for it to be a great sum. As communication and community progress, new services will continue to unfold.

The prospective view of the CiP considers that kind of era, that kind of situation. We want to provide such devices, networks, and services for the 2020’s.