iU vs. Minerva Schools

 ■iU vs. Minerva Schools Hideki Yamamoto is the author of “Minerva Schools at KGI: The Most Desired Destination for the Global Elite.”This is the oft-discussed punk university that students enroll in instead of universities like Harvard and Stanford.I am observing it as a benchmark for iU, which aims to open in 2020.Although it shares a lot of similarities with iU, there are also points where the two differ.Let’s look at the similarities first1. All classes are conducted online at Minerva. Lectures are prohibited, as the model involves flipped...

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“The Internet and Freedom for Us” Revisited

 ■“The Internet and Freedom for Us” Revisited I wrote a book called “The Internet and Freedom for Us” around 1996.At the time, the old order was firmly in place. A triangular hierarchy existed in each of the fields of government, major corporations, mass media, and universities.Japan still had the strength to be considered one of the 3 powers, along with the United States and Europe. National borders were also unyielding.I tried to capture the internet, which appeared as something that could upend this situation, in its proper scale.It appeared...

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“The Internet and Freedom” Q&A

 ■“The Internet and Freedom” Q&A I did an interview about “The Internet and Freedom for Us,” the book that I wrote 24 years ago. I would like to list my responses.○During the dawn of the internet, what kind of issues occurred and what kind of regulations were in place?Around the time that I wrote this book, which was the mid ’90s when the internet was starting to become popularized, I became the first person in charge of the internet in the Japanese government and made it clear that my role was to promote the internet, while focusing on...

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What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 2

 ■What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 2 The first point was1. The significance of consumer surplus and total surplusNow I would like to touch on2. Capitalism will be modified to become a data-driven, knowledge-producing society2. The Modification of CapitalismThis book explains that the sharing economy can advance the conversion of goods into services, reduce producer surplus, and shrink the economy and that it tends to inhibit employment and investment.I agree with this sentiment. It would be dangerous to capture the sharing economy within...

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What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 1

 ■What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 1 I read a book called “Digital Capitalism” put forth by Nomura Research Institute (NRI).The directionality is off for policies because conventional economic indices have become outdated due to changes in long-term structures caused by digitalization.This book takes what has been in my mind without being able to be expressed successfully for over 10 years and profoundly describes it in a straightforward manner based on theories and data.The book explains the following 2 points.1. The significance of consumer...

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15 Years for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters

 ■15 Years for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters I would like to share notes from the talk I gave as part of a project by “Jurist” magazine.○Recent Developments for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters・The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the Agency for Cultural Affairs; and the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications had been central for the content and Cool Japan policies, and there had been a rather passive stance being shown, but nearly 10 ministries and agencies, including...

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Will Esports Become Serious?

 ■Will Esports Become Serious? Esports were a demonstration sport at the Asian Games in Jakarta.Because Japan won the Gold Medal for “Pro Evolution Soccer,” the Japanese flag was raised at the center while the Japanese national anthem was played.It will become an official sport at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.I took the podium at the “Gekito Esports!” symposium.First, I would like to share some notes on what I spoke about.Previously, I had stated that Japan is a developing country in terms of esports and that it faces 2 major issues.1....

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Launch of the World Otaku Institute!

 ■Launch of the World Otaku Institute! “The Current State of Research on Otaku Culture and the Necessity for an International Research Institute” was the kickoff event for the World Otaku Institute.The idea is to create a headquarters for otaku researchers around the world.It will be established as a hub in the Pop & Tech Special Zone CiP.It aims to be a city that can only exist in Japan by combining Silicon Valley and Hollywood while being a poppy, fun place where creators, users, gamers, otaku, YouTubers, and cosplayers all gather.It...

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I hope to trace out a national strategy for AI in education

 ■ I hope to trace out a national strategy for AI in education The Learning for Tomorrow association held an open working group on AI in Education. The meeting began with general agreement that the world does not yet have anyone who has a birds-eye grasp of AI in education. There was discussion of examples, such as the development of a joint curriculum by Recruit Holdings, Tokyo University, and Tokyo Gakugei University as well as the use of IBM’s Watson Chatbot in classes.One thing that surprised me was discussion of the fact that China’s...

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Blockchain and Education should start cross-pollinating

■ Blockchain and Education should start cross-pollinating The Learning of Tomorrow association held a talk event entitled “Blockchain and Education.” This association, which promotes the use of technology in education, has established working groups in AI, programming and blockchain.At the opening of this talk event, the Learning of Tomorrow association announced that it is working on:1. Research into blockchain technology applications in education2. Fostering human resources in blockchain technology3. Increasing the technical functionality of...

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The overseas content market has doubled in 10 years

 ■ The overseas content market has doubled in 10 years HUMANMEDIA has published a database of the Japanese and global content market. Let’s take a look.The overseas market for Japanese content has doubled in ten years to exceed ¥2 trillion in 2020. In 2011 this figure was ¥865.3 billion, but ballooned to ¥1.4124 trillion in 2016. By 2020, this figure is expected to reach ¥2.208 trillion. The so-called Cool Japan Policy aims to expand this market.The anime sector represents the largest share of this overseas market. The sector accounted for...

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The risks of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology

 ■ The risks of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology The Digital Risk Association, of which I act as Chair, held the 2018 Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Forum. Discussions centered on extremely dry topics, such as the risks surrounding cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology and initial coin offerings (ICO). Nevertheless, the venue was instantly packed with 700 attendees, despite the fact we had not actively publicized the event. This illustrates the level of interest in this field. Let’s turn to cryptocurrencies first. Bitcoin has...

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Taking broadcasting reform from debate to action

 ■ Taking broadcasting reform from debate to action The Regulatory Reform Council submitted 120 recommendations in 7 fields to Prime Minister Abe, including in the field of reform of the broadcasting system. The central pillars of these recommendations are constructing a new platform, encouraging the entry of new players and laying the foundations for local bureau operations. Subsequently, the MIC compiled reports from the Broadcasting Issues Investigatory Panel and the Future of Broadcasting Subcommittee. These engaged in a deeper consideration...

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Learning of Tomorrow has begun

 ■ Learning of Tomorrow has begun A symposium was held at Keio University on the establishment of the “Learning of Tomorrow” association.While teaching digital education and programming is now part of the curriculum at elementary school, there is a growing and serious shortage of human resources in IT and AI. This is an effort to construct a private collaborative framework that combines education and technology to provide recurrent training for preschool aged children to adults and those who wish to brush up their skills. Its purpose...

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Yoshimoto Kogyo announces its vision for an Asian Entertainment Platform

 ■ Yoshimoto Kogyo announces its vision for an Asian Entertainment Platform Yoshimoto Kogyo used the Okinawa International Movie Festival as a stage to announce the establishment of its vision for the Okinawa Asian Entertainment Platform.In the preamble of the concept paper, it announced that “This Japan-made platform will allow expansion into Asia. It will introduce Asia to what Japan’s regions have to offer, and vice-versa. We aim to construct a platform to connect Asia with Okinawa, Japan through entertainment content.” This will become...

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Yunus Yoshimoto Social Action gets underway

 ■ Yunus Yoshimoto Social Action gets underway Yoshimoto Kogyo and Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus have together established Yunus Yoshimoto Social Action Co., Ltd.This is an attempt to solve social issues by means of business using the ‘social business’ model, of which Professor Yunus is a great proponent. They hope to solve issues and create employment by starting businesses which can solve social issues such as poverty, unemployment and environmental destruction.Yunus’ Grameen Bank provides small loans on trust alone,...

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A strategic vision and plan for intellectual property

 ■ A strategic vision and plan for intellectual property The Prime Minister’s office has an Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, whose members are the Prime Minister and his ministers. This body, in which I participated as chair, set out both a strategic vision and a concrete plan for intellectual property.The main thrust is as follows:1. Fostering human resourcesFostering human resources for intellectual property and Cool Japan2. Promoting prospective creationA content-creation ecosystem.Strengthening anti-piracy measures3. Design...

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Cool Japan: Ships and Cats

 ■ Cool Japan: Ships and Cats The “Ships” episode of NHK’s Cool JapanJapan has relied upon the sea and its rivers. Our lifestyle and economy has been supported by ships. Tokyo is an unusual capital city in that it faces the sea. Looking at this fact through a cultural lens from the perspective of an outsider leads to many new discoveries.The mysterious world of swan boats, barges and boat racingThe United Kingdom, another maritime nation, is said to mainly think of its waterways as a source of power and has actually hindered the passage of...

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Cool Japan: Ninja and Blades

 ■ Cool Japan: Ninja and Blades The “Ninja” episode from NHK’s Cool JapanI have taken a friend from overseas to the Ninja Restaurant in Akasaka. Ninja have been revisited as something cool that can be used to attract international tourists. They are strong, cool and mysterious. This is a theme that I have proposed. Ninja EventsThe Japan Ninja Council was formed in 2015 in an attempt to raise the profile of ninja, bringing together a group that originally viewed each other as rivals. Five prefectures with links to ninja joined forces with...

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Cool Japan: Umami and cleaning

 ■ Cool Japan: Umami and cleaning The “Umami” episode from NHK’s Cool JapanIt was only with the discovery of umami receptors on the tongue in the year 2000 that it was scientifically proved that “umami” was a distinct flavor. Now that Japanese cuisine has been registered as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, there are probably more people overseas who are interested in knowing more about the secret to creating Japanese flavors. The umami of dashi stock and ramenIt is thought that bonito and other fish have been used for dashi stock...

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Cool Japan: Cafeterias and home cooking

 ■ Cool Japan: Cafeterias and home cooking The “Cafeteria” episode from NHK’s Cool JapanThere is no other country in the world with as many international restaurants as Japan. No country has as many French and Italian flags fluttering in the streets. Tokyo has three times the number of Michelin-starred restaurants than Paris. There are many reasons for this.CommunicationJapanese restaurants place importance on entertainment and communication with the customer. The benches at sushi restaurants are calculated to be of a width that makes communication...

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