The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is
a plan to construct a digital and content zone in Takeshiba, Minato Ward,
Tokyo. The second question in my interview was, "How can we expand the
future prospects of Tokyo and Japan?”
There are three points.
1. Expand Strengths
Our greatest strength is the coexistence
of technology and pop culture. Corporate groups with high technological
strength and productive creators and users are gathering in Tokyo. This is
unparalleled. We should polish that cooperative force and draw in wealth from
the world.
This will require relaxation and
integration. We must relax the regulations of legislation, the business world,
etc., as much as possible. And we should make concentrated investments in
skilled and talented persons. People are arguing that we need to rectify the
high concentration of resources in Tokyo, but we must not weaken it.
Conversely, if we do not intensify the
investment of resources in Tokyo and compete with NYC, London, Paris, Shanghai,
and Seoul, Japan will subside. If other regions intensify cooperation between
Tokyo and foreign powers, that is what will drag them down. Strengthening Tokyo
strengthens other Japanese regions.
The CiP exists for that purpose. It will
create a convergence point for technology and culture and connect with other
domestic major cities to become a new-age breeder reactor.
Universities hold the key. Can Japanese
universities accomplish the platform functionality that Silicon Valley, the
east coast, and US universities have accomplished, or not? This is our
homework.
2. Preserve Freedom
One of the reasons Japanese pop culture
has become popular overseas is our freedom of expression. Models of religion,
class, etc., are lax, and we give a pass to erotic and violent depictions that
would be disallowed in other countries. Although this can be connected to
social problems, it is the cause of our content variety and international
competitive force.
The young women of European and Asian
countries see Japanese school uniforms and Lolita fashion as symbols of
freedom. Clothing that could make one feel self-conscious in a person’s own
country is accepted in Japan. We are unaware of our free atmosphere.
Edo (1603-1868 Tokyo) was crowded with
bars. if we compare the amount of alcohol drunk by Edo citizens and Tokyo
citizens, there is no change. They seem to have been drunk from early in the
morning. Records show that at a heavy drinking party 200 years ago, a woman
named Kikuya Osumi drank down a 4.5 liter cup of sake. It was a free society!
What do we think of that? Animation
representation is regulated, liver sashimi is banned, schools disallow cell
phones, a single drone falling by the Prime Minister’s Office resulted in drone
regulation, and now with the TPP derivative works may cease to be created.
Is that standard practice? Then our
strategy is to maintain competitive strength with the non-standard. Takeshiba
will also be a national strategy special zone.
3. The Ocean
Tokyo has an ocean. America, Britain,
France, Germany, Italy, Canada...no other G7 country has a seaside capital
city. The defensive advantage is obvious. Nor do China or Russia have such a
capital.
This is common for standing
member-nations of the UN Security Council. It is likewise with India, Spain, or
Brazil. This is true of all major powers. But Tokyo has an ocean. There are
very few shining metropolises on the sea: Singapore and Scandinavia.
Japan was an
ocean nation, and Edo was made the capital so as to effectively use sea routes
more than land routes. But how does that play out? Is Tokyo now leveraging its
seaside location? Hasn’t it been filling it up, killing it? The same is true of
rivers. By putting a lid on our waters, we are killing our capital city.
Let’s use it.
What can we do that other nations cannot? Revitalize water navigation. Send
countless vessels and drones over the water to create streets. Make one great
screen of the water surface. Constant shouts of joy rise up along the
waterfront.
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